Austrian architect Carl Junker designed an estate for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian at the Gulf of Trieste in northern Italy. The Archduke had chosen the rocky outcropping after taking shelter there from a storm. The castle was designed in 1856 under close supervision of the archduke and built under the craftsman Franz Hofman in 1860.
As an engineer of aqueducts and canals, Carl Junker was perhaps less familiar with architecture. The style blends Gothic and Medieval residential architecture frequently seen in his home country. Miramare resembles any of the castles that dot the Rhein river. But some features distinguish it as Mediterranean. Collonades and landscaping features on the 54 acre gardened grounds offer views of the water. Intimacy with nature is emphasized, as was the style of the time.
The Archiduke never got to live in his completed castle. He was killed in 1867 after being appointed emperor of Mexico. His wife, Charlotte of Belgium, had a nervous breakdown and stayed at the Castelletto, a smaller version of the castle that Maximilian had built nearby.
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 (Chiara Marra– flickr/creative commons license) |
