Innsbruck

Innsbruck is at the foot of the Brenner Pass—the lowest pass through the Alps. After seeing the castles of Schwangau and the startling interior of Wieskirche, we were not certain we would see anything any more impressive. We were mistaken.

The heart of the old city begins at the Triomphforte, a monument erected in memory of the year 1765 when Maria Theresia visited the city to celebrate her son’s marriage to a Spanish princess. Her husband, Kaiser Franz I died suddenly during the period of celebration. The north side of the Triomphforte depicts signs of mourning for the deceased and the south side celebrates with scenes of the newly married couple.

The street named Marie-Theresien-Strasse is lined with baroque palaces. It is a neck spinning experience to see it all. One tends to look idiotic, scurrying back and forth across the street, but who cares?

The street ends in a plaza over which sits Innsbruck’s most famous landmark, the Goldenes Dachl, the golden-roofed balcony formerly occupied by Maximilian I. The fresco on the balcony shows Max I with his two wives; the one he loved, Maria von Burgundy, and the one he married for profit, Maria Bianca Sforza (which someone on Wikipedia rudely refers to as "His Whores").

Domkirche St. Jakob is a baroque cathedral built between 1717 and 1724. In the 18th century, baroque was the style of EVERYTHING.

Including Hofburg, Empress Marie Theresia’s former residence, built in 1743.

The houses were heated with these elaborately decorated ceramic heaters. There were spaces in the walls through which servants carried fuel so as not to disturb the residents.

Hofkirche was built between 1553 and 1563 under Ferdinand I and houses the amazing tomb Grabmal Kaiser Maximilians I. The tomb is a huge structure that sits in the middle of the church. It is topped by the kneeling figure of Kaiser Maximilian I. Flanking the tomb are 28 minutely detailed bronze statutes of the entire line of the Kaisers—real and imaged—including König Artus (King Arthur). The white marble structure on which Maximilian kneels is carved with scenes from the marriages, wars and other diplomatic events during his reign. One of the guidebooks indicates that Max I fell out of favor with the citizens of Innsbruck and his remains were not allowed to rest here.





Just guess why the codpiece on the second gentleman to the right is so brightly polished.

Also in the Hofkirche is the Silberne Kapelle (“silver chapel”) dedicated to the love between Archduke Ferdinand and the commoner Philippine Welser. A huge embossed silver Madonna presides over the chapel.