Imperial Treasury in the Hofburg

The Imperial Treasury opens up a unique panorama of more than a thousand years of European history. It contains the most important insignia and crowns from the Middle Ages: the insignia and jewels of the Holy Roman Empire with the Imperial Crown and the Holy Lance. Further highlights include the crown of Emperor Rudolf II (the later Austrian Imperial Crown) and the liturgical vestments and other precious items associated with the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Ecclesiastical Treasury offers a fascinating journey through the history of art, piety and religion; the objects form a narrative about the medieval cult of relics, Habsburg Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation, the piety of post-Baroque rulers and Austrian religious folk practices.