Description of the attraction
Ambras Castle is located three kilometers from the center of the large Austrian city of Innsbruck. It now functions as a museum. The palace rises at an altitude of 587 meters above sea level.
Previously, a fortified medieval fortress, dating back to the 10th century, stood on this place. However, when Archduke Ferdinand II, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, came to power over Austria in 1563, he ordered to demolish the dilapidated citadel and erect a more elegant building in the style of the Italian Renaissance. For this, architects from neighboring Italy were even hired. Interestingly, the new palace served as a kind of gift for Ferdinand's beloved wife, Philippine Welser, whom the emperor's son married without paternal consent, since she was of a common origin.
Ferdinand II was a rather generous philanthropist and acquired many works of art, which are still kept in the Ambras Castle. A collection of ancient weapons and armor is also exhibited here. But especially worth noting is the famous Spanish Hall, which is a masterpiece of the German Renaissance and is distinguished by its unique wooden ceilings. It displays 27 life-size portraits of the rulers of Tyrol, as well as more than 300 other portraits of representatives of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. It is interesting that many of them belong to the pen of outstanding painters - van Dyck, Lucas Cranach, Diego Velazquez and others.
Now the palace is an imposing snow-white building, consisting of three floors. It stands out especially for its bright window sashes. It is also worth paying attention to the so-called Lower Castle, which is one of the few surviving Kunstkamers built in the Renaissance style. Now it houses a museum of weapons. The architectural complex also includes a steep driveway, lush lower gardens and an elegant turret where the gatekeeper used to live.
