Palais Toskana

The Palais Toskana was a palace in Vienna. It stood in the city’s centre and formed part of a grand row of aristocratic residences. Built in 1867, the building reached up to four storeys and followed the neo-classical style. Its middle section carried elaborate figural decoration across the facade. At the rear lay a large garden that stretched as far as the neighbouring Palais Rothschild. The architect remains unknown, though Carl Tietz may have designed the exterior. The palace belonged to Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria. During the Second World War it suffered only slight damage, yet the archduke’s descendants could not afford repairs. They sold the estate, and in time the building was demolished. For many years the site served as a parking lot for ORF employees. More recently an unremarkable modern structure has replaced the palace. Visitors today find no trace of the original building. The modern block occupies the former garden area and stands beside the ORF headquarters. The site holds no rooms, paths or views from the palace period. Only the memory of the neo-classical facade and its figural decoration remains.