A Prince with a stigma

Born in Paris on October 18, 1663, into a noble but impecunious branch of the Italian Savoy family, Prince Eugene was an unappealing figure with crooked shoulders, a weirdly shaped nose, and eccentric queer affinities.

He had big dreams for a military career. But due to his short height of less than five feet – and most likely because of his scandalous mother with a reputation as a poisoner – France refused to accept him into military ranks. At the age of 20, Prince Eugene decided to flee the country, and he did so disguised as a woman.

The Prince's rise to heroism

When he arrived in Vienna, Emperor Leopold I of Austria desperately needed military recruits and welcomed him with open arms. The Prince gratefully dedicated his loyalty to the Austrian military and rapidly rose through the ranks. He enjoyed a heroic reputation when he saved Christianity in Western Europe after decades of siege by the Muslim Ottomans. Eventually, he served three Habsburg emperors and became their most successful military leader.

The queer Prince

Yet, his personal life remains a mystery to many. Prince Eugene never married, was childless, and his contemporaries called him "a Mars without a Venus." Rumors of his queerness persisted; however, during his lifetime, neither the concept of homosexuality nor queerness existed. 

Prince Eugene was unconventional and brought new ways of thinking and living to Vienna. Parisian fashion with pompous clothes, make-up, and wigs for men, rumors about men 'entertaining' among themselves while at war, and dressing as women to escape from their responsibilities as heads of the families – common stories at the time, yet labeled as eccentric behavior by the Viennese society. Today, the local gay community claims Eugene as one of their own, and he is front and center in every Vienna gay city tour.

The extravagant Prince

With increased success and wealth, the Prince’s longing for official recognition grew. He increasingly showcased his power with grandiose representation.

During his lifetime, he built three majestic palaces: his summer residence, the Belvedere Palace with its upper and lower buildings, his Winter Palace - both in the heart of Vienna's old town - and his hunting manor Schloss Hof, 50 minutes east of Vienna; three architectural masterpieces that significantly influenced Viennese Baroque architecture. The sums spent on decorating the representative rooms of these palaces with tapestries, fabrics, chandeliers, mirrors, and grotesque frescoes far exceeded those of the buildings. His gardens, filled with unusual plants and trick fountains, and menageries housing exotic animals added to the allure of his estates.

A Prince with a passion for the arts

He developed a great passion for the arts, philosophy, and the sciences. In almost fifty years of unwavering dedication as a general, statesman, and later diplomat, he amassed an unparalleled collection of paintings, copperplate engravings, art objects, and exotic fabrics from all over the world and established one of the most extensive libraries of his time.

The Prince's closest friend

In the 72 years of his life, it may have been his beloved tame lion that was closest to the private Prince. The lion represents power and strength, symbols Prince Eugene admired and freely used to adorn his entrances and coat of arms, and his relationship with this lion is said to have been special. Legend has it that on the hour of Prince Eugene's death, the wild animal began roaring terribly, like it knew his friend was dying, feeling this transcending bond with the Prince.

The Prince's legacy and influence

Despite his eccentricities – or maybe because of them – his impact on Vienna's cultural heritage is undisputed. After Prince Eugene's death, Empress Maria Theresia gave the Belvedere palace a new purpose. It became a gallery where the imperial art collections were displayed, making it one of the first museums in the world to be open to the public.

Today, three centuries later, the Belvedere in Vienna is still a central stage for art and stands as a testament to his vision, housing one of the most significant art collections in the world, including Gustav Klimt's iconic masterpiece, "The Kiss."