Modena Palace

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Palais Modena on Herrengasse

The Palais Modena is a palace in the 1st district of Vienna that was completed between 1658 and 1678 . It is located at Herrengasse 7 and was originally a Renaissance building, which was transformed into a strictly classical palace through structural changes.

history

16th to 18th century

One of the two entrance gates of the Palais Modena

Up until the 17th century there was a noble house on the site on which the Palais Modena now stands. The owners of this building included: Knight Hans von Pellendorf, Pilgrim von Puchheim and Georg von Rottal .
In 1515 his daughter, Barbara von Rottal, who was actually a hidden illegitimate daughter of Emperor Maximilian I, married Siegmund von Dietrichstein and the building came into the possession of this family. Under Prince Ferdinand Joseph von Dietrichstein, the aristocratic house and its outbuildings were converted into an early baroque palace from 1658 to 1678. The architect Dominico Carlone was in charge of this renovation, and master Pietro Bussi from Kaisersteinbruch received the stonemason assignment . The frescoes are by Carlo Antonio Bussi , son-in-law of the fresco painter Carpoforo Tencalla , who worked at the imperial court . 22 years later, the lavishly designed interiors were finished.

Modena Palace

Ferdinand Joseph von Dietrichstein's successor, Prince Franz Joseph von Dietrichstein , did not take care of the palace in Herrengasse. It was founded in 1811 by Archduchess Maria Beatrix von Este , who was expelled from Milan by Napoleon , daughter and sole heir of Ercole III. d'Este , Duke of Modena, bought - now the house was called Modenese Palace .

In 1814 she had the palace rebuilt in a classicist style based on a design by Alois Pichl , as her youngest daughter, Maria Ludovica , had married Emperor Franz I : the palace was supposed to represent the high position of the family. Giacomo Quarenghi , the architect of the Tsarina of Russia, was also involved in the renovations . The Sala terrena from this period is particularly noteworthy.

In 1819 Maria Beatrix passed the palace on to Archduke Franz von Modena , the eldest of her four sons who reached adulthood, who rented it out almost entirely. Up until the 1840s, Gustav Prince von Wasa and his wife Luise Amelie Stephanie von Baden lived in the palace . Then it was sold to the state by Archduke Franz in February 1842 .

  • Sala Terrena, pillars made of Kaiserstein

  • Ornamental vase made of Eggenburg stone

  • Fresco paintings

Kk Presidency of the Council of Ministers and "Wiener Zeitung"

Foyer to the ministerial staircase
Ministerial steps from Kaiserstein

At the turn of the year 1843/1844 the highest police and censorship court was established in the palace. In 1868, after the settlement with Hungary in 1867, the newly established Ministry of Defense and Security with the official seat at Herrengasse 7 was listed in the State Handbook ; From 1872 until 1918 the Imperial Council of Ministers Presidium , the office of the Imperial and Royal Prime Minister , was housed here, and at times also his apartment. The last Imperial and Royal Prime Minister was Heinrich Lammasch until November 11, 1918 .

The editor-in-chief of the official Wiener Zeitung was also located here from 1869 to 1894, with the printer and the kk telegraph correspondence office in the back wing  .

republic

Karl Renner , since October 30, 1918 State Chancellor of the new state of German Austria , initially served in parliament and after the end of the monarchy (November 11/12, 1918) moved to his official residence here until 1920 (see: Renner I State Government etc.). From 1918 on, the State Offices for the Interior and Education, which were merged on March 15, 1919, and from November 10, 1920 to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Education, were also located here.

In 1923, when Federal Chancellor Ignaz Seipel moved from the Palais to what is now the Federal Chancellery , the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior (at that time part of the Federal Chancellery for Security Affairs and Internal Administration ) were completely set up in the Modena Palace. From 1938 to 1945 it was used as the headquarters of the Reich Police Administration. During the Second World War , part of the building was destroyed in 1944, but rebuilt in 1950. Since then it has again been the seat of the Interior Ministry . Since the intention was to increase the usable area, the palace was extended from 1955 to 1973 and the attic was expanded.

In the course of the last restoration in 2004, the chapel was rebuilt and the former Sala terrena exposed.

architecture

The three-story, strictly classical palace has two huge entrance gates and 18 window axes. The two portals are crowned by two balconies. The horizontal structure is created by the cornice and the triangular gable of the bel étage. The vestibule is connected to the first floor by the festival or ministerial staircase . The steps of the staircase were made of Kaiserstein .

The theme of the paintings and the sculptural design represents the gods of ancient Greece and Rome. Statues of the gods Athena , Diana and Ceres embellish the stairwell.

The central room, which serves as a link between the representative rooms, has high-quality architecture. The so-called lunettes represent ancient gods in different actions and are decorated with small reliefs . Much emphasis was placed on the decoration of the ballrooms and the gold cabinet . Not only these, but also other rooms, are embellished with ceiling paintings and ornaments.

Chapel of the Holy Cross and Blessed Jacob Kern

The chapel, which was restored only a few years ago, is at the end of the right wing of the courtyard.

From when the old house chapel was no longer in use is unknown, the room ultimately only served as a storage room. In 2001/02 it was restored with donations. It is consecrated to the Holy Cross and the “Atonement Priest” Father Jakob Franz Alexander Kern . It is occasionally used for trade fairs.

The altar cross comes from Arnulf Rainer .

literature

Web links

Commons : Palais Modena  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Literature excerpt from Manfred Puttner  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.indra-g.at  
  2. ↑ erner Rosenberger: Something like this is unique in Vienna. Interior Ministry restoration brings frescoes from the 17th century to light. Kurier , January 10, 2006: ... the early baroque portico was walled in for over 200 years before it was rediscovered. The sphinxes, stout baroque angels and monsters that have now been uncovered ...
  3. ↑ Helmuth Furch: The Brotherhood of the Kaisersteinbrucher Steinmetzmeister , a listing from 1650 to 1730, Kaisersteinbruch 2007.
  4. ↑ a b c d Ensign dR Jakob Kern , rainerregiment.at

Coordinates: 48 ° 12 '33 "  N , 16 ° 21' 57"  E