Austrian Crown Jewels
Tourists longing to take a view of one of the most beautiful jewelry pieces on earth must see the Austrian Crown Jewels also known in German as insignia. It is where the vestments worn by the Holy Roman emperor and the Austrian emperor during the coronation ceremony and at various other state functions. The term Austrian Crown Jewels actually refer to the crowns, the scepters, orbs, swords, rings, crosses, holy relics and the royal robes connected with the ceremony.
These are kept at the Schatzkammer or the Imperial Treasury located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. These are a collection of imperial and royal regalia jewels with some dating back to 10th century to the 19th century. These are one of the most important collections of royal objects ever compiled. They reflect more than a thousand years of rich European history. The collection has six vital parts namely: The Insignia of the Austrian Hereditary Homage, The Empire of Austria, The Habsburg-Lorraine Household Treasure, The Holy Roman Empire, The Burgundian Inheritance and the Order of the Golden Fleece and The ecclesiastical Treasury.
The Empire of Austria
The most important regalia in this collection are the crown of Rudolf II which was later known as the Crown of the Austrian Empire which was made by Jan Vermeyen in Prague in 1602. This crown is made of pure gold and is partially enameled and studded with diamonds, rubies, spinel rubies, sapphires, pearls and is cushioned with velvet.
The Habsburg-Lorraine Household Treasure
This collection contains items from the Habsburg monarchs. The Cradle of the King of Rome is a gift to Napoleon and his wife, Empress Marie-Louise on the birth of their son, Napoleon II. It is silver-gilt, decorated with gold, mother-of-pearl, copper plates covered with velvet, silk and tulle with gold and silver embroidery and signed two of the feet: Odiot et Thomire and Thomire et Odiot. Angels hold a little baldachin over the head as a bird sits at the foot. Bees are also decorated on the sides. Other items in this collection include precious christening table clothes, baptismal ewers, emerald Unguentarium and precious stones.
Those who want to see how royalties live will surely find a visit to this place very enthralling and exciting.
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Insignien und Kleinodien
