Imperial Treasury

 

Today we got to go to the imperial treasury, which was full of insanely expensive items. I am not going to lie and say I don’t like sparkly things, because gosh, it turns out that I really do. There was an opal necklace that was gorgeous and a whole entire narwhal tusk! This place really did have nearly every treasure from the Holy Roman Empire. The most important artifact would have to be the imperial crown. You can tell how old it is by the rough cut of the gemstones. This thing bounced around Europe, from ruler to ruler for nearly 1000 years, until it landed in Vienna. Here it marked the end of the empire when it was laid down at the Church of the Nine Choirs of Angels by Francis II.

Having a collection of items like these was important because it showed wealth and power. Often such artifacts were obtained through production, trade, conquest, or by gift. So, thereby having these priceless pieces, the nation was demonstrating at least some kind of international involvement or internal prosperity. The crown specifically showed that Vienna was the seat of power for a vast empire. This gave them the ability to claim legitimacy and also the backing of God on their side. Additionally, these pieces were a part of their culture and tradition for religious services, coronating emperors, christening babies, and more. The culture of the past influences that of today and so it is important to see what was important to them back then.

Now, even though the empire is a thing of the past, such artifacts contain a vast and rich history and cultural tie.They help us to imagine the past and get a better idea of how royals lived. They are also stunning and valuable. In my opinion, they still are displays of power and do contribute to the city’s net wealth. By having them on display, Vienna is saying: “Look what part we have played in history”, “Look what wealth we have amassed in the past”. Finally, everything there was beautiful and a piece of art in and of itself. Art contributes to a city’s status as a cultural capital because beauty demonstrates culture. 

sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Holy_Roman_Empire#:~:text=On%20the%20morning%20of%206,balcony%20overlooking%20a%20large%20square.

Comments

  1. Lilly PetersonMay 30, 2024 at 11:46 PM

    Sparkly things are the best! These artifacts definitely teach us so much about European culture. We can learn so many things by studying them, their origin, and what they represented to the people that owned these wonderful treasures. I like how you connect these treasures to art, because they definitely are art! Art and culture go hand in hand, and these pieces are wonderful examples of both.

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  2. Theresa BellMay 31, 2024 at 11:11 PM

    I have not mentioned enough times today that I love you. I love you! Also, this post is lovely. The imperial crown was crazy! It's fascinating how the imperial history of Vienna has shaped modern Viennese culture. They seem to have a sort of pride around their royal history, even though it's a complicated one. I think this may have added to their ideas about "high class," and has shaped their cultural norms!

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  3. Betsy JonesMay 31, 2024 at 11:40 PM

    I agree! Sparkly things are awesome and the opal necklace was so beautiful! I like how you said that it shows us how the royals lived when we look at the treasury. It is so amazing that they preserved these things so that we could learn from them and see what life was like when they dressed fancy and wore crowns like the imperial crown! It shows us how much the culture has changed here in Vienna!

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  4. Sam RichardsonJune 2, 2024 at 1:28 PM

    I love this so so much!! I also love how you admitted that the sparkly things in the rooms were the BEST, because they were absolutely beautiful! I also love how you so clearly laid out how these artifacts and relics connect current Vienna to the Vienna of the past. These objects help people see and remember the rich and powerful past of Vienna which, in turn, contributes to the rich and powerful future of Vienna!

    ReplyDelete
  5. EleaseJune 3, 2024 at 10:32 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Molly BryantJune 11, 2024 at 11:20 PM

    Love the post Anna! I am the same as you haha I love sparkly things so I loved the treasury. I agree with you that having a collection of these items help us to see how the royals lived back then. We are given a glimpse into their history and culture. Cities use their history of royals to show legitimacy and long standing. Those two things can be seen in the treasurers.

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