Page 246 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Austria

244  A USTRIA REGION B Y REGION

Exploring Innsbruck under Maria Theresa, when
Innsbruck straddles the Inn plans for a Rococo south
river. Its Old Town is situated on wing were prepared by
the right bank, close to the river. Johann Martin Gumpp the
Lead ing up to it is the broad Younger, who also remodelled
Maria-Theresien-Strasse with the front of the building and
the tall Column of St Anna the grand staircase. His work
(1706). The most impressive was continued by Konstantin
historic buildings are found on Johann von Walter, who is
Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, responsible for the palace’s
Stadtplatz, Hofgasse and uniform, Classicist shape.
Rennweg. Other important The interior of the Hofburg
sights are Schloss Ambras, on is furnished in Rococo style.
the southern out skirts of the The state rooms on the
city, and the Panorama of the second floor were completed Riesenhalle, a state room in the Hofburg
Battle of Bergisel (see p247). in 1773. The most beautiful of
these is the Riesenhalle (the P Goldenes Dachl
R Dom St Jakob Giants’ Hall), embellished with Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 15.
Domplatz. Tel (0512) 583902. white and gold stucco and a Tel (0512) 581111. Open May–Sep:
St James’ s Cathedral was origi- ceiling painting by Franz Anton 10am–6pm daily; Oct–Apr:
nally built in the Gothic style, but Maul bertsch, depicting the 10am–5pm, Tue–Sun. &
was converted to Baroque in the triumph of the House of In about 1500 the tall oriel
early 18th century by Johann Habsburg-Lothringen. The walls window, with its 2,657 gilded
Jakob Herkomer. Severely are hung with vast portraits of copper tiles, was added to this
damaged during World War II, it Maria Theresa, her 16 children former residence of the Tyrolean
was rebuilt in the 1950s, when and other members of the rulers. It created a viewing box
the church finally acquired the imperial family. from which Emperor Maximilian
figures for the niches, as well as The remaining rooms of I could observe street life on the
the equestrian statue of St Jakob the south wing also have main square of Innsbruck. The
on top of the building, sculpted original Rococo decora tions two-storey oriel rests on two
by Hans André. The fine Baroque and furnishings. slender columns. There are six
interior is the work of Munich coats of arms under the first-
artists, brothers Cosmas floor windows and the second-
Damian (painter) and Egid floor balustrade is decorated
Quirin (sculptor) Asam. The with reliefs; one of these depicts
vault paintings depict scenes Maximilian I and two of his
from the life of St James (St three wives: Maria of Burgundy
Jakob). The picture of Madonna and Bianca Maria Sforza; the
and Child in the high altar, which second shows the emperor
miracles are attributed to, is by surrounded by court jesters.
Lucas Cranach the Elder. The building behind the
The old town houses with Goldenes Dachl houses
their rich stucco ornaments, the small Maximilianeum,
reliefs and frescoes provide a museum of the
an enchanting backdrop emperor’s life.
to the cathedral, which is
regarded as the most magni- P Herzog-Friedrich-
ficent Baroque church building Strasse
in North Tyrol. Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse is one
of Innsbruck’s loveliest streets.
P Hofburg Its main historic sights include
Rennweg 1. Tel (0512) 587186. the Rococo Helblinghaus
Open 9am–5pm daily (Mar–Aug: (No. 10), the Gothic old town
until 7pm Wed). & hall, dating from the 14th–
In the 1460s, Archduke 15th cen turies (No. 21), and its
Sigismund embarked on a adjacent Stadtturm (city tower),
project to build a princely with a viewing terrace.
residence in Innsbruck. His Many of the other houses
Gothic castle, extended by along the street also warrant
Maximilian I, survived for several a close look. The four-storey
centuries, and to this day the Ottoburg at No. 1, close to
castle dungeons feature the origi- the Inn river, has four oriels
nal late-Gothic vaults. A major The richly ornamented pulpit in Dom stacked on top of each other
remodelling took place in 1755, St Jakob and late-Gothic interior vaults.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp323–4

244-245_EW_Austria.indd 244 12/09/17 3:04 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm