Ambras Castle (Innsbruck) was expanded in the 16th century as the residence of Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria and enriched with one of the world's first museum buildings. At its core, however, it is a castle dating back to around 1100. This unusual early High Romanesque structure underwent extensive alterations from the late Middle Ages onward, and especially from 1563, so that we now appear to be standing before a Renaissance palace. Ambras serves as a prime example of the conversion of a medieval hilltop castle into a Renaissance palace for the entire following century. The Spanish Hall, the Renaissance extension of the inner ward with its bath, the grisaille paintings on the courtyard façade, and the outstanding collections in the lower castle are renowned far beyond Tyrol.
Author
Großmann, G. Ulrich/Sandbichler, Veronika/Kuster, Thomas
