MM Park Bulgaria

Description

Victoria-type carriage from 1901

Manufacturer / main description

Two-horse Victoria carriage, with eight springs and four rubber-tyred wheels.

Fixed splinter bar, undercarriages connected by a swan-neck pole. Leather hood, interior trim in midnight-blue cloth, leather mudguards and leather wings.

Pair of round lanterns with convex glass.

Luggage rack at the rear.

Length: 3.65 m

Width: 1.76 m

Height: 2.20 m

Rear wheel diameter: 1.20 m

Front wheel diameter: 0.97 m

Manufacturer: M. Locati and G. Torretta in Turin.

Manufacturing no.: 942 (year 1901).

The victoria is a horse-drawn carriage that appeared around 1840, after a phaeton designed for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII; it is said to have been created in France and named in honour of Queen Victoria, later reaching England, where the name “victoria” does not appear before 1870.

Easy to enter, it was considered a carriage for ladies.

The victoria is a four-wheeled, two-seat cabriolet, fitted with a box seat for the coachman, drawn by one or two horses and intended for town travel. It is suspended on C-springs, or on an eight-spring suspension. The body descends fairly low in front of the rear axle, making access easier. The footboards and mudguards are combined.

MM PARK:

Historical context
Several period photographs confirm the use, by Tsar Ferdinand I and later by his son Tsar Boris III, of a Victoria-type carriage identical in design to the one made by Locati & Torretta in Turin.
This model symbolizes the refinement and modernity of the Bulgarian court at the turn of the 20th century, a period when Italian coachbuilders were among the most renowned in Europe for prestige vehicles.

Museum presentation
The carriage will be displayed with the coachmen of Tsar Ferdinand, dressed in their original period uniforms, recreating the ceremonial splendour of Bulgarian royal processions of the early 20th century.