Imperial Wedding 1673

In the autumn of 1673, the young Prince Johann Seyfried and his magnificent new residence took centre stage in Europe for a short time. On the occasion of his marriage to the Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Tyrol, Emperor Leopold I had granted Johann Seyfried the honour of becoming the bride's host in Graz. In the days leading up to the wedding, the bride-to-be and her mother, Anna de' Medici, were welcomed as guests of the Princes of Eggenberg in the recently completed residence. Wedding procession Prince Johann Seyfried spared no expense in order to fittingly receive the beautiful young Empress and her entourage. At the palace portal an inscription in the form of the chronogram AVE CLAUDIA IMPERATRIX awaited her and can still be seen today. The guests took up their quarters in the magnificently designed and furnished rooms of the new Bel Étage.

The wedding ceremony had been set for 15 October in the Hofkirche church in Graz, which is now the cathedral. On the day of the ceremony the whole city was on its feet and buzzing with a feeling of elatedness in expectation of the coming spectacle. After the ceremonious lunch, the never-ending procession of over 90 carriages each drawn by six horses, which was to accompany the bride from Eggenberg into the city, set off to the sound of trumpets and drumming. This was the only imperial wedding to take place in Graz. The ceremony was followed by two whole weeks of court celebrations and religious festivals, musical entertainment and theatrical performances. And it wasn't until 3 November that the court returned to Vienna. Prince Johann Seyfried had proved himself to be an excellent host; but he was, however, to feel the economic effects of his generosity for a long time to come.