Probably the most beautiful Baroque church in the architecturally brilliant Innsbruck; the Innsbruck Cathedral (also known as Cathedral of St. James or Dom St Jakob) rises up on the eastern side of the Pffarplatz. Though its main attractions lie in the jewelled interiors and brilliant stucco and fresco work; the double tower façade and the outstanding saddle roof are structurally brilliant.
Its position as the bishop’s seat for Innsbruck Diocese and a prominent stop on St James way in the Santiago Compostela route is well known in the world of Christianity. Innsbruck Cathedral has legions of stories to tell about multiple disasters that struck it and the powers of its precious possession (Maria Hilf) that made it one of the most revered churches in Europe.
Background
The first mention of the Innsbruck Cathedral was found in an 1180 dated document drawn up between Counts of Andechs and the Premonstratensian Abbey at Wilton… at this point in time, a Romanesque cathedral used to stand here. The Dom St Jakob or Innsbruck Cathedral was built in the 2nd half of the 12th century and was a dedication to St James the Elder… as mentioned Innsbruck was at the junction of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela and therefore was in a religiously prominent position.
By 1643 St Jakob had become an independent parish and by 1650 the iconic painting of Mariahilf had been acquired by the church after which Dom St Jakobe became an important Marian pilgrimage. The present Baroque splendour of the church is preserved according to the original design made by Johann Jakob Herkomer and Johann Georg Fischer. The church was consecrated on 9 September 1724… a day which is still celebrated with much aplomb and it achieved the status of cathedral in 1964.
The Dom St Jakob is known for its marvellous artwork and finest example of stuccos, mosaics, gilding and paintings apart from a resplendent pulpit and a succession of splendidly decorated altars. However, few know about the tragedies that befell the church multiple times.
In 1270 the church was almost completely devoured by flames and then it was reconstructed some years later preserving the Baroque elements. The town fire of 1390 again destroyed the church and it was rebuilt in 1438. Many additions happened in the church later like the 4 side chapels and enlargement of the premises. However, the church continued to suffer from several mishaps like many earthquakes, damage to the belfry, death of the principal architect Johann Jakob Herkomer and ravages of the Second World War.
The church was rebuilt and refurbished each time and after it acquired the famous Virgin Mary painting, it went on to become one of the most popular pilgrimage spots for Marian worshippers. Its incredible museum-quality art and historical heritage make it extremely popular amongst tourists and locals alike.
Exteriors
The Dom St Jakob is architecturally refined but it’s unlikely to impress because of its exteriors. From the outside, it’s a graceful yet simple cross-shaped white-grey building with 4 units and a shallow dome… a style quite reminiscent of the Venetian tradition. The main façade flaunts 2 belfry towers and they are linked in a concave bend with the 3 storey façade.
Cornices and wall projections divide the storeys and there are two clocks in the top storey of each tower besides octagon cupolas with lanterns that sit at the top of each tower. In the centre, there is a niche with a statue of the Virgin and a sculpture showing St James the Elder decks the gable cornice. Other saints and religious personalities decorate the sides of the towers and a beautiful procession like structure is formed.
The double tower façade is clearly inspired by the Salzburg dome though here the shape is more fluidic and the structure is more powerfully built.
Interiors
Once inside, it’s natural to have your attention drawn towards the famous attractions inside the park-like high altar, the frescoed ceiling, the Virgin Mary painting etc. but spare some time to appreciate less publicised details that are aesthetically brilliant like the door and window jambs made of light pink Hague marble that contrast so well with the raw stone wall façade in the Pfarrplatz.
Ceilings & Walls
The vaulting of the cathedral’s interior (trompe l’oeil ceiling) is quite remarkable and the frescoes here are the work of one of the famous Asam brothers (Cosmas Damian Asam) from Bavaria. The clever south German artist employed optical illusions to project the feeling of unlimited space and made the somewhat flat ceiling look like a dome. The subjects of the frescoes are the life of Saint James who is the patron of this church. St James is depicted as a godly person clad in battle attire with a flag in his hand… he is leading the Spanish Christian army against the moors.
