Eggenberg golden carriage from 1638 to travel to family home in Graz
The Eggenberg golden carriage, one of the Czech Republic's rarest historical artefacts, will leave Český Krumlov castle after more than 350 years. It is being loaned to Eggenberg Castle in Graz, Austria where it will be one of the highlights of the Ambition & Illusion exhibition.
The rare golden carriage will leave its home in Český Krumlov to present the Eggenbergs' legacy on the premises of the family seat. In 1638 John Anthony I, Prince of Eggenberg, commissioned an impressive carriage in which he would ride to Rome to announce the election of the new Emperor Ferdinand III to the Pope.
The carriage, designed by Giuseppe Fiocchini and built in his workshop, was made of gilded walnut wood and its shape imitated the victory coaches of the Renaissance period. The interior of the coach was upholstered with black velvet and decorated with golden embroidery.
After undertaking the journey to Rome, the carriage was on display for several years at Eggenberg Castle in Graz. John Anthony had no male heirs and so after his death in 1717 the carriage passed into the possession of the Schwarzenberg nobility. From 1892 until the 1950s it was exhibited in the Winter Riding Hall of Hluboká Castle. Eventually it was moved to Český Krumlov.
Today, the carriage is one of the most valuable exhibits in the castle, with only about five similar pieces preserved in the whole of Europe. In 2023 it underwent a costly renovation.
The carriage is 5.6 meters long, 2 meters wide and 3 meters high and transporting it to Austria is no mean feat. It had to be disassembled into 70 parts, which are now being packed into transport crates for the journey. Later this month, a team of experts will assemble the carriage in the exhibition space of the castle in Graz.
Conservationists will also lend around 50 historical artefacts from the Český Krumlov Chateau and the Hluboká nad Vltavou Chateau, which have links to the Eggenberg family, to the exhibition in Graz. These include Baroque textiles, portraits of members of the Eggenberg family, coin punch sets and books.
The exhibition Ambition & Illusion at Eggenberg Castle in Graz is to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Eggenberg castle complex by Johann Ulrich Eggenberg, and for the first time presents the history of this noble family in its Styrian seat.
With their political and economic activities, the Eggenbergs influenced several European regions in the 17th century, predominantly Styria and southern Bohemia.
The exhibition at Eggenberg Castle runs from April 26 to November 2.
Visitors to Český Krumlov Castle will be able to view the golden carriage again in the 2026 season.
