Miramare Castle

The thing with interesting and beautiful things in your near-immediate vicinity is that it takes a lot of willpower and organisation to finally get to pay it a visit. Whenever I'm discussing the next daytrip with my sister, things like the Miramare castle are brushed off for being too close i.e.: "We can go there anytime." And 'anytime' never comes. This time, however, I've managed to beat the paradox with the aid of some student discounts, which enabled us to pay 1€ for 2 tickets(!). The day was excruciatingly hot, but we managed. Instead of possibly giving out the wrong information, I've instead simply posted the information from the official Miramare castle site.

The Castle of Miramare and its Park were built by order of Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg who decided to have a residence befitting his rank built on the outskirts of Trieste, facing the sea and surrounded by a large garden. Struck by the tough, untamed beauty of the promontory of Grignano – a sheer Karst outcrop, then almost devoid of vegetation – Maximilian purchased several plots of land at the end of 1855. The laying of the foundation stone took place on 1st March 1856.

The style reflects the artistic interests of the Archduke, who was acquainted with the architectural style of the time which was mainly eclectic: Gothic, Medieval and Renaissance models combine in a remarkable blend, recalling other examples of the great houses of the time, built by noblemen in Alpine landscapes on the banks of rivers and lakes.

In Miramare Castle, Maximilian creates a perfect combination of the sweet scent of the Mediterranean and the austerity of European form, recreating a unique atmosphere thanks to the presence of the sea, which gives the light-blue colours to the tapestry on the ground floor of the Castle, and inspires the names and furnishings of many of the rooms.

(taken from here)

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