Ambras Castle () is a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
castle and palace located in the hills above
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. Ambras Castle is above sea level. Considered one of the most popular tourist attractions of the
Tyrol
Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
, Ambras Castle was built in the 16th century on the spot of an earlier 10th-century castle, which became the seat of power for the
Counts of Andechs. The cultural and historical importance of the castle is closely connected with Archduke
Ferdinand II (1529–1595) and served as his family's residence from 1567 to 1595.
Ferdinand was one of history's most prominent collectors of art. The princely sovereign of
Tyrol
Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
, son of Emperor
Ferdinand I, ordered that the medieval fortress at Ambras be turned into a Renaissance castle as a gift for his wife
Philippine Welser
Philippine Welser (1527 – 24 April 1580) was the morganatic wife of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria. She was granted the titles Baroness of Zinnenburg, Margravine of Burgau, Landgravine of Mellenburg and Countess of Oberhohenberg and Ni ...
. The cultured humanist from the
House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...
accommodated his world-famous collections in a museum: the collections, still in the Lower Castle built specifically for that museum's purpose, make Ambras Castle one of the oldest museums in the world.
The Lower Castle contains armouries that feature masterpieces of the European armourers' art from the time of Emperor
Maximilian I to Emperor
Leopold I. As the only Renaissance ''Kunstkammer'' of its kind to have been preserved at its original location, the "''
Kunst- und Wunderkammer''" (Chamber of Art and Wonders) represents an unrivalled cultural monument.
Above the Lower Castle is the famous Spanish Hall (''Spanischer Saal''), a notable example of German Renaissance architecture, which contains an intricate wood-inlay ceiling and walls adorned with 27 full-length portraits of the rulers of Tyrol.
[Bousfield 2008, p. 472.] The Upper Castle contains the extensive Habsburg Portrait gallery (''Habsburger Porträtgalerie'') featuring paintings of numerous members of the
House of Austria
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
[Bousfield 2008, pp. 472–473.] and other leading ruling European dynasties, including, as a remarkable feature, many portraits of princely children.
History
Long before Innsbruck became a city, references to an ''Amras'' or ''Omras'' appeared in documents dating from the 10th century. This early fortification in what was then the southwest corner of
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
was the seat of power of the
Counts of Andechs, who became
Margraves of Istria
Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Empir ...
and later Dukes of the short-lived
Imperial State
An Imperial Estate (; , plural: ') was an entity or an individual of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise signi ...
of
Merania from 1180 to 1248. This original fortification was destroyed in 1133 and no traces of it remain, although some of the material from the original structure was later used in the modern building.
In 1248, the castle ruins and property passed by inheritance from the Counts of Andechs to
Albert IV, Count of Tyrol
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s
* Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street ma ...
.

The modern Ambras Castle was built by Archduke
Ferdinand II (1529–1595), the second son of Emperor
Ferdinand I. When he was made provincial sovereign of
Tyrol
Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
in 1564, Ferdinand II ordered two Italian architects to turn the existing medieval fortress into a Renaissance castle for his untitled wife
Philippine Welser
Philippine Welser (1527 – 24 April 1580) was the morganatic wife of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria. She was granted the titles Baroness of Zinnenburg, Margravine of Burgau, Landgravine of Mellenburg and Countess of Oberhohenberg and Ni ...
(1527–1580), whom he had married in secret.
Ferdinand II prepared his family's residence in the Upper Castle, beneath which he constructed one of the most artistically important halls of the late Renaissance—known as the "Spanish Hall" since the nineteenth century. In 1567, Ferdinand II made his entry into Innsbruck, prior to that, he was appointed administrating governor of the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
, taking up residence in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
in 1547. In 1589, he added an additional building, the ''Heldenrüstkammer'', west of the Lower Castle for the purpose of housing his collection of "Heroes", the very first systematic presentation of objects in the history of museums. Ambras Castle was used as the residence of Philippine as well as a place for Ferdinand II to house his collection of weapons, suits of armour, portraits, natural objects, as well as rarities and precious objects.
Today, the art history museu
Schloss Ambras Innsbruck is part of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
Philippine became a popular and beloved figure through her charity and willingness to help others, particularly the common people of Tyrol. Even the nobility brought their petitions to the former commoner. As signs of affection, people addressed their written petitions to "Merciful Miss" or "serene Princess Mrs. Philippine of Austria".
After Ferdinand's death in 1595, the second son of Ferdinand and Philippine,
Charles, Margrave of Burgau, inherited Ambras Castle. With little interest in preserving the castle or its collections, they fell into a state of dilapidation and Charles sold them in 1606 to Emperor
Rudolf II
Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the H ...
.
The emperor residing in Prague left his uncle's collection nearly in its entirety at Ambras Castle, as he himself was one of the most important Habsburg collectors.

