Golden Carriage of Prince Johann Anton von Eggenberg

The magnificent ceremonial carriage is now owned by the National Heritage Institute of the Czech Republic (NPÚ) and can be seen at Český Krumlov State Castle. This loan is a special sensation, as it has never been loaned before. For the exhibition Ambition & Illusion. Schloss Eggenberg: the staging of a world, it is leaving Bohemia for the first time in 360 years to be presented to the public in Graz and will be on display here until 6 October 2025.

The "Carrozza", made by Giuseppe Fiocchini and his workshop, was commissioned by Johann Anton I von Eggenberg in 1638 and was the highlight of his magnificent appearance in Rome. As special imperial ambassador to Pope Urban VIII, Prince Eggenberg had to fulfil the diplomatic mission of having the emperor's election officially announced. The Golden Coach was not used to transport people but was used as a special showpiece to carry the gifts to the Pope through the streets of Rome. It was the highlight at the end of the princely entrance with a retinue of over 200 men: grooms, guardsmen, musicians, but also noblemen and pages in precious robes, accompanied by 60 mounts with gold-embroidered coats of arms.

“To those who watched from afar, the streets seemed to be flowing with golden waves,” the descriptions say.

The quality of its execution and the fascinating pictorial programme in the sculptural decoration of the carriage make it a masterpiece of Roman Baroque. It is considered the most important surviving example of its kind. After 1639, the ‘Romanesque carriage’ was even on display for several years at Schloss Eggenberg in Graz, together with the many splendid textiles and decorative elements that Johann Anton brought back from Rome. In 1665, when his sons shared their father's inheritance, the carriage was moved to the former Eggenberg castle in Krumlov.