10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE IMPERIAL FAMILY
For 640 years, the Habsburgs ruled their empire from Vienna. Examples of the capital's rich cultural heritage awaits you around every corner. We've selected the top 10 most interesting facts about some of the most important characters in the imperial family and their lifestyles.
A tour of Vienna is like a trip back in time to the city's imperial past. Many of the city's landmarks date back to the Baroque era and the reign of Empress Maria Teresa. In 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph gave the order to tear down the city walls and build the Ringstrasse in its place. A stroll along the city's main avenue is an unforgettable tourist experience, as the Ring is dotted with grand buildings and beautiful parks on both sides.
The Hofburg, in the heart of the old town, served as the residence of the Habsburg emperors and empresses and was the epicenter of this great power from 1278 to 1918. Today, the sprawling complex houses several important museums and official state rooms.
1. Many believe that the House of Habsburg can be traced back to Guntram the Rich from the 10th. It was thanks to his grandson, Radbot Earl of Habsburg, who founded Habsburg Castle, after which the Habsburgs are named.
2. The Austrian Empire was named after many other important rulers throughout its time in power; ie King of the Romans, Holy Roman Emperors, King of Germany and King of Bohemia.
3. The Habsburgs liked inter-family marriages to simplify things - they even had a saying "The best spouse for one Habsburg is another Habsburg". This was detrimental to their gene pool which completely extinguished the Spanish Habsburgs!
4. Emperor Joseph II was a more decisive ruler than his mother, Maria Theresa, who issued an average of 690 decrees a year!
5. Joseph II was nicknamed the 'Illuminated Despot' thanks to his progressive thinking and abolished press censorship, servitude and limited the power of the Catholic Church.
6. Empress Maria Theresa was not only the mother of Joseph II, but also the mother of Marie Antoinette, the future queen of France - among her 16 children in total!
7. Schönbrunn Palace became the center of court life during Maria Theresa's rule, so much so that she invited a young Mozart to play his first concert at the age of six to entertain her guests in the resplendent Hall of Mirrors.
8. Empress Sisi was another well-known member of the Austrian Empire, born to Bavarian royalty, her early customs and etiquette were very informal compared to those of the Habsburg house she moved to at the tender age of 16.
9. Empress Sisi was believed to have obsessive tendencies towards her vanity, including spending hours on her hair styles every day and demanding to be hand-sewn into her leather corsets to maintain her youthful figure.
10. Visitors to the Hofburg Imperial Palace can see the Sisi Museum, dedicated to the life of Empress Sisi, which includes personal artifacts and extracts from her tireless beauty regimen.