Friday, September 21, 2018

Innsbruck, Austria: Hofkirche and Maximilian I

Maximilian I Cenotaph
In our travels to Austria and Germany in May, Innsbruck was the first stop after making the long, transatlantic flight followed by a four and a half hour train from Zurich.  Innsbruck was meant as a destination in which to catch up on lost sleep and adjust to the time change before we set off in earnest.

Besides the Tyrol Panorama (see Tirol Panorama), the Hofkirche was another destination to visit on my "Things to do in Innsbruck" list.  The Hofkirche was built as a memorial to Maximilian I by his grandson, Ferdinand I in 1553. 
Hofkirche
Hofkirche
The inside of the church is dominated by a massive, black marble cenotaph devoted to Maximilian I.  An iron grille encloses the cenotaph.
Ornate iron grille work
Adorning the sides of the memorial are a number of reliefs from important events during Maximilian's reign.  A few of the reliefs in which I could translate the descriptions are:
Capture of Kufstein Fortress, 1504
Victory over Bavarians at Regensburg, 1504

Capture of Fortress of Murano, 1514

Battle relief in which I did not capture the caption 
Encircling Maximilian's cenotaph are 28 large, bronze statues.  The statues are of ancestors, relatives, and heroes.  All face the memorial to honor Maximilian.  

Several of the statues that I could identify are:
Ernest, Duke of Austria
Ferdinand I
King Arthur
Phillip I
Rudolph I
Theoderic the Great
Finally, the hero of the Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809, Andreas Hofer, is buried in the Hofkirche.
Tomb of Andreas Hofer
While Maximilian I is buried elsewhere, the Hofkirche and his memorial are worthy of a visit while in Innsbruck.

28 comments:

  1. Lovely sculptures and reliefs!
    I've only really passed through Austria,Im sure it's worth a visit!
    Best Iain

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    1. Innsbruck is definitely worthy of a visit. My wife and I enjoyed it more than expected. The mountain scenery is spectacular.

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  2. If we won the lottery we would live in Austria as it's such a beautiful country. One can but dream...

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    1. You are not alone in that dream. We loved Switzerland too.

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  3. i will have to keep this in mind! Thanks for sharing it.

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    1. With the Tirol panorama on the 1809 revolt and the Renaissance ties with Maximilian I, two of your favorite periods could be studied. Oh, include the Kaiserjager Museum and you could hit the trifecta!

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    2. Yes, that would be on the agenda, too! Next door to the cyclorama, I think,

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    3. Righto! The cyclorama and museum are connected by underground passageway.

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  4. Looks excellent! I need to get down there sometime and see for myself.

    Christopher

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    1. World Road Cycling Championships are in Innsbruck next weekend, perfect time for a visit, Christopher.

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  5. Reminds me of my time in Bavaria and Catholic Germany that close to Austria: even small towns have exquisite churches, each one a museum. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Spot on, Ed! Every CCA is a museum. The Hofkirche actually has a museum adjoining it including a media presentation on Maximilian.

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  6. Impressive statues, I went to Innsbruck many years ago and I'm keeping a very good memory of it, nice post!

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  7. These posts of yours could give a person the travel bug, Jonathan!

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  8. Thanks for posting Jonathan. It brings back many memories from 30 years ago. I must get back to Innsbruck again and maybe Vienna.

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  9. Excellent travel. Thank You for a photos

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  10. Very neat, Jonathan. Dig the statues in armor.

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    1. Dean, I thought of you posing in your full armor while I was admiring these rows of bronze statues.

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  11. Remarkably well maintained reliefs and statues for being a "mere" 500 years old. Wow. Such detail as well.

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    1. Yes, the works are a "mere" 500 years old. The church is really a museum with the focus om Maximilian. The reliefs are amazingly detailed.

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  12. Excellent stuff. Any inspiration to tackle more Renaissance figures?

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