Structures - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1962 - 3 Shilling

The main gate of the oldest part of the Viennese Hofburg led from the middle of the 18th century the name "Schweizerhof gate". In 1533, Ferdinand I decided to relocate the permanent seat of his court camp to the Vienna Castle, which since that time remained an imperial residential building until the 19th century. First of all, however, he had to construct the building complex and strengthen it and let it be built inside, until the castle had become a modest residence in 1533, but at least habitable inside. This transformation was crowned by the already mentioned, later called "Swiss Gate" main gate. It was probably designed by Pietro Ferrabosco, born in 1512 as court painter in Vienna in 1551. He was born around 1512 and died in 1588, but was certainly painted and finished by him. The stone bridge leading to the gate and pedestrian passage was built around the middle of the 18th century. From the same time, the flanking crowned lions come on pedestals. The left lion holds the Bindenschild (New Austria), the right the five-eagle coat of arms (Alt-Austria).