Page 247 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

INNSBRUCK  245

The Baroque façade of Altes
Regierungsgebäude (old
governmental building) at No. 3
hides some beautiful rooms
including the Claudia-Saal, the
Hall of Claudia de Medici, with
a late-Renaissance coffered
ceiling. At No. 6 is an old inn,
Der Goldene Adler (Golden Eagle
Inn), and the Katzunghaus (at
No. 16) has interesting 16th-
cen tury reliefs on the oriels.
P Altes Landhaus
Maria-Theresien-Strasse 43.
Tel (0512) 5900. Closed to visitors.
This 18th-century house, built The impressive, two-tiered 16th-century Schloss Ambras
in 1725–8 by Georg Anton
Gumpp and today the seat of Zeughausgasse, this 19th-cen tury of Tyrol’s power and glory.
Tyrol’s provincial government, building houses the collection of In the 12th century it was the
is regarded as one of Austria’s the Tiroler Landesmuseum (the seat of local rulers.
most beautiful secular structures. Tyrol Regional Museum), named The present 16th-century
It has an attractive inner courtyard after Archduke Ferdinand II building consists of a lower
and its colourful elevations were (1529–95), a Tyrolean ruler and a castle with entrance gate and
embellished by Alessandro passionate collector. The museum spacious courtyard, and an
Callegari. The niches lining the has depart ments devoted to upper castle built on the site
walls of the monumental internal the natural environ ment, history, of an earlier structure. The two
staircase are filled with marble art and handicrafts, and it is also parts are connected by the
statues and busts of Greek and home to a library. Among its most early-Renaissance Spanish Hall,
Roman gods. Ceiling frescoes precious exhibits are Gothic panel built by Giovanni Luchese in
depict the Tyrolean eagle with paintings, sculp tures by Michael 1571, with original coffered
an open map of the country. Pacher, and works by old German ceiling and inlaid doors.
The most opulent room in the and Dutch masters – Lucas Archduke Ferdinand II
building is the Rococo conference Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt, established his own museum
hall. Along the same street the Pieter Bruegel the Younger and at Ambras, but the exhibits
Annasäule (1706) rises in front of others. The museum also ended up in various Viennese
the Neues Rathaus. exhibits more recent Austrian museums. Nonetheless, there
art, including works by Klimt, is still plenty to see, including
Schiele and Kokoschka. the Rüstkammer (arsenal), the
Kunst- und Wunderkammer
+ Schloss Ambras (chamber of arts and marvels),
Schlossstrasse 20. Tel (01) 52524-4802. and the gallery with portraits of
Open 10am–5pm daily. Closed 25 Dec. members of the Habsburgs by
& ∑ schlossambras-innsbruck.at famous artists such as Lucas
The castle, on the southeastern Cranach, Peter Paul Rubens and
city limits, was once the symbol Diego Velázquez.
Andreas Hofer (1767–1810)
Andreas Hofer is regarded as Austria’s
national hero, widely extolled in its
literature and poetry. In 1809, he led the
Tyrolean uprising against the Bavarian rulers,
Georg Anton Gumpp’s imposing stairwell in who were allied with Napoleon’s forces.
Altes Landhaus He succeeded in beating the Bavarians,
and forced the French army, led by Marshal
Lefebvre, to retreat from Tyrol after their
E Tiroler Landesmuseum defeat on Bergisel, a hill just outside
Ferdinandeum Innsbruck (see p247). Hofer assumed
civilian power in Tyrol, but was soon
Museumstrasse 15. Tel (0512) 59489. betrayed and captured, and
Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. subsequently executed by
∑ tiroler-landesmuseum.at the French in the town square
Together with the former of Mantua.
armoury of Maximilian I at No. 1

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