vienna015 The Renaissance-style Swiss gate, with its red-and-black marble columns and gold inscriptions, is the oldest in the palace. It dates from 1553 and the name refers to the Swiss guards employed by Empress Maria Theresia in the 18th century. The tiles on top represent the Emperor Ferdinand I and the coat-of-arms insignia the Order of the Golden Fleece. It originally had a drawbridge; notice the round chain holes just above the arch and how the road slopes down.