Miramare continuedthough their marriage wasarranged, they fell in love.Theyhad it all, youth, money, powerand each other.The popularroyal couple hosted lavish par-ties set to Viennese waltzes,traveled the world andenjoyed the good life.Young love

The love-nest of Maximilianand Charlotte, MiramareCastle, was built from 1856 to1860. Legend says thatMaximilian chose the site onthe Grignano Bay after findingshelter there, while yachting ina storm. During construction,the couple were forced to livein the Castelletto (SmallCastle) which today hosts theMiramare Maritime Museum.Love nest

The castle’s interior isextremely luxurious withrooms of many differentstyles. Maximilian’s love of thesea (he was vice admiral ofthe Austrian navy) inspiredhim to decorate the castlewith nautical themes. Max wasa typical Victorian romanticand intellectual. His favoritediversion was botany and hedesigned the house and gar-dens for the sensual pleasureof his young bride.These gar-dens are Eden without theserpent. Strolling from thecastle, you wander throughcypress and palm trees thatgive way to dense woods andformal Italian arrangements.Planted with romance in mind,the garden is replete withalcoves of shrubbery for pri-vacy.You’ll happen upon sever-al smooching Italian couples.Ah love… but, back to Maxand Charlotte.Pretty woman

Charlotte was a real beauty, she was also generous, atrait that went a long way with the poor Italian populace.She not only funded charities, but she would also visit thepoor in their homes, a gesture that is remembered by thelocal people to this day. Charlotte was a painter and musi-cian, required skills of a Victorian woman. She was the sub-ject of many paintings, too.You’ll see paintings of Charlotteat all stages of her life hung throughout the castle. Herhaunting gaze captures your eye from one larger-than-life-size oil painting to another.A particularly vibrant one hangsin the Novara room.Family of rulers

Max had power, Max had money; but what his familyreally wanted him to have was a job. Since Maximilian’s

older brother, Franz Joseph,ruled Hungary (1848 - 1916)Maximilian was left to pick aroyal post that would reflecthis stature. It was here, atMiramare, where plans werelaid for an adventure that ledto tragedy.The Last Emperor

So, just how did Prince Maxof Hapsburg become the lastEmperor of Mexico? It’s all veryconvoluted. Napoleon III —not the guy with his hand in hisshirt, his nephew — invadedMexico after Mexico failed torepay some debts; a thinexcuse to extend French impe-rial power.While America wasoccupied with its Civil War,Napoleon thought he could setup a French-backed govern-ment in Mexico; standard colo-nial procedures. Napoleon IIIoffered Max the position ofEmperor.Not a bad job offer

Max insisted that he wouldonly rule Mexico if the peoplewanted him. Remember, Maxwas an idealist, Napoleon IIIwasn’t. French troops inMexico rounded up the citizensto sign a petition asking Max to“come on down.” Convincedby this petition, Max andCharlotte sailed from Europeto the New World.Max vs. Benito Juarez

Crowned in Mexico City onJune 10, 1864, the idealisticcouple was immediatelyshocked by Mexico’s poor liv-ing conditions.They began toset up poor houses to alleviatesome of the suffering and Maxbuilt museums in an effort topreserve Mexico’s history andculture.The museum’s wouldbe his greatest achievement.Meanwhile, the invading French

troops were battling rebel fighters who were just a bitpeeved at the invasion of their country and the Frenchinstalled Emperor.The legal President, Benito Juarez led“rebel” troops against the French army.When the U.S. CivilWar ended, France realized it could no longer holdMexico.You’ve heard of the Monroe doctrine, right?

The French troops made a hasty exit, but Max consid-ered himself Mexican and a legitimate ruler. He did notwant to leave his loyal subjects, however few they may havereally been. Charlotte returned to Europe to raise supportfor her husband while Max led his loyalist army against the“rebels.”

Continued on page 34

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Miramare castle at sunset

Miramare — a Lover’s Castle,a Castle for Lovers in Italy

and the tragic tale of the last emperor of Mexico

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iramare, in Italian, means toadmire the sea and this cas-tle is certainly situated tolive up to its name. Perchedabove the rugged ocean

cliffs of Grignano Bay, near the border ofItaly and Slovenia, this serene and romanticbay harbors a tempestuous story of loveand tragedy. Miramare Castle, a luxurious

seaside palace, was built for a17-year-old girl, Charlotte MarieAmélie, the beautiful Princess of

Saxon, daughter of King Leopold I ofBelgium. Charlotte was given in marriageto the dashing Prince Ferdinand JosephMaximilian of Hapsburg-Lorraine in 1857.They were appointed regents in Milan, Italy,which was at that time under Austrian rule.Forced to leave Milan in 1859, Max andCharlotte retired to Trieste whereMiramare Castle would be built.

