Hofburg

Hofburg, Vienna, the imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty since it was founded in 1278. At various periods additions were made to the original palace, and the resulting complex of buildings and courtyards became a small town within Vienna.

The earliest part of the Hofburg later became known as the Swiss Court. In the mid-16th century Ferdinand I added the Stallburg (which houses the Imperial Treasure) and the Amalienhof (royal apartments), and remodelled the façade of the Swiss Court, installing a Renaissance portal. Under Leopold I the Amalienhof was rebuilt, and Leopold's apartments were added. The most important work was carried out under Charles VI in the early 18th century. The palace was greatly extended by J. B. Fischer von Erlach, who combined the styles of French and Italian Renaissance, building the Library, the Imperial Chancellery (originally the seat of the Council and then the Emperor's residence), the Albertina (present home of the drawings and prints collection), the Maria Theresa apartments (now used by Austria's president), and the Spanish Riding School.

The last sequence of monumental building work began in 1889 under Emperor Franz Joseph I and included the main façade (1889-1893) on the Michaelerplatz, by Ferdinand Kirschner, and the Neue Burg (1881-1913) in Italian Renaissance style, which houses collections of arms and armour, musical instruments, Ephesian sculptures, and the ethnographic museum. The ensemble is varied in style, but there are many good vistas through the courts, and the general effect of the structure is majestic and imposing.