The Swiss Court and the Imperial Treasury
Why is it significant?
Pass through the gate painted in red, black and gold, which once had a drawbridge over a moat, and step into the small courtyard beyond. You are now in the oldest part of the Hofburg, the core of a castle that grew for six hundred years until it swallowed a whole district.
Key Facts
| Place | The Swiss Court and the Imperial Treasury |
|---|---|
| Address | Schweizerhof, Hofburg, 1010 Wien, Austria |
| Geo Coordinates | 48.20670, 16.36580 |
| Part of Walk | Vienna's Imperial Heart: The Hofburg, the Habsburg Crypt and Six Centuries of Empire |
| Generated | Generated |
Pass through the gate painted in red, black and gold, which once had a drawbridge over a moat, and step into the small courtyard beyond. You are now in the oldest part of the Hofburg, the core of a castle that grew for six hundred years until it swallowed a whole district.
On your way here you crossed the big courtyard In der Burg. The wings around it hold the Imperial Apartments, where Franz Joseph worked and Sisi lived, and you will reach their entrance at the end of this walk. This gate is the Swiss Gate, built in 1552 under Ferdinand I, whose titles are spelled out above the arch. It takes its name from the Swiss Guards who once stood here. The square courtyard behind it follows the plan of a thirteenth-century fortress with four corner towers.
Under the arcades is the entrance to the Imperial Treasury, and inside lies the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, an eight-sided crown of gold plates, pearls and uncut gems made around a thousand years ago. For centuries German kings were crowned with it. Next to it lies the Holy Lance, once believed to be the spear that pierced Christ's side.
And then the oddities. A long spiral horn, over two metres tall, was treasured as the horn of a unicorn. It is a narwhal tusk, but it was valued above gold. A huge agate bowl was long thought to be the Holy Grail, and the family declared it a possession that must never leave the house.
Look also for the steps to the Burgkapelle, the court chapel, where on Sunday mornings the Vienna Boys' Choir still sings Mass, as court singers have for over five hundred years. Now leave the courtyard by the passage on the far side, cross Josefsplatz and follow Augustinerstraße to the door of the court church.