"Just presume you hit the jackpot. Now, you've thousands of bucks to spend. The problem is that whichever the sum, you cannot come out with a good idea about your dream house. Are you searching for some good advices from the people, whose blood is blue?"....this was my starting hypothese. And when I left you in the last issue, I had promised you that the ideas weren't over.Today, in fact, I just wanted to continue with the ways to decorate and expand the house, taking some hints from the several royal families who left their mark all around Europe. The castle of Sanssouci, just outside Berlin, could be taken as an example of restructuring. Laying within vibrant gardens, it was in origin a 10 rooms villa. As soon as it became Frederick the Great's residence, anyhow, it had to be expanded. The architect - Ludwig Persius - clearly did a great restructuring job considered that - at that time - the Sanssouci was considered among the rivals of Versailles. Neither the view from its window was left to the chance: while Persius worked on the interiors, Ferdinand von Anim was charged with the task of improving the panorama from the palace, improving the entire location.
click here to view Sanssouci panorama
click here to view Sanssouci's Marble gallery
In the same city, the Charlottenburg Castle is a grand building which was named after the wife of King Friedrich I of Prussia. Its interiors are magnificent and the Bernsteinzimmer was defined the Eighth Wonder of the World, with its walls covered with decorative amber.
click here to view Charlottenburg panorama
click here to view Charlottenburg's Golden gallery
Wall decoration - anyhow - has been a feature within several royal palaces and some of the best examples come from the Queluz palace, the Sintra Palace, the Aranjuez's and the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is difficult to believe that the first had been used by Dom Pedro of Braganza as a prison for his consort and niece, Queen Maria I.
Amongst one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, Queluz was considered - as Sansouci - one of Versailles contenders. If its gardens are luxurius, one of its jewels is for sure the Don Quixote's room, whose décor was created taking as a subject Don Quixote: inlaid wood floors and frescoes describe the story of the man.
click here to view Don Quixote's room at the Royal Palace of Queluz
In Sintra - a.k.a. the Village Palace, not only the chimneys are peculiar: the several rooms, such as the Swans' and the Pegasi's will in fact take the breath away by their intriguing decoration on the ceilings.
click here to view Sintra - a.k.a. the Village Palace
Aranjuez's erection was decided by King Philip II, who chose Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera as architects. It's only during the reign of Ferdinand IV that the building was completed and - since today it's a museum - anyone can admire its outstanding features and décor, such as the Porcelain room and the Hall of Mirrors. The palace is so inspiring, that Joaquin Rodrigo composed a Concierto - within its terrains - that made him a successful composer, today worldwide known.
click here to view Aranjuez Palace
And what to say about the Gasparini's room?
click here to view Gasparini's room
Former imperial residence, Schönbrunn reflects the taste of the Habsburg dynasty and - to be more precise - Maria Theresa's love for Rococo. Summer residence of the Austro hungarian dynasty, it is a result of several add ons occurred during the centuries, where Marie Antoinette grew up and where Franz Joseph and his wife Sissi spent some of their Summers, until Elizabeth of Austria decided that she hated it as she hated the Hofburg. A century later, we can hardly think the same and the "Theresianian's style" is just fascinating...and nearby, the Belvedere Garden is as appalling either.
click here to view Schönbrunn
click here to view the upper Belvedere
The former Hofburg's court library will appeal to any bookworm. Masterpiece of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Emanuel, it forms an independent wing of the Hofburg, which hosts today 200'000 volumes. While reading within its walls, it's difficult not to be distracted by its measures and its cupola, decorated by the skillful hand of Daniel Grand.
click here to view the Hofburg's court library
But I've talked so much about Versailles that time has come to enter into its premises, isn't it? Marie Antoinette was for sure able to compare the style in which she was born, with "la grandeur française", moving to Versailles when she was 14 years old. Delphine de France and later Queen, she spent her life - until the death by guillottine - within the terrains of this magnificent residence, which hosts gardens of incomparable beauty, luxurious interiors and several other buildings, such as the Petit Trianon and her beloved Petit Hameau. The several halls and rooms are an hymn to elegance. Couldn't the Opera Royal be taken as a nice example of how a movie theatre could be?
click here to view the Gardens of Versailles
click here to view Versailles King's room
click here to view Versailles Galerie des Glaces
click here to view Versailles the Royal Opera
Spanish Baroque style was the leading one followed to built the Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. Its red room hosts a magnificent tapestry and a luxurius chandelier, which would make anyone happy during Christmas celebrations...
Within an house, with thousands of bucks to spend, nobody should forget a magnificent dancing hall, no? A nice example is given by the Royal Palace in Turin, which was the residence of the Savoy family. Completed under Benedetto Alfieri's stewardship, it hosts several mirrors, which make the happiness of anyone affected by a narcissistic personality disorder.
click here to view the Royal Palace in Turin
click here to view the Royal Palace in Turin, Ballroom
What if you were looking for a chapel within your mansion? Several hints could be taken either from the Palacio Real de Madrid a.k.a. Palacio de Oriente, or from the Castello Sforzesco, whose vaults hosts the ducal coats of arms and even a fresco of the ressurrection by Bonifacio Bembo.
click here to view the Royal chapel of the Palacio Real, Madrid
click here to view Castello Sforzesco, Milan
And finally, if you have a courtyard which is awaiting for renewals, why not take the one within Pena Palace as an example, with all its blue tiles?
click here to view Pena Palace, Lisbon
All those palaces are full of treasures, of countless jewels. It's up to you to chose the ones you'll like better...
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