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State Hall of the National Bibliothek of Austria

Prunksaal or State Hall of the Austrian National Library In the 18th century, Emperor Charles VI commissioned the construction of the court library in the Hofburg. It was built between 1723-1726 from the design of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the court architect. This Baroque library has 200,000 volumes which date from 1501-1850. The 15,000 volume collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy is part of this collection. It includes valuable manuscripts and books from France and Italy. They are bound in red, blue and yellow Moroccan leather and can be found in the central oval of the library. Together with Google, this historic and copyright-free collection was digitized by the Austrian National Library and is available at www.onb.ac.at. The statue in the center of the oval is of Charles VI portrayed as Hercules Musarum. It was “allegedly” sculpted by Antonio Corradini in 1735.  Behind him are statues of Spanish and Austrian Habsburg rulers sculpted by the Strudel brothers, Peter, Paul an

Vienna Revisited

   My carriage awaits  Sky Restaurant A local friend invited me to this rooftop terrace in the heart of Vienna’s shopping district. Great place to have lunch or stop for cake and coffee. There’s also a bar if you prefer to have drinks with friends. Note: proof of vaccination required to enter restaurants in Vienna. St. Stephen’s Cathedral This impressive Romanesque/Gothic cathedral is the iconic symbol of Vienna. The colorful patterned roof is made of 230,000 glazed tiles while a mosaic of double-headed eagle graces the south roof and the coats of arms of Vienna and the Republic of Austria are emblazoned on the north side roof. The two front towers are Romanesque in origin. The interior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Café Central This elegant café has been around since 1876. It was the meeting place of famous people like Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky, Peter Altenberg (poet) and a host of others. The café is in the Palais Ferstel on the corner of Herrengasse and Strauchgasse. They’re open fo