Not far from Trieste, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, is the castle of Miramare. It was built only at the end of the 19th century for Archduke Maximilian, brother of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. A handsome man, an aristocrat, an intellectual, a romantic, a passionate lover of the sea, poetry, literature and music, Maximilian invested in the construction of the castle for himself and his wife Charlotte of Belgium his idea of an ideal refuge and passion for the sea.
The castle was designed and built in such a way that from any of its halls there is a beautiful view of the sea.
Maximilian’s political views were quite different from those of the ruling Habsburg dynasty, and by mutual agreement of the parties, Maximilian tried to stay away from the capital Vienna. In 1854 he was appointed commander of the Austrian fleet. Trieste, which then belonged to Austria, became his residence. Shortly after his arrival, Maximilian saw a place near Trieste that he considered ideal for building a castle. A high white rock jutting out into the sea became the foundation for the future castle. From 1856 to 1860, the architect Carl Juncker embodied Maximilian’s plan. The result is a castle in a medieval Scottish style with decorative details on the façade. The castle looks light and sophisticated, as well as its furnishings, devoid of ostentatious luxury, but distinguished by great taste.
The castle is surrounded by a magnificent park, where, in addition to Mediterranean plants, you can find tropical flowers and trees that Maximilian brought from his travels.
Everything seemed to be conducive to a happy family life. But fate decreed otherwise.
The war that had been going on in distant Mexico since 1854 led to the adoption in 1861 of a law deferring the payment of the public debt and doubling customs duties.
Three European states Spain, France and England suffered huge losses from this law. French troops occupied Mexico. Emperor Franz Joseph decided to seize the moment and increase the influence of Austria in Mexico. A delegation arrived from Mexico in Miramar to Maximilian with a request to accept the Mexican throne. Under pressure from his brother-emperor, the Mexican delegation and his ambitious wife, as well as driven by a passion for adventure and personal ambition, Maximilian agreed to become Emperor of Mexico.
However, the reality was not at all what it seemed in Austria. None of the most reasonable projects and reforms that Maximilian tried to implement were accepted in Mexico. The war against the emperor was waged by the troops of General Juarez with the money of the United States, which demanded that Mexico be liberated from the European presence. Emperor Napoleon III and the Pope withdrew their previously promised support. Maximilian’s position was becoming hopeless. Empress Charlotte traveled to Europe to visit Napoleon III and the Pope. Meetings with them, which were accompanied by extremely harsh explanations, led to Charlotte’s acute nervous breakdown, which turned into a mental illness.
In 1867, Maximilian was arrested and shot. He did not live 17 days before his 35th birthday. This event shocked the whole world.
Fervently loving Maximilian Charlotte died in 1927, never having recovered.
Miramare Castle has become a symbol of love and vicissitudes of fate, from which even members of the royal family are not immune.
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