In 1855 Maximillian of Habsburg and his wife Carlotta of Belgium built the castle facing the sea. They chose one of the most scenic rocks in the Gulf of Trieste and entrusted the project to the architect Carl Junker, who designed an eclectically-styled castle, as was the fashion of the era that summoned up Gothic, Medieval and Renaissance elements. The ground floor was intended for the private apartments of the rulers, while the upper floor was dedicated to amazing the guests for the magnificence of its reception rooms.
Today you can also visit the rooms lived in by the Prince Amedeo of Aosta in the 1930s, restored in typical rationalist style.
The castle is surrounded by a 22 hectare park. Following Maximillian's wishes, the park is particularly rich in rare and exotic species, some of which he send from Mexico during his fatal stay.
In Maximillian's intentions the Park of Miramare was to be an experimental station for reforestation and acclimatization of rare botanical species. The result is an environment that sums up a mix of natural and artificial characteristics.
The patch of sea around the promontory on which the castle stands is part of the Miramare Protected Marine Area, established in 1986 by a decree of the Ministry of the Environment and managed by WWF Italy.
1. Throne Room: this is the largest and richly decorated room in the castle.
2. Sphinx from the Ptolemaic Age dating to the 2nd century BC, carved in pink granite, still positioned on the pier in the original position wanted by Maximillian himself.
3. The glasshouses that open in their original iron structure.
