Prince Eugene of Savoy memorial, Bronze equestrian monument in Heldenplatz, Austria
The monument shows a military commander mounted on horseback on a massive pedestal in front of the Neue Burg building, with a second similar monument beside it in Heldenplatz. The square is surrounded by classical buildings and feels like the heart of Austrian history.
Emperor Franz Joseph I commissioned the monument, which was designed by Anton Dominik Fernkorn and completed by his student Franz Pönninger after Fernkorn's second stroke in 1862. The Arsenal supplied 448 hundredweight of ore for the bronze, and the project cost 310,953 florins. It was inaugurated on 18 October 1865, the 202nd anniversary of Prince Eugene's birth.
The pedestal bears four inscriptions: "Prinz Eugen der edle Ritter" on the front, "Dem weisen Ratgeber dreier Kaiser" on the left, "Dem ruhmreichen Sieger über Österreichs Feinde" on the right, and "Von Kaiser Franz Josef I. errichtet 1865" below. Bronze appliqués depict figures, fruits, coats of arms and battle names, and the rear displays the Savoy arms with lions.
The statue stands in central Vienna on a large, open square that is easy to reach on foot and near several museums. Visitors can explore the area at any time of day and find access to other sights in this neighborhood.
The horse is supported by its tail for static reasons, a detail visitors rarely notice. The pedestal of Untersberg marble holds captured weapons and a crescent moon, and the rear face bears the Savoy coat of arms with lions.
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