It all started when Maximilian was a young prince living in Vienna. He was fascinated by the colorful glass spheres and spent hours playing with them. When he became Emperor of Mexico in 1864, he brought his beloved marbles with him to his new home.
Maximilian's marble collection quickly became legendary. He had thousands of marbles in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of his favorites were made of precious stones, such as jade and lapis lazuli. He even had a custom-made marble table where he could play his favorite game, "Marble Mania."
One day, while Maximilian was playing Marble Mania in his palace, he accidentally knocked over a vase filled with his most prized marbles. The marbles scattered all over the floor, and Maximilian was heartbroken.
He sent his servants scurrying to retrieve the lost marbles, but it was no use. Many of the marbles had rolled into the cracks and crevices of the palace floor. Maximilian was so distraught that he refused to leave his room for days.
The news of Maximilian's lost marbles quickly spread throughout the court. The courtiers whispered and gossiped, saying that the Emperor had finally gone mad. Some even suggested that he should be deposed.
Maximilian, however, was not amused by the jokes. He hired a team of the best marble hunters in the country and offered a large reward to anyone who could find his lost marbles.
For months, the marble hunters searched high and low, but they could not find all of the missing marbles. Maximilian became increasingly desperate. He offered even larger rewards, but still, the marbles remained elusive.
Finally, one day, a young boy came to the palace with a bag full of marbles. He said that he had found them in the garden, hidden under a pile of leaves.
Maximilian was overjoyed. He thanked the boy profusely and immediately ordered his servants to take the marbles to his room.
Maximilian spent the rest of the day playing with his recovered marbles. He was so happy to have them back that he even gave the young boy a knighthood.
From that day on, Maximilian I of Mexico Vamvakidis was known as the "Marble Emperor." He continued to collect marbles for the rest of his life, and his collection is now one of the largest and most valuable in the world.