I enjoy strolls along Vienna's
Ringstraße for many reasons. The attraction is strong, broadly shared -- I am sure many take a daily excursion around it.
The
Ringstraße replaced Vienna's obsolete city walls and moats, which dated back to the 13th century. Measuring 500m wide, the walls were reinforced as a consequence of Turkish assaults which began in the first half of the 16th century. The
Ringstraße and its planned buildings, parks, were meant to showcase the grandeur of the Hapsburg Empire -- and perhaps rival the wide boulevard construction which had begun in Paris. The architectural examples are splendid -- neo-classic, neo-gothic, neo-renaissance, neo-baroque, neo-romantic.
For example, full of classic symbolism and an exquisite example of Greek Revival architecture, Austria's Parliament building is impressive
. Its Athena Fountain,
Pallas-Athene-Brunnen, is most captivating, as it is closest to the
Ringstraße and its adjacent sidewalk. Characteristic of classical style, the fountain is full of symbolism, the four reclining figures below Athena (Goddess of Wisdom, holding Nike) represent the four major rivers of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire -- the Danube, Inn, Elbe, and Vlata.
An architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Greek Revival was the last phase of Neoclassical architecture. A product of Hellenism, a result of revived access to Greece (as well as the rise of archeology), Greek Revival took on different forms and styles in Europe -- most often in a craving for Greek style, interior design and furniture. As far as timing goes, Austria's Parliament is a rather late adaptation of Greek Revival. The building and fountain were erected during the reign of Franz Joseph I, near the end of the Hapsburg dynasty (Parliament 1874-1883, Athena Fountain 1893-1902) .
