Description of the attraction
The Tyrolean National Museum is located in the historic center of Innsbruck, in the immediate vicinity of the Hofburg Palace. It is also known as Ferdinandeum, as it was named after the Archduke of Austria Ferdinand II, who left a great mark on the history of the city.
It was Ferdinand who built the famous Ambras Castle, located three kilometers from the city center. He was also a generous philanthropist and patron of local artists and sculptors, and also acquired various works of art, rarities and wonders for his palace. It is not surprising that it was in his honor that the city's main museum of fine arts, opened in 1845, was named.
At the same time, the building of the museum was also built, which is also of great interest for connoisseurs of architecture and culture. It is a typical example of the Austrian neo-Renaissance. Its friezes and window frames are adorned with exquisite stucco moldings, various reliefs and medallions depicting the greatest Austrian cultural and artistic figures. And the facade of the building is crowned with a three-meter statue of Tyrolia - a kind of symbol of the region, on either side of which there are two small sculptures - allegories of art and the goddess Minerva.
The Ferdinandeum Museum exhibits the most ancient artifacts dating back to the period of Roman rule. But the masterpieces of religious art of the Middle Ages, made in the traditions of the Gothic and earlier Romanesque culture, are especially fully represented here. The museum also contains many paintings by the Old Masters - Lucas Cranach the Elder and Rembrandt van Rijn. Also worth noting is a prominent representative of the Austrian Gothic - Michael Pacher, the famous 18th century artist Angelika Kaufmann and later painters - Franz von Defregger and Joseph Koch.
A separate section of the Tyrolean Museum is reserved for the so-called "Dutch" hall, where local works of art, including decorative art, are presented. In the museum you can also get acquainted with old maps of the region and admire the graceful violins of Jacob Steiner, made in the 17th century.