The side arches have angels representing the virtues of St James and spandrels show 4 evangelists. The transept dome has St James pointing towards Marian altar. The nave also bears a fresco that shows the Saint pleading the case of sad humanity. The dome area above the organ shows the saint interceding on behalf of Innsbruck, Tyrol and Austria as well as the Catholic Church. All the spandrel paintings show different representations of the same theme. The ceiling is considered to be museum-quality art and is amongst the finest in Europe.
The Stucco work complements the frescoes perfectly and is done by Egid Quirin Asam (the other Asam brother) and the work has a pure renaissance character. The marble floors of the cathedral have a visually elaborate display of geometric patterns and are considered to be the finest in Austria… the exemplary work of Benedetti father and son duo from the Trentino region.
High Altar and other Altars
The interiors are conspicuous by their 9 altars (high altar, 6 side altars and 2 small altars). The High altar is extremely beautiful and decorative with its superstructure of black, yellow and red marble and is called the finest example of Baroque style. You cannot help admire the black marble columns flanking the altar and their contrast with the white sculpted figures around the gable.
The altar holds the depiction of the Virgin with child and its silver superstructure is an example of fine craftsmanship in Austria. The superstructure was donated by Karl Philipp von der Pfalz while the rest of the altar was donated by Prince Bishop Kunigi. The high altar stands between two statues… Saint Albuin and Saint Ingenuin. Silver gleaming busts of the church patrons and Mannerist style pule silver statuettes are brought out to decorate the Tabernacle on special occasions like Christmas, Easter etc.
Maria Hilf Portrait
The high altar has the cathedral’s prized possession… a rare painting of Maria Hilf (one of the most worshipped paintings of mother Mary) made by Lucas Cranach the Elder… this painting is very valuable and originally belongs to the Electorate of Saxony in Dresden but it reached the cathedral after Archduke Leopold V gifted it to the town.
Usually, the paintings of Saint James and Saint Alexius stand around it on a traditional cover but on feast days that cover is rotated and a more beautiful frame with silver angels and gold rays is brought out to frame the Maria Hilf painting. This is the first such example of a rotating cover on a religious painting.
Glass encased seating for royalty
The main altar is flanked by glass seating cases and history says that Tyrolean royalty used to sit here to attend ceremonies and services. All the 9 cathedral altars are made of Trentino and Veronese marble and the nave pilasters have Hague marble. The Rococo ornamentation above the presbytery in the side gallery was added by Maria Theresa.
Side Altars
The six side altars are evenly distributed on each side. Most of these have decorative panels created by court artist Johann Georg Dominikus… you will see Saint Sebastian (patron protector of plague) in the north altar and he is flanked by statues of Saint Charles Borromeo and Saint Nicholas. The altar at the south has Saint John Nepomuk (patron saint of bridges). The 2nd bay north altar has Saint Philip Neri and Saint Mary and two statues of Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara flank it along with a glittering statuette of Saint Apollonia.
The southern altar has a rare and beautiful Goth style crucifix and is flanked by Baroque style statue of St Mary and St John. The transept altars are also remarkable for their artwork. The northern one has the painting of Assumption of Mary flanked by statues of Saint Joseph and Saint Joachin while the southern one has paintings of Saints with baby Jesus. Similarly, the two smaller side altars nave exquisitely executed Nazarene figures made by Dominikus Trenkwalder.
Pulpit
Special attention must be paid to the pulpit; this baroque creation is famed sculptor Nikolaus Moli’s best work. It’s gilded with gold and silver throughout, and 3 divine virtues (faith, hope and charity) decorate its base while evangelists, cherubs and angels stand on its sounding board. The pulpit base has the coat of arms while its whole body (foot, parapet and Baldachin) are fantastically decorated.
Church Organ
The church organ domineers over the west end of the cathedral and it’s also resplendent with the work of Nikolaus Moli. The organ has exquisite ornamental gilt laden casing and beautifully carved work and is known as the best Baroque organ in Tyrol. The Donor Mattias Tausch’s coat of arms is carved on its front.
The organ dates back to 1500 though in the 18th century and 20th century it was almost completely reassembled. What you see now is a new replication with the original baroque casing and the older pipes. For the record, the organ has 57 stops and 3729 pipes. Notice the 14 stations (about 2-meter height each) of the cross positioned inside… they are all painted exquisitely by Innsbruck artist Ignaz Mildorfer
Maximillian III’s Tomb
Don’t confuse this with Maximillian II’s tomb that stands in the Hofkirche. This is Maximillian III (4th son of Maximillian II and Maria of Austria) called the Grandmaster of Teutonic knights. The tomb is quite artistic and was modelled by Caspar Gras and Hubert Gerhard in 1618. The ciborium has 4 bronze columns that are fantastically decorated with animals, birds and vines.
On top of the columns is a marble entablature that supports beautiful bronze statues. The statues show archduke Maximillian kneeling on a cushion with prayer folded hands. Saint George stands beside him and his slain dragon is shown sliding away. Two mourning figures in the corners are shown holding torches… the entire arrangement is said to be a fine example of Austrian Mannerist sculpture. The tomb also felicitates Archduke Eugen (the last grandmaster of the Teutonic order).
Bells
The bells of Dome St Jakob have attracted a lot of attention… especially the Mariahilfglocke that’s 2nd largest bell in Tyrol. The 7-tonne heavy bell was cast by the historic bell factory Glockengießerei Grassmayr. This humongous bell graces the north tower of the cathedral and rings at 3.00 p.m. every Friday to announce the hour Jesus died. 7 other bells were acquired by the church from Grassmayr (in the 1960s) and positioned in the south tower. 6 of them are dedicated to different saints and the seventh is called the Death Knell.
The north tower acquired a ‘peace carillon’ consisting of 48 bells… this is the biggest carillon in Austria. The 4.5-tonne carillon was cast not by Grassmayr but by Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry. The peace carillon is heard by Innsbruckers every day at 12.10 p.m… it’s distinct by its 4-octave tenor.
The Dom zu St Jakob is sure to inspire you to light a candle. It’s recommended that you take a candle from the church itself and then light it. There is a candle vending machine in which you can get candles for free though the suggested donation is also less than a euro.
There are exhibits inside which display photos of how the church was badly damaged when multiple tragedies struck it. They are really remarkable and make the present magnificence more alluring.
The church is located close to the bustling Golden Roof square but its exact location is serene and quiet. There are benches and trees around… perfect for a small ‘sit and contemplate’ session.
Sometimes the church hosts concerts which feature the old organ in action and that’s a chance you shouldn’t miss. There are cultural/ food/ music fairs happening outside the church sometimes but information about those are not freely available in English (making access difficult for tourists).
Timings, Tickets & Tours
The Innsbruck Cathedral is open from 6.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summers. The church is closed for visitors from noon till 3 p.m. and during specific religious services. There is a 1 euro fee that you need to pay for taking photographs inside. This helps to pay for the upkeep of the church. The church is free otherwise and there are no entry fees for walking in and admiring its stupendous artwork.
This is one of those places that definitely deserves a proper guided tour in which you can learn about the history and heritage of the place. If you don’t want to take a guided tour then at least buy the printed booklet available inside… it details the history and important features of the place.
Any good Innsbruck old town tour like the ones offered by Viator will include a stop at the Innsbruck Cathedral.
How to Reach
The nearest bus stop from Innsbruck Cathedral is Innsbruck Kongress and Hofburg bus stations and Bus 4127 stops there. The sightseer