Golden Carriage of Prince Johann Anton von Eggenberg

Exhibition “Ambition & Illusion. Schloss Eggenberg: the staging of a world”

The golden carriage from Český Krumlov Castle was loaned for the first time for an exhibition at Schloss Eggenberg as part of the major anniversary celebrations. Together with unique textiles, the most valuable objects from the world of Eggenberg were presented at Schloss Eggenberg for one season. For conservation reasons, the carriage must be returned one month before the end of SHOWING STYRIA exhibition. The cold season poses increased risks for all types of art transport.

Following adaptations to the exhibition space in question, a new multimedia installation will be on display from 11 October. Although it will not replace the real carriage, Prince Johann Anton von Eggenberg's triumph in Rome in 1638 can still be admired until the last day of the exhibition on 2 November.

Exhibition

Image Credits

All other loans from national and international collections will remain at Schloss Eggenberg until 2 November and, as usual, invite visitors to enjoy an extraordinary exhibition tour that leads through 23 exhibition rooms from the ground floor to the palace chapel and through all the state rooms.

The Golden Coach

The "Carrozza", made by Giuseppe Fiocchini and his workshop, was commissioned by Johann Anton I von Eggenberg in 1638 and was the highlight of his magnificent appearance in Rome. As special imperial ambassador to Pope Urban VIII, Prince Eggenberg had to fulfil the diplomatic mission of having the emperor's election officially announced. The Golden Coach was not used to transport people but was used as a special showpiece to carry the gifts to the Pope through the streets of Rome. It was the highlight at the end of the princely entrance with a retinue of over 200 men: grooms, guardsmen, musicians, but also noblemen and pages in precious robes, accompanied by 60 mounts with gold-embroidered coats of arms.

“To those who watched from afar, the streets seemed to be flowing with golden waves,” the descriptions say.

The quality of its execution and the fascinating pictorial programme in the sculptural decoration of the carriage make it a masterpiece of Roman Baroque. It is considered the most important surviving example of its kind. After 1639, the ‘Romanesque carriage’ was even on display for several years at Schloss Eggenberg in Graz, together with the many splendid textiles and decorative elements that Johann Anton brought back from Rome. In 1665, when his sons shared their father's inheritance, the carriage was moved to the former Eggenberg castle in Krumlov.

Glimpses