Canaletto view, Historic viewpoint at Upper Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria
The Canaletto view is a viewpoint on the terrace of the Upper Belvedere in Vienna, looking out over the rooftops of the old city districts. The palace garden sits in the foreground, with church towers and the inner city rising beyond it.
The Venetian painter Bernardo Bellotto, who called himself Canaletto, recorded this view in a large painting in 1760. His work later served as a reference when parts of the city were rebuilt after World War Two.
From the Upper Belvedere terrace, the skyline is shaped by church towers, above all St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Karlskirche. This view shows how deeply religious buildings defined the look of the city for centuries and still do today.
The viewpoint sits within the Upper Belvedere complex and can only be reached with a valid entry ticket. Going early in the morning is a good idea, as fewer visitors are around and the view over the rooftops is clearer.
Bellotto used a camera obscura to trace the outlines of the city with great accuracy, but then deliberately added buildings that were not actually visible from this spot. The result is not a straight document but an idealized version of the city panorama.
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