This couple was fortunate, even

Mby Alice Verberneand Dennis Johnson

TRAVELERS TIPSCastello del Miramare is located in Grigano, Italy,8 kilometers (5 miles) northwest of Trieste. FromVenice, take autostrada A4 Northeast in the direc-tion of Trieste. Exit at Duino and follow highway14. Signs for the castle will direct you to the right.Admission to the castle is about $5, you can strollaround the gardens for free.

In summer, an outdoor stage is set up in thesmall bay just in front of the castle for concerts. Atheatrical performance is held in the gardens com-memorating Maximillian and Charlotte. it is heldtwice daily in July and Aug. on Mon. Wed. andSat. Performances are held in Italian, but accom-modations can be made if you book in advanceand have a large group for a show in English.

For a complete calendar of events, detailedschedules, tickets or further information call +39040/6796111 or +39 040/41477.

Continued from page 33Untimely death

Charlotte failed to raise support from Napoleon or the Popefor her husband’s efforts to retain his throne. Betrayed by his aid,General Gomez, Max was captured by rebels led by Benito Juarezand sentenced to death. Max faced his execution bravely. He paidthe firing squad a sum of gold not to shoot him in the face so hismother could see him. His last words were,“long live Mexico.”They shot him in the face.Broken heart

Charlotte had a mental breakdown during an audience with thePope and never recovered. Heart broken, she must have knownthe fate of her husband although she was never told of the execu-tion. She returned to Belgium, leaving her beautiful ocean-side cas-tle forever for a life in seclusion near Brussels. She never remar-ried, spent her final days in an insane asylum and died in 1927.

Later, Miramare became the residence of Duke Amadeo ofAosta and, from 1943 to 1954, the headquarters of foreign mili-tary units.The Castle is now a museum run by the CulturalHeritage Office and its rooms are open to the public. Max andCharlotte were born rich; you can see this by looking aroundtheir palace. Just how rich? Bill Gates rich, possibly. If you were tocalculate the cost to construct Miramare today, it would cost wellover $40 million dollars without even taking inflation into account.

Visit Miramare to walk the castle turrets and stand on the bal-cony where Max and Charlotte gazed out over the Adriatic. Listento the crashing waves below and ponder the fate of the younglovers. Daydream as the sun's rays glitter off the blue expanse ofsea, marvel at how the other half lived and be glad you weren’triddled with bullets like ol’ Max or didn’t go off the deep end likeCharlotte.

34 visit our website at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com 35visit our website at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com

Photos by Alice Verberne

sightseeing.Remember, your money goes back into the MWR system to

help fund other activities. Help keep the bowling alleys andnightclubs open, rent a car! All you need is a USAREUR POVlicense, your military ID, and a refundable deposit, if the cancella-tion is made with 24 hours notice.Visa, MasterCard,AmericanExpress, and checks (with ID) are accepted.A better deal wouldbe tough, if not impossible, to find.*

Get wet, visit the underwater Marine ParkDiving excursions can be made of the marine park located

just below the surface of the Adriatic sea facing the castle.Remember, you can learn to scuba through MWR’s OutdoorRec Programs.*

Tropical Park with Butterfly GardenThe Butterfly Garden is the result of several years of researchto reproduce a tropical environment inside a greenhouse.Youcan see thousands of plants and more than 150 species of lepy-dopters from all over the world, nearly 2000 different animalsand plants. Butterflies fly free inside the greenhouse where visi-tors can see their beauty up close.There are also variousspecies of birds, fish and exotic flowers.*See page 14 for a list of phone numbers.

From left to right:The boat dock at the western end of the garden.A view fromthe balcony of Miramare castle. One of the formal arrangements in the garden.A view of the mansion from the lookout where the cannons are perched.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed in winter Miramare website: www.castello-miramare.itGet there by car

MWR provides car rental services in every Base SupportBattalion in the 104th Area Support Group – Hanau,Wiesbaden,Baumholder, Friedberg, and Giessen.The predominantly Fordfleet features the Chihuahua-carrying and fuel efficient KA, theEscort and Focus compact/mid-size sedans and station wagons,and the new Ford Mondeo, a more luxurious 4-door sedan. 7 to9 - passenger vans are great for those MWR activities. Just pileeveryone into the vehicle and head to fantastic Italy to seeMiramare castle.

When you need to move the entire unit, rent a 19, 33, and 50-passenger Mercedes bus which comes complete with a driver.AClass 2 license is required to pilot these larger vehicles.

Selection varies as the fleet rotates between BSBs.As withmost vacation-related services during the vacation months, carsare great demand, so reserve your vehicle as early as possible.Assoon as you lock in your reservation, you’ll lower your stresslevel and can fully concentrate on the perfect car-packing plan.

MWR’s rates are often well below the local economy pricesand include full insurance, collision with a $100-$500 deductible,and third party liability.ADAC membership, the European versionof AAA, is also provided, a nice feature if you blow a gasket while