A Midsummer Dream

Once upon a time,

in a faraway land,

there lived a young prince

who not only did not
have the looks of a Prince Charming,
but was also poor and, withal, refused service
in his own country's army.

Having dared
and been refused twice by his King
the opportunity to prove himself
as the commander of a 40 men army company,
he decided to flee
and seek his fortune elsewhere.

He launched a very successful career
in the service of three Emperors
of the country that offered him the opportunites
he was seeking.

This is the summer palace
that was built for him - by one of
most talented architects of his time -
three decades after arriving
as a pennyless refugee.

Schloßhof Palace
Built 1725-1729
by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt
for François-Eugène,
Prince of Savoy-Carignan
(18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736)

This video
on Youtube offers an interesting synopsis
of the life of Prince Eugene of Savoy
and his role in the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

For a more extensive biography
of Prince Eugene, the "Edle Ritter"
- "The Valiant Knight" -
click here for Wikipedia.

Clicking on the title
will take you to images of
Prince Eugene's other palaces.

Photographs and text
by Merisi -
July 2009