Page 246 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

244  A USTRIA REGION b y REGION

Exploring Innsbruck under Maria Theresa, when
Innsbruck straddles the Inn the plans for the Baroque
river. Its Old Town is situated on south 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 stateroom in Hofburg
Battle of Bergisel. 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’ Cathedral was built in ceiling painting by Franz Anton 10am–6pm daily; Oct–Apr:
Baroque style in the early 18th Maul bertsch, depicting the 10am–5pm, Tue–Sun. &
century by Johann Jakob triumph of the House of In about 1500 the tall oriel
Herkomer. Severely damaged Habsburg–Lothringen. The walls window, with its numerous
during World War II, it was rebuilt are hung with vast portraits of gilded copper tiles, was added
in the 1950s, when the church Maria Theresa, her 16 children above the balcony of this former
finally acquired the figures for the and other members of the residence of the Tyrolean rulers.
niches, as well as the equestrian imperial family. It created a viewing box from
statue of St Jakob on top of the The remaining rooms of which Emperor Maximilian I
building, as envisaged in the the south wing also have could observe street life on the
original designs; the sculptor was original Rococo decora tions main square of Innsbruck. The
Hans André. The fine Baroque and furnishings. two-storey oriel rests on two
interior is the work of Munich slender columns. There are six
artists, the two brothers coats of arms under the first-
Cosmas Damian (painter) and floor windows and the second-
Egid Quirin (sculptor) Asam. floor balustrade is decorated
The vault paintings depict with reliefs; one of these depicts
scenes from the life of Maximilian I and his two wives:
St James (St Jakob). The picture Maria of Burgundy and Bianca
of Madonna and Child in the Maria Sforza; the second shows
high altar, which miracles are the emperor surrounded by
attributed to, is by Lucas court jesters. The building
Cranach the Elder. behind the Goldenes
The old town houses with Dachl houses the small
their rich stucco ornaments, Maximilianeum, a museum
reliefs and frescoes provide of the emperor’s life.
an enchanting backdrop
to the cathedral, which is P Herzog-Friedrich-
regarded as the most magni- Strasse
ficent Baroque church building Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse is one
in North Tyrol. of Innsbruck’s loveliest streets.
Its main historic sights include
P Hofburg the Rococo Helblinghaus
Rennweg 1. Tel (0512) 587186. (No. 10), the Gothic Old Town
Open 9am–5pm daily (Mar–Aug: Hall, dating from the 14th–
until 7pm Wed). & 15th cen turies (No. 21), and its
In 1453, Archduke Sigismund adjacent Stadtturm (city tower),
embarked on a project to build a with a viewing terrace.
princely residence in Innsbruck. Many of the other houses
His 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

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm