This 17th-century Baroque cathedral is the third iteration to sit on this site, replacing two that were destroyed in fires. The first cathedral was built in the 8th century. The cavernous interior has beautiful ceiling frescoes, especially elaborate around the dome, and the small side chapels have intricate stucco work and cherubs. Inside is the […]
Tag Archives | Austria
Residenz zu Salzburg
Salzburg’s 16th-century sprawling Residenz with 180 rooms and three courtyards housed the city’s archbishops. The original palace was constructed in the 13th century, but was vastly enlarged and renovated later on. The staterooms are crowded with an impressive array of frescos, paintings, fireplaces, stoves and tapestries that represent Renaissance, Classical and – my favorite – […]
Peterskirche, Salzburg
18th-century St. Peter’s Cemetery fits right into the city’s ornate character. Locals buried here include Mozart’s sister and Haydn’s brother. Up above, 3rd-century inhabitants cut catacombs into the rock. Saint Rupert, a Franconian missionary, came to Salzburg in the 7th century and founded St. Peter’s church and Benedictine monastery. The current Romanesque structure dates from […]
Salzburg
Our stay in lovely Salzburg was cool and rainy, but we were able to explore a bit and duck inside when the weather got too unbearable. Luckily, there’s no shortage of churches and museums in which to wile away some time. The only real hassle in the rain was the 11th-century fortress, Hohensalzburg, which looms […]
Domkirche zu St. Jakob (Cathedral of St. James), Innsbruck, Austria
This 18th century baroque cathedral has name-dropping pedigree, as it was designed by starchitect Johann Jakob Herkommer and Munich’s Asam brothers. The current structure with two bell towers was built between 1717-24 on the site of a prior Gothic church. Look up at the fresco showing the life of Jakob, the holy patron of the […]
Imperial Court, Innsbruck, Austria
Really, Imperial Palace 2.0. In 1460, Archduke Siegmund the Rich constructed a grand Gothic-style palace that was subsequently enlarged to an even grander status by Maximilian I. When Empress Maria Theresa came along, though, all she saw was a tear-down. From 1754-73, the palace was rebuilt in Maria Theresa’s preferred Baroque style to include four […]
Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum (Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art), Innsbruck, Austria
For a crash course on Tyrol life, visit the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum. Part of it is like a life-sized dollhouse where visitors can pop into typical sparse but functional farmhouse kitchen/dining/living areas, view an array of furniture and tools and stand next to figures wearing traditional celebratory costumes. There is also an entire gallery of intricate […]
Goldenes Dachl, Innsbruck, Austria
The Golden Roof is actually copper, and was built in the 1490’s to shade the imperial court’s balcony, which has a full view of the square below. The balcony is adorned with replicas of Moorish dancers performing for (of course) Maximilian I, who apparently got into a hot tub time machine to include both […]
Innsbruck Hofkirche and Cenotaph of Emperor Maximilian
We should all have such a shrine as Maximilian I (1459-1519) whose empty tomb is housed here. He built his own grand monument and surrounded it with 28 oversized bronze statues of family and friends. The original plan was a bit more ambitious and called for 40 statues, 100 statuettes and 32 Roman emperor […]
Innsbruck, Austria
The aftermath of a puny Austrian thunderstorm seems criminal as I watch the television coverage of the U.S. preparing for Hurricane Irene.