In the following years, Ambras Castle no longer had the status of an official residence and was seldom lived in. Inadequate preservation measures led to the loss of valuable books, manuscripts, and hand sketches, and soon the palace fell largely into disrepair. In the seventeenth century, Emperor
Leopold I (1640–1705) had some of the most valuable holdings of the Ambras collections—mostly books and manuscripts—moved to Vienna, where they can still be seen at the
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library (, ) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Hofburg#Neue Burg, Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in Innere Stadt, center of Vienna. Sin ...
.
In 1805, the remaining Ambras collections were threatened by the defeat of
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
by the
French Empire. Fortunately, after he recognized the private-law character of the Ambras collection,
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
(1769–1821) had it brought to safety in Vienna.
In 1855, Archduke
Karl Ludwig, then governor of Tyrol, had the palace remodeled to use as a summer residence. Significant changes were made during this time to the palace and the surrounding park. The Outer Bailey (''Vorschloss'') was constructed with an ivy-clad entrance ramp for carriages. The park was redesigned as an English garden. Following Archduke Karl Ludwig's renouncement of his succession rights in 1889, the palace fell once again into ruinous condition. In 1880, it was converted into a museum and subsequently renovated.
In 1919, following the
dissolution of Austria-Hungary
The dissolution of Austria-Hungary was a major political event that occurred as a result of the growth of internal social contradictions and the separation of different parts of Austria-Hungary. The more immediate reasons for the collapse of the ...
, Ambras Castle became the property of the
First Austrian Republic
The First Austrian Republic (), officially the Republic of Austria, was created after the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 10 September 1919—the settlement after the end of World War I which ended the Habsburg rump state of ...
. In 1950, the
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ( "Vienna Museum of art history, Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, i ...
took over the administration of the castle and its collections. Throughout the 1970s, a comprehensive restoration took place of 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.
Collections
Schloss Ambras is a federal museum of the Republic of Austria. It is administratively part of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and belongs to the KHM-Museumsverband.
Ferdinand II was one of the most important patrons of the Habsburg family. He founded the notable collections of Ambras and had a museum built for them in the rooms of the "Lower Castle", which was constructed according to the most advanced ideas of his time. The three Armouries and the Chamber of Art and Wonders were designed and used as a museum from the beginning.
Spanish Hall
The Spanish Hall, built between 1569 and 1572, is one of the most important freestanding halls of the Renaissance. The picturesque lay-out of the long hall is dominated by the 27 full-length portraits of the princely rulers of the Tyrol. Today rather famous classical concerts take place in this hall.
Chamber of Art and Wonders
The ''Chamber of Art and Wonders'' of Archduke Ferdinand II is the only Renaissance ''Kunstkammer'' which can still be seen in its original place. Others had been plundered like the ones in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
,
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
or
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
, or their character had been changed like in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
or
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
.
In the Chamber of Art and Wonders at Ambras Castle ''artificialia'', ''naturalia'', ''scientifica'', ''exotica'', and ''mirabilia are to be seen:'' natural wonders (rare, unique and excellent things of nature) as well as precious objects, scientific items, toys, or luxury items of the time, and so on. In contents the natural and artistic objects represent the programme of the late Renaissance encyclopedic collections. The special thing about the Ambras-collections is, that they are still where they were meant to be seen. Still you can find corals arranged in cabinet-boxes, turnery made of wood or
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
, glass figures, or
porcelain
Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...
and
silk
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
paintings which belong to the oldest European collections of Asian, African and American art (''exotica'').
Also important works of European artists, like the carved "little death" made of wood by
Hans Leinberger
Hans Leinberger, sometimes given as Lemberger (c.1475/1480 – after 1531) was a Late Gothic sculptor from Altbayern, who worked in wood, metal and stone.
Life and work
His exact birthplace is unknown, as is the place and manner of his arti ...
can be found, as well as typical ''Kunstkammer'' - objects like handstones, goblets made of
rhinoceros
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
horn,
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
or
rock crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical fo ...
, animals made of bronze, music- and measuring instruments, automats and clocks. A very important part of the collection were portraits of wondrous persons like the hairy people,
Vlad Dracula and others.
