Overlooking the fantastic Gulf of Trieste in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, just a few kilometers away, the Castello di Miramare, now a museum, together with the park, the stables and the little castle, is a wonderful complex full of epic adventures. It is not for nothing that Miramare Castle is a protagonist of poetry, precisely because of the well-known story that surrounds it. Giosuè Carducci even included the ode Miramar in his collection Odi barbare.
As is well known, the story of the Castello di Miramare revolves around the tragic death of Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine. In the course of events, the Archduke of Austria, who had by then become Emperor of Mexico, was shot dead at the age of 35 by a platoon under the command of Benito Juarez, after being tortured in a barbaric manner.
His tragic fate so disheartened his young wife Charlotte, daughter of the Belgian king, that she lost her mind.
Although there are several legends about Miramare Castle associated with this tragic episode, it is certain that a visit to the castle, the park, the stables and the palace is a must.
Castello di Miramare Castle, Trieste, Friuli, Italy. (Photo © Shutterstock.com)
The origin of the Miramare Castle and its park
At the express request of Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine, this charming residence was built in the second half of the nineteenth century, which not only has the privilege of overlooking the sea, but is also surrounded by a large park. Undoubtedly, it is a residence that corresponds to the rank of an Archduke of Austria!
When Maximilian decided to build this residence on the rocky promontory of Grignano, the place, a karstic heath, was almost devoid of vegetation. Over the years, numerous sophisticated interventions have produced a veritable explosion of beauty.
Today, walking through the 22-hectare park surrounding Miramare Castle, one can not only admire a unique panorama, but also experience the same thrilling emotions that the young noble couple Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine and Charlotte of Belgium experienced as protagonists.
The stables of the Castello di Miramare near Trieste
The stables of Miramare Castle were built in four years, between 1856 and 1860. Maximilian von Habsburg commissioned the engineer Carl Junker to carry out the project.
The riding stables, consisting of a central building and 2 side wings, is located on the access road to MIramare Castle coming from Trieste. In the period between the two World Wars, when MIramare Castle was inhabited by the Dukes of Savoy-Aosta, the riding stables underwent some structural changes that partially altered their original appearance.
Later, the riding stables were restored by the Ministry of Cultural Assets, Cultural Activities and Tourism. Today the buildings are used for temporary exhibitions. Since 2018, a wing of the building houses BioMa (BIOdiversitarioMArino), the museum of the Miramare Marine Reserve.
The Castelletto
Another wonder that characterizes this incredible place full of deep and delicate beauty is located a few kilometers from Trieste and is the garden house or small castle, built at the same time as the castle. From a scenographic point of view, therefore, it is a building that reproduces, on a reduced scale, the eclecticism that characterized the former main house.
Text: Rometta © Italy.blog / Photos © shutterstock.com
