Schloss Schönbrunn by Bjorgvin
In 1695 Emperor Leopold I (r. 1658-1705) decided to build hunting lodge at Schönbrunn ('Beautiful Fountain') on Vienna's outskirts. The plan was to design a palace larger than Versailles. The architect was Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, one of the greatest of the Baroque Era. Unfortunately his plans were too much for the Austrian Treasury, and the Habsburg family had to settle for a more modest dwelling, only 1,441 rooms! When Empress Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780) came to the throne in 1740, she had the palace expanded and redecorated in French Rococo style. The palace was surrendered to the Austrian Republic in 1918 and today it is both a national monument and a museum. - Schönbrunn Palace was put on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in December 1996.www.schoenbrunn.at
