Hofburg, Brixen, Italy - SpottingHistory

Prince Bishops of Brixen commissioned the construction of their fortified castle (called Hofburg) in Brixen in the 13th century. The following centuries brought about numerous revisions to the structure. Around 1600 the splendid renaissance-style interior courtyard was created and decorated with bronze-overlaid terracotta statues by Hans Reichle, the celebrated sculptor from Augsburg. During that same period, the meeting rooms of the grand chancery were decorated with ample heraldic adornments.

Around 1706 Caspar Ignaz began the Baroque style renovation of the palace. It was then that the bishop’s chapel and the imperial wing with its majolica stoves were built; and the ceilings adorned with either paintings by Kaspar Waldmann and Antonio Gresta, or lavish plaster embellishments. Tapestries and the historic furnishings were added as well. In keeping with the fashions of the time, one room was converted into a Chinese cabinet.

Today Hofburg houses the diocesan collection of sacred artworks from the Romanesque period to the Modern age, the treasures of the cathedral of Brixen/Bressanone, works by 19th century Tyrolean artists, a collection of cribs and special exhibitions.

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Hofburg Brixen

User Reviews

YuKoc (2 years ago)
Nice place with a lot of history!

Kent Wang (2 years ago)
Nice building, some interesting art. Brixen was ruled by a prince-bishop who resided at the Hofburg. The palace was built in the 13th century, with a Baroque renovation in the 18th century.

Frank Buijs (3 years ago)
What I found very attractive was the depth of medieval ecclesiastical art and the descriptions of the importance of the Prince-Bishopric during the eight hundred years of its existence. Truly a beautiful collection in a suitable environment. The fact that the diocese decided in the 1970s to convert this building into a museum or to have it set up as a museum is evidence of great wisdom. Where I felt a bit lost were the moments when, despite the wealth of artefacts, there were no attendants or security measures anywhere to be seen. There was also no one to ask for anything once you wandered inside the museum.

Holger Schoelzel (3 years ago)
One of the most beautiful church museums in Europe. The crib museum is unique in design and history. You can spend a whole day here to see everything. Admission justified and free with the Brixen card.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

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The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

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The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.

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