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.

References:

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.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright caminanteK

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.

Hofburg

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix