The magnificent castle of Miramare is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Italy. The history of this edifice is rich in interesting stories that stir the imagination, especially as you listen to them as you walk through the magnificent chambers…
Miramare
Castle was built in the 19th century for the Austrian Archduke
Maximilian I and his wife. It is located not far from Trieste, on the
very coast of the Gulf of Trieste, right next to the sea, and has a
unique view of the open sea, while on the other hand it is surrounded
by the lush greenery of a botanical garden specially planted to
contribute to the general impression of opulence and wealth.
Today,
the castle-museum is accessible to everyone at a reasonable ticket
price, while a tour of the exterior is, of course, a free adventure.
By
the way, the architect who designed Miramare was not adept at
castles. Karl Junker was mainly engaged in the construction of
aqueducts and water pipes. Nevertheless, the magnificent edifice
shows that he has proven that he knows and knows how to satisfy the
needs of both - ordinary people and the elite.
One
famous story states that the Archduke was trapped in a storm at sea
and managed to save himself by reaching land in this area. This was
the reason why he chose this very place as his home and named it
after his "real" home, the residence in Portugal.
However, Maximilian did not get to enjoy it, although he carefully supervised the construction down to the smallest details, such as ornaments and carvings.
However,
when the castle was completed, the Archduke soon traveled to Mexico
where he was captured and shot by his political enemies. He was only
35 years old then.
After the death of the duke, Miramare
served as a kind of "hotel" for numerous leaders, as
evidenced by the works of art and portraits displayed in the castle.
Emperor
Franz Joseph and his wife enjoyed the luxury of the castle after the
death of Maximilian when they came to visit Trieste. After them,
Empress Elizabeth and Belgian Princess Stephanie stayed
here.
According to one legend, the castle is haunted and the
curse says that whoever spends the night in the castle will face an
untimely death in a foreign land.
The
area of today's
breathtaking castle park was just dry land full of Mediterranean
scrub before the castle was built. At the request of the Archduke,
carefully selected species of flowers and trees from all over the
world: from Lebanon, North Africa, California, Mexico, Asia...
It
was a private garden that only the Archduke and his family could
enjoy.
While the great castle was being built, the duke had to stay somewhere. He chose it to be the so-called Castelletto - a yellow building tucked away in the park next to Miramare Castle, which looks a bit like it.
Nevertheless, the stories testify that Maximilian lived modestly in this small building, patiently waiting for the Miramare to be fully completed.