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WELCOME
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A RENAISSANCE JEWEL
W
hen Archduke Ferdinand II (1529-1595) married Phi-
lippine Welser von Augsburg secretly, he risked scan-
dal and disinheritance. Despite intense resistance from
his family, he was always loyal to Philippine and after being appoin-
ted Archduke of Tyrol in 1564, he rebuilt the castle in the style of
Renaissance as a gift for her. In 1567, Philippine built a bath hall,
where steam baths and special infusions were celebrated – today it is
known as the only maintained private bath in the whole Alpine region
from that time! With the death of Philippine also the court life in Am-
bras died, after only 13 years of glamour the castle fell into oblivion.
Nowadays, the Ambras Castle offers its visitors plenty of possibilities.
The name “Ambras” derives from “ad umbras” (in the shadow).
It was built in the 11
th
century
as a medieval castle complex with a protective function and after an eventful history it reached its
real significance in the 16
th
century, when the Archduke Ferdinand II von Habsburg had it
rebuilt and made it his residence. //
MONIKA FRENZEL
In the armouries and in the Chamber of Art and Curiosities interesting
aspects can be discovered. The castle also offers a portrait gallery of
the Hapsburgs of several centuries, a documentation on the castle in-
habitants, the Strasser Glass Collection and of course the garden – the
ambience of Ambras still reflects the impression of a piece of art in
the Renaissance.
Impressive
This is thanks to the Archduke’s passion for collection. He collected
art and curiosities and sorted them systematically by materials.
Ferdinand wanted that his collections delighted and instructed visi-
tors. The fact that he showed people – without regard for their class –
his treasures with pride, characterizes him as a cosmopolitan Arch-
duke. Today his Chamber of Art and Curiosities is one of the oldest
preserved museums in Central Europe.
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SCHLOSS AMBRAS
Schlossstraße 20, 6020 Innsbruck
www.schlossambras-innsbruck.atÖffnungszeiten: täglich von 10 bis 17 Uhr, Einlass bis 16.30 Uhr
Openinghours: daily from10:00amto5:00pm, last admission: 4:30pm
Eintritt: April bis Oktober: 10 Euro, Kinder frei
Entrance fee: 10 € (April until October), Chilrdren for free
©B.AICHNER
Rüstkammer //
Armoury