The building of Fine Arts Museum is one of the most impressive edifices in the Austrian capital. It was built at the behest of Emperor Franz Joseph I in the second half of the 19th century when the so-called Ring was created – it is a boulevard encircling the city center, built to replace the city walls. The two museum buildings in the historical style, referring to the Italian Renaissance, were built in this representative avenue. In one of the two almost twin buildings the art collections belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Habsburgs were placed. The collection of Fine Arts Museum in Vienna is one of the largest in the world and the Viennese collections of European paintings, ancient art and coins are particularly prized.
