For hundreds of years， it has been an imperial capital of Europe， home to the powerful Hapsburg Empire， which spread its influence far and wide. Its rulers raided the Western world to enrich the coffers of the empire.
They spent their wealth on magnificent① palaces and grand public buildings. They built an opera house that rivals any in Europe. They founded great museums and libraries. They constructed massive， ornate② government buildings. And they raised opulent③ palaces for themselves.
A tour of Vienna is a tour of these monuments to excess.
Take Schonbrunn Palace， for instance. It was the summer palace of the Hapsburg monarchs from its construction in 1696 until the fall of the dynasty in 1918. It was enlarged by Maria Theresa in 1743， and remains today much as she left it.
The Million Room in it， named after the cost of the decorations—1 million guilders—is a Rococo masterpiece. Inset in the paneling are 260 rare miniatures of Indo-Persian heritage④. The frames are real gold leaf， and the paneling is precious wood. This was Maria Theresa’s private salon.
The Great Gallery， modeled after a room in Versailles near Paris， has 35-foot ceilings graced with giant frescoes boasting of the power of the Austrian army. Massive crystal chandeliers reflect in the wall of mirrors， trimmed in gold leaf. Other rooms are decorated with Chinese lacquered⑤ panels， gilded work， ornate wood carvings and large murals.
① magnificentadj. 壮丽的，宏伟的
② ornateadj. 装饰华丽的，过分修饰的
③ opulentadj. 富裕的，富饶的
④ heritagen. 遗产，遗留物
⑤ lacquerv. 涂亮漆于，使表面光洁
维也纳——皇家之城
几百年来，维也纳一直都是欧洲的帝国之都。也是具有深远影响的强大的哈布斯堡家族的故都。它的统治者们通过对西方世界的侵袭，而使其帝国日益强大。
统治者们花费了大量的财富来建造豪华的宫殿和宏伟的公众建筑。他们建造了整个欧洲无与伦比的歌剧院，他们建造了大博物馆和图书馆、还有富丽堂皇的政府大厦。他们还为自己建造了许多奢华的宫殿。
可以说，维也纳之旅就是对这些奢华的建筑物的观光之旅。
我们以美泉宫为例来看看吧。美泉宫自1696年建成到1918年整个王朝的没落，一直都是哈布斯堡皇室的夏宫。1743年，玛丽亚·黛丽莎女皇将其大肆重建，从那时起保持至今。
其中的百万室，其命名来自于装饰成本的花费——100万盾，是洛可可建筑风格的代表作。壁板中镶嵌的是260块稀有的古印度波斯特色的微雕。以纯金的金叶为框架，而壁板则是用贵重的木材制成的。这就是玛丽亚·黛丽莎女皇的私人客厅。
大画廊是模仿巴黎附近凡尔塞宫的房间而建的。35英尺高的天花板因一幅巨大的壁画雕刻而生辉，上面描述的是奥地利军队的强大实力。庞大的水晶装饰吊灯反射在小镜子墙壁上，与金叶交相呼应。其他房间也装饰着中国涂漆板画、镀金制品以及华丽的木雕和巨幅的壁画。