Episode 7
Written by: Shariq Ali
Valueversity
We had already observed the exact spot in front of the Albertina Museum from where we would board our coach for the day tour tomorrow. After that, we stepped inside the Albertina Museum. Originally built as a royal palace for the Habsburg dynasty, this grand structure is now counted among Vienna’s most significant museums. Its Baroque and Neoclassical architectural styles preserve the magnificence of the past while seamlessly adapting to modern demands.
To enter the museum, one has to cross a long ramp flanked by statues of horsemen taming powerful steeds—it feels as if a living scene from history has been frozen in stone.
As soon as we entered the grand hall, masterpieces by some of the world’s greatest artists welcomed us—Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Picasso—and most notably, Albrecht Dürer’s famous painting Young Hare. The intricacy of detail in the hare’s fur is so masterfully rendered that the viewer cannot help but be awestruck.
From the gallery facing the central hall of the Albertina, a breathtaking view of Vienna unfolds. We stood there for a long time, watching the bustling city below. It is fascinating to think that the very place where we are now admiring artistic masterpieces was, nearly two thousand years ago, under the control of a Roman frontier post. The area near present-day Vienna was known as Vindobona, and it was here that the great philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius spent the final days of his life.
Even today, the ruins of a Roman settlement can be seen near the Michaelerplatz area of modern Vienna. In my mind’s eye, I envisioned Marcus Aurelius walking through these very streets, contemplating the reflections that would later form his famous work Meditations.
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) was a renowned philosopher-king, often regarded as the wisest ruler of the Roman Empire. He was a staunch follower of Stoic philosophy, whose golden principles revolve around patience, acceptance of fate, and fulfilling one’s duty. In Meditations, he penned profound thoughts on patience, self-awareness, and the impermanence of life.
By 170 CE, as Germanic tribes intensified their attacks, Marcus Aurelius took residence in Vindobona (near present-day Vienna) and led his military campaigns from there. He spent his final days in this very place and passed away in 180 CE.
His presence bestowed historical significance upon Vindobona. It was here that a philosopher-king attempted to balance war and wisdom.
How astonishingly time reshapes its course! The same area that once housed a Roman military fortress later became a royal Habsburg palace, and today, it stands as a magnificent hub of fine arts. As I stand here, I listen to the echoes of the past. Tomorrow, someone else will stand here, witnessing a new world and writing a new story.
(To be continued…)