Armouries

Archduke Ferdinand II's idea of a museum was a novelty: he ''systematically'' collected armour from famous personalities of his time. He presented this armour "to the eternal memory" of that persons - mostly military commanders - in the "''Heldenrüstkammer''" (Heroes' Armoury); some on display today still in the original 16th century showcases. His "Rüstkammern" (Armouries) contain very rare examples of arms and armour from the 15th century which originally came from the collections of Emperor
Maximilian I and Archduke
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
. Armour for tournaments like the German joust or the German course, and the armour of the court's giant Bartlmä Bon, who took part in the tournament in Vienna in 1560, can be seen. The "Leibrüstkammer" (Court Armoury) includes the archduke's private armour and the armour of the court of Innsbruck. Ferdinand's collection of armour was one of the most important of its kind, not only because of the collection idea, but also because of the quality and quantity of his objects. Today, selected objects still illustrate the museum idea in Innsbruck at Ambras Castle, whereas many of the armour is exhibited at the ''Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer'' (
Imperial Armoury) of the
Kusthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Upper Castle
The Upper Castle, the oldest part of Ambras Castle, contains the Habsburg Portrait Gallery. About 300 portraits from the 15th to the 19th century, including King
Albert II, Emperor
Maximilian I,
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
Kings and Emperors
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
Others
* Charles V, Duke ...
and
Ferdinand I, to the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,
Francis II, a contemporary of
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
. Because of the various dynastic relations, the collection also shows members of other European dynasties. The portraits were painted by well-known artists such as
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...
,
Antonis Mor
Anthonis Mor, also known as Anthonis Mor van Dashorst and Antonio Moro (c. 1517 – 1577), was a Netherlandish Portrait painting, portrait painter, much in demand by the courts of Europe. He has also been referred to as Antoon, Anthonius, Anthoni ...
,
Titian
Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno.
Ti ...
,
Anthony van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.
The seventh child of ...
and
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...
.
The Strasser Collection of Glass is amongst the most important of its kind in the world. Built up by Professor Rudolf Strasser over a period of more than fifty years this collection includes valuable Renaissance and Baroque Period glasses from Europe's most important glass producing regions, for example Venice, Bohemia, Hall, Innsbruck and Silesia. The high quality of the collection is quite comparable with the collection of these epochs in the
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning (city), New York, Corning, New York, United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Incorporated, Corning Glass Works and currently has a ...
.
The Collection of Gothic Sculpture presents objects date from the time of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). The main work is the imposing St George altar-piece which was made by Sebold Bocksdorfer commissioned by Maximilian and important for the Habsburg's
Order of Saint George
The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...
.
The Inner Courtyard, decorated between 1564 and 1567 with grisaille painting ''al fresco'' (grey painting on still-wet plaster), is among the best-preserved examples of fresco from the sixteenth century. The representations of princely virtues and muses, female and male heroes, and diverse heroic acts sought to display the royalty as exemplary. They relate to their commissioner Archduke Ferdinand II, patron of the arts and host of lavish festivities.
In cultural historical terms the Bathing Chambers of Philippine Welser, the only bath of the 16th century completely preserved, is something of a cultural heritage.
The Chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Consecrated for the first time in 1330 and often rebuilt over the centuries, it was finally painted in the 19th century by the Innsbruck painter
August von Wörndle.
Ambras Castle silver coin
Ambras Castle is so popular and well known, that it was the subject of one of the best known famous silver collectors' coins: the
10 euro Ambras Castle coin.
On the
obverse
The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...
of the coin there is a general view of the castle to the south of Innsbruck with its Renaissance style gardens forms the central design. On the
reverse, three court musicians cross the floor of the Spanish Hall, based on a picture from 1569. This design recalls the court festivals for which Fedinand II had the Spanish Hall specially constructed.
See also
*
Ambraser Heldenbuch
Gallery
File:2944 - Innsbruck - Schloss Ambras.JPG, Ambras Castle
File:Panorama ambrass2.jpg, Ambras Castle
File:Innsbruck 2 281.jpg, Coral crucifix
File:Schloss Ambras in Tirol.jpg, Engraving by Matthäus Merian Matthäus is a given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
;Surname
* Lothar Matthäus, (born 1961), German former football player and manager
;Given name
* Matthäus Aurogallus, Professor of Hebrew at the University of Wittenberg ...
, c.1650
File:Carl Conjola Schloss Ambras 1818.jpg, Painting by Carl Conjola, 1818
File:Schloss Ambras.jpg, Photograph by Anton Gratl, 1898
File:Felle Ambras Schloss.jpg, Postcard, early twentieth century
File:2002 Austria 10 Euro Ambras Castle back.jpg, Ambras Castle silver coin
References
;Notes
;Citations
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*Schneider, Elisabeth (1990). "Historiography and Display: The ‘Heldenrüstkammer’ of Archduke Ferdinand II in Schloss Ambras," ''Journal of the History of Collections.'' 2, Issue 1: 69–79.
*
External links
Ambras Castle official websiteAmbras Castle 360° fullscreen panoramas*
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Innsbruck
Castles in Tyrol (federal state)
Museums in Tyrol (federal state)
Tourist attractions in Innsbruck
Art museums and galleries in Austria
Military and war museums in Austria
Imperial residences in Austria