![Engelhartstetten - Schloss Hof (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Engelhartstetten_-_Schloss_Hof_%281%29.JPG)
Schloss Hof is a palace located in
Marchfeld
The Marchfeld ('' Morava Field'') is the north area of the Vienna Basin which is a sedimentary basin between the Eastern Alps and the Western Carpathians.
History and location
This historical region is known from the Battle on the Marchfeld. It i ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
near the border of
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
. It once belonged to
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...
who purchased it late in his life in 1726. He had it enlarged in the
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style by the architect
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (14 November 1668 – 16 November 1745) was an Austrian baroque architect and military engineer who designed stately buildings and churches and whose work had a profound influence on the architecture of the Habsburg E ...
in 1729, and used it as an elaborate hunting lodge. He left it to a niece in his will, and it was later purchased by Empress
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' ( ...
and became part of the imperial estates.
The castle was built in the 1620s to the east of what was then the medieval fortress of Hof. After Prince Eugene of Savoy acquired the complex in 1725, he expanded it into a representative country residence. In 1755 the castle came into the possession of Austria's sovereign Maria Theresa. From 1773 to 1775, Franz Anton Hillebrandt carried out a conversion and expansion to give it the appearance it has today. The
Baroque garden
The Baroque garden was a style of garden based upon symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The style originated in the late-16th century in Italy, in the gardens of the Vatican and the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome and in the ga ...
was reconstructed in its historical appearance by 2019.
The Castle of Schloss Hof Silver Coin
The Castle of Schloss Hof became the main motive of one of the most famous silver collectors coins: the
Castle of Schlosshof coin. This coin was issued honouring the castle with the obverse side showing a view of the castle from the terraced garden side.
Meierhof
The Baroque estate, one of the largest surviving farmsteads in Europe, was restored and opened to the public. Workshops were set up in the Meierhof, through which visitors can learn about Baroque life (turning, pottery, basket-weaving, gardening, schnapps distillery). The two mirror-like orangeries adjoining the Meierhof are among the largest and also oldest (1729–30) Baroque buildings of this type in Europe. They also have the only subterranean hot-air heating system that has been preserved and has been put back into operation.
Baroque breeds of domestic animals live again today in the stables and on the pastures of the farm. Participation in breeding programs is intended to prevent the extinction of old Austrian breeds such as the Nonius horses, which were widespread in the 19th century. Lipizzaner, Noriker, spectacled sheep and camels graze on the pastures, as well as some of the last Austro-Hungarian white donkeys in the world.
External links
Schloss Hof– official site
Gänserndorf District
Palaces in Austria
Baroque castles in Austria
Castles in Lower Austria
Museums in Lower Austria
Gardens in Austria
Historic house museums in Austria
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