Think Innsbruck and it is not surprising to think of snow capped mountains, rolling hills and lush meadows. But did you know that the capital of the Tyrol (western Austrian state in the Alps) region is also home to some historic and magnificent monuments? Well, the Hofkirche or Court Church, as it is also called, in the centre of Innsbruck old town (Aaltstadt) is one such monument.
This Gothic Church with the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I is the most important monument in the Tyrol and the most splendid of all imperial tombs in Europe. The ornate central nave, pointed arched windows and galleries in the church are indeed noteworthy. Courtly art as promoted by the Habsburgs was inter-national in character but also rooted in local traditions. Few rulers live on in the memory of the people as vividly as Maximilian I (1459-1519), who was responsible for Innsbruck’s central position in Europe at that time.
The Innsbruck Hofkirche (Court Church), also known as the “Black Men Church”, houses the tomb of Emperor Maximilian 1 (1459-1519) and is the most important funerary monument of a Holy Roman Emperor. The simple facade conceals a “Gesamtkunstwerk”, which took almost a century to complete and includes various items by internationally prominent artists.
Based on Maximilian’s own idea, 28 larger-than-life bronze statues of his ancestors and role models flank the cenotaph with its finely detailed marble reliefs. Apart from being built in his memory, the tomb was intended to preserve the glory of the House of Habsburg.
When Maximilian died in 1519, only some of the statues had been cast. Nor had the location or the design of the tomb been finally decided. In his will, Maximilian stipulated that he be buried in St. George’s Chapel in his castle in Wiener Neustadt, where his body still lies. It was only later, in 1547, that his grandson – Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564)-ordered the construction of the Hofkirche with the cenotaph and adjoining monastery (now the Museum of Tyrolean Regional Heritage) in Innsbruck.
It is key to note that the tomb is surrounded by 28 magnificent statues of which 12 were completed by Maximilian’s death in 1519. The remaining were complete after his death with the last one cast in 1550. The statues are the work of talented artists and sculptors including Hans Leinberger, G. Löffler and Leonhart Magt. There are 20 men and 8 women statues which includes rulers like Leopold III -Margrave of Austria, Rudolph I -King of Germany, Joanna – Queen of Castile, Margaret – Duchess of Savoy and Arthur – King of Britain.
The surfaces of the bronze statues are elaborately designed. The countless details were modelled in wax to make the moulds and then cast in bronze. The figures are hollow castings with a wall thickness of about seven millimetres. They include several intricate elements that have been meticulously crafted like the coronation gowns worn by the royals, depiction of pomegranates (stands for wealth and power), little prayer books etc.
Innsbruck is a 4 hour train journey from Zurich and is about 700 km from Nice in France. Click here to read about another unique historical church.
