Miramare

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Miramare Castle

The Miramare Castle (Italian: Castello di Miramare; German: Schloss Miramar) is a 19th century castle, built for Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, on the Gulf of Trieste near Trieste, northeastern Italy. Construction took place from 1856 to 1860 to a design by Carl Junker on the orders of Archduke Maximilian.

The extensive park (22 hectares) is located on the seashore and was designed by the Archduke. The cliff it was built on, which had no vegetation whatsoever at the time, was cultivated with numerous tropical species of trees and plants

The Royal couple, who then divided their time between the duties of the court and their private lives but were soon to accept the benefits and burdens of the Mexican crown, spent a happy period here at the Austrian Riviera. Here, with the visit of a delegation from Mexico, definite plans were laid for the adventure that led to their undoing in the Americas.

The Castle, now a museum run by the Cultural Heritage Office, affords a panoramic view of the Bay of Grignano and the Adriatic beyond from atop a rock promontory. It is surrounded by an Italian-style garden, with flora (including rare species) from all over the world. There is also a marine park.

From the castle can be seen: Maximilian's chambers and those of his consort, Charlotte of Belgium; the guest rooms; the information room telling the history of the Castle and the Park's construction; the Duke Amadeo of Aosta's apartment with furnishings from the 1930s in the Rationalist style. All the rooms still feature the original furnishings, ornaments, furniture and objects dating back to the middle of the 19th century. Particularly noteworthy are the music room where Charlotte used to play the fortepiano, now on show in room VII. In room XIX there are a series of paintings by Cesare dell'Acqua depicting the history of Miramare. Lastly, visitors may visit the throne room, which was recently restored and brought back to its former splendour.

Features of particular attraction in the gardens include two ponds, one noted for its swans and the other for lotus flowers, the Castle annexe (“Castelletto”), a nearby a bronze statue of Maximilian, and a small chapel in which is kept a cross made from the remains of the “Novara”, the flagship on which Maximilian, brother of Emperor Franz Josef, set sail to become Emperor of Mexico.

The park includes several botanical species and an important collection of sculptures dotted along its numerous paths. Also noteworthy are the Stables, a building which was recently restored and is now used for temporary exhibitions, as well as the Old Greenhouses and the Little Castle, with its original decoration on the first floor.

The Castle's park is shared with two of the many scientific facilities of the city, i.e. the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP "Abdus Salam") and International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA). A nice history of the events which leaded to this situation can be found in the biography of the centre co-founder Paolo Budinich, "L'arcipelago delle meraviglie" (Di Renzo Editore, Italian version only AFAIK).