stately apartments
(salle Victor Abens)
When the "large palace" was build a new great hall was installed in the ground floor, and the first floor reserved for the private appartments of the count and his family.
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These appartments were build at the end of the 12th / beginning of the 13th century on top of the vaulted new great hall (in older literature you may find a theory that this happened in two phases which most probably is not true), with two chimneys.
It is now impossible to tell how the original sub-division into several rooms looked like, and one has the impression beeing in a hall designed to be one room. The reason for this is that the layout of the ground floor (great hall) with its 6 windows has been copied up here. Like that the faced has a symmetric look from the outside; something which in the early gothic age was esteemed more important than the funktionality inside. So the separations inside had to adapt to the exterior facade. The window & doorway arches show the pointed arches one knows from the gothic age, while the windows in the ground floor have rounded arches. This led to the theory that there have been two building periods. But in reality the building was finished in one Phase, and the masonry finishing on both floors, shows the same sklills of one corporation.
The (back) doorway in the south-eastern wall shows some "roses of secret", underlining the private character of the place, separating it from the "public" area of the gallery (summer hall).
The stately appartments were in place from around 1200 until the 18th century. While there are absolutely no indications how they looked like, we have to assume that they developped over time to adapt to the most luxurious standard.
In the 18th century the disused appartments were degraded into granaries, due to the augmented agricultural production in this age.
Nowadays the hall is used for all sorts of cultural events.
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Victor Abens
the late chairman of the friends of the castle trust
Victor Abens from Vianden was member of the luxembourgish Parliament from 1945 to 1981 and mayor of the town of Vianden from 1946 to 1981. He also was the first chairman of the friends of the castle of Vianden trust which administers the building since its reconstruction and is responsible for the furniture and cultural life inside the castle walls. Most of the furniture which is on display today has been procured by Mr. Abens, a passionate antiques lover. He also used his influence to host many political events, state visits and banquets at the castle.
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The friends of the castle of Vianden have named today's hall which is at the site of the former stately apartments after their important sponsor.
tapestry "the fall of Troy"
Flemish, 16th century
Around a large border made up alternately of people and flowers, the most famous
episode of the long siege of Troy by the Greeks, led by Agamemnon, is described.
The composition has three distinct parts:
- In the background, the city of Troy flanked by imposing ramparts, seemingly
still intact – some buildings on the right side of the town are on fire.
- In the centre, the huge wooden horse in which the Greek foot -soldiers hide.
Being unable to take the besieged town by assault, the Greek, advised by the
clever Ulysses, build a huge wooden horse, hide in its sides armed soldiers
and withdraw their ships, pretending to abandon up the expedition.
- In the foreground, in a larger panorama, we see pell-mell, women carrying
trunks filled with precious objects and soldiers either carrying their weapons or
killing civilians.
This latter scene may represent either the false Greek departure or the sacking of the
town of Troy and the massacre of the survivors after the entry of the horse into the
town – in fact, on the left can be seen a man carrying an older man on his shoulders.
Accordingly to the legend, it should be the hero Enee carrying his father Anchise.
tapestry
"the Queen of Sheeba meeting King Salomon
flemish, early 17th century
permanent lease from the European Investment Bank
an expertise for all tapestries is in the making
This tapestry was identified some years ago to be a piece of "Beutekunst" (= Artwork stolen by the Nazis from jewish families). The original owner family has been identified and indemnized, so that the tapestry could remain here.
tapestry
"the offering of Lystra"
after a carton from italian painter Raphael
17th century
after renovation the colours of this tapestry look brighter
This tapestry corresponds to a Bible representation. Pope Leo X let Raphael, for the decoration of the Sistine Chapel, 10 boxes for Design tapestries that deal with the book of Acts. These 10, true to scale, colored cardboard boxes by Raphael were sent to the, by Pieter van Allst's workshop in Brussels. In 1519 the first seven tapestries were finished and by Christmas the same year they were exhibited in Rome. The enthusiasm that the tapestries exclaimed in Rome was so great in Europe, that the princes of the age of Francis I, Henry VIII, Charles V, copies in workshops in Brussels. This zeal lasted into the 18th century so that not only the workshops of Brussels but also those of Mortlake in England, the Gobelins and Beauvais in France these boxes with the Acts of the Apostles. “The Sacrifice of Lystra” is one of the copies that was probably made towards the end of the 17th century. Century was woven. Unfortunately, the absence of the hem prevents one final information about the place of manufacture. The description of the tapestry is in the texts of Acts XVI, 8- 16 described; Raffael illustrated them with great accuracy. Paul and Barnas, on the right side of the carpet, preach the gospel in the city of Lystra. A cripple was healed; you can see him on the left side of the Carpet bent over, stumbling forward, hands crossed, two Crutches at his feet; behind him stands an old man wearing a cloak. Paul is shown tearing his clothes and crying out as the people of Lystra wants to sacrifice bulls adorned with garlands to him and Barnabas because they are believed to be Mercury and Jupiter.
tapestry
"allegory of the triumph of science & arts"
2nd half 17th century
manufacture de Bruxelles
On a chariot led by two richly-harnassed horses two persons crowned with bay
leaves sit enthroned. They have a god-like grace and beauty.
The young girl sitting on the right carries in her right hand the astral sphere; on her
left, the young man holds a painter’s palette and several brushes. At her feet, ahead
of the chariot, a globe of the earth, a pair of compasses, a stringed instrument and an
open music book can be seen. These various elements are symbols giving this proud
procession its meaning and title.
tapestry
"Ulysses at the isle of Circe"
17th cenury, Amiens
In 1634-1635, Simon Vouet decorated a gallery of the Castle of Claude de Bullion (1570-1640), Superintendent and Finance Minister under Louis XIII, with a series of murals representing scenes from the Iliad.
These paintings, which have since disappeared, served as models for the tapestry of
„Ulysses“, woven in the workshops of Paris and Amiens, and in those of La Plance and
Comans.
We know eight scenes from this tapestry; they represent different scenes in Ulysses’ return to his kingsdom of Ithaca after the fall of Troy, as told in Homer’s Iliad.
After the ten years of siege, and thanks to Ulysses’ clever stratagem, Troy finally falls into the hands of the attackers.
The victorious Greeks return home. For Ulysses, the return journey is long and dangerous.
He wanders for another 10 years before reaching his Kingdom of Ithaca.
On the left of this tapestry, we can see Ulysses and two of his companions anchoring at the isle of the sorceress Circe.
On the right side, there is a hunter chasing a deer. It is probably Ulysses seeking food for his crew and himself, according to the canto X of Homer’s „Iliad“.