Sisi

This morning we visited the Sisi Museum in the Hofburg Palace. This museum is primarily dedicated to the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, wife of Emperor Franz-Joseph I. "Sisi," as she was known to close family members, lived from 1837 until her assassination in September of 1898. Other parts of the exhibit highlight the end of the Habsburg dynasty in 1918.

Sisi was sort of the Princess Di of her day. Young, passionate, poetic, and exceptionally beautiful, she was the trend-setter for women's fashion. She also suffered from depression, and possibly what we would call today an eating disorder. Her tragic death made her a legend, more famous after she was gone than when she was alive.

Sisi and her cousin, the Archduke (and thus future Emperor) fell madly in love at their first meeting. She was only 15 years old at the time. But the pressures of public life were unbearable for her. It is said that she was reduced to tears at her first public reception. The deaths of two of her four children added to her despair. Though she tried, she gradually withdrew from public life, traveling around her Empire, often under assumed names, trying to escape recognition.

Because she was seldom seen at public functions, and because the press was forbidden to write any criticism of the royal family, she was seldom mentioned and little noted during her lifetime. After her death, all restrictions were lifted. Highly exagerated accounts of her life were published, and she became a famous, if fictitious, royal martyr. 

The museum exhibits included the royal apartments of both Sisi and her husband, as well as a large display of palace tableware. There were cabinets full of silver plates and cutlery, elaborate centerpieces, glassware and porcelain items.

Photos were generally not permitted in the royal apartments. The audio tour made much of how the Emperor shunned luxury and tried to live the modest life of the common people. Looking at his digs, we were not impressed by his moderation.

We concluded with a walk through the palace gardens, past Parliament, around city hall, and to the exterior of the neo-Gothic Votive Church, which is closed for renovation. We also stopped by Mozart's apartment, but he wasn't home (all of the guidebooks say it's not worth the price of admission, so we only noted the exterior),

We tried the Rick Steves audio tram tour, but things go by rather quickly on the tram, so we found it mostly a waste of the tram fare.

We also made a point throughout the day of sampling more of Vienna's famous cakes, meats, wines and beers. As we made our way back to the hotel, the setting sun was brightly illuminating the spire of St. Stephan's Cathedral. It was another good day in Vienna.