Architektur und Kunst

Architektur und Kunst

Schloss Ambras

There is no trace left of the original Ambras castle that was built in the 10th century and then destroyed in 1133. What sits roughly 100 meters above the Inn valley was built in 1563 by two Italian architects at the behest of Archduke Ferdinand II. He ordered his new renaissance castle to be built on top of a fortress that was in the same place as the original. He lived there and used it as his family residence from 1567 to 1595. It then became the seat of power for the counts of Andechs. In 1919 the ownership of the castle was handed over to the Republic of Austria, following the dissolution of the Austria-Hungary empire. Finally, in 1950, the Kunsthistorisches Museum took over the administration of the castle and its collections, after which it received comprehensive restoration throughout the 70s in the Spanish Hall, the Upper Castle residential quarters, and the inner courtyard. In 1974, the Chamber of Art and Wonders was completed. In 1976, the Habsburg Portrait Gallery covering the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries was completed. In 1981, the Armouries was reopened in the Lower Castle.

Now it is one of the most popular tourist destinations of Tyrol, serving as both a beautiful castle and art collection/museum.

The museum

Ambras castle has always had a history closely linked to museums, Ferdinand II is thought to be the inventor of the first museum in Ambras, he would collect all sorts of things from armour and weapons to paintings and sculptures and would then put them on display to show to his guest who came to his castle. He also built one of the most important renaissance halls between 1569 and 1572. The picturesque layout of the 141ft long hall is dominated by the 27 full-length portraits of the princely rulers of the Tyrol

Schloss Ambras is unique in that it has the only renaissance kunstkammer that can still be found in its original place. It is located in the chamber of arts and wonders. Many odd and interesting things can be found within, such as natural wonders (rare, unique and excellent things of nature) as well as precious objects, scientific items, toys, or luxury items of the time. There are also notable works of European art like the portrait of the hairy people or Vlad Dracula

The next rooms to take notice of would be the armories. Ferdinand II would collect the armor of notable people from his time and display them in his "hall of heroes" for people to marvel at. Some of them can still to this day be seen in their original 16th-century displays. Such as the armour of the giant Bartlmä Bon, which can be seen to the left, he stood at a whopping 7'9''

The last things of note to be found within the castle walls can be found in the upper castle. Here you can see the Habsburg portrait gallery, which has 300 portraits in it from the 15th to 19th centuries. there is also the Strasser collection of glass which is among the famous of its kind in the world. The other impressive collection would be that of the gothic sculptures