The Austrian Escorial

Hapsburg Charles VI commissions the Baroque monastic residence begun in 1730. Though already Holy Roman Emperor, he wants to become King of Spain but is defeated by King Philip V of France in the War of the Spanish Succession. A defeat Charles doesn’t get over.

The architecture at Klosterneuburg has a festive character with its 2 poles of church and state – in the west the double church spires, to the east the projecting section of the building with the Marble Hall and Sala terrena, crowned by a great dome bearing an imperial crown.

According to the plans by Italian architect Donato Felice d’Allio from 1730, the monastic residence is supposed to have 9 domes on 4 even courtyards. Initially construction is rapid; work begins with the imperial wing in the north-east corner and its roof is added in 1733.

With Charles’ death work is halted, since his daughter Maria Theresa shows no interest in continuing the project, probably because the building with all its symbolism is completely tailored to Charles VI. It’s a century later before architect Joseph Kornhäusel completes one of the 4 intended courtyards and with it a quarter of the intended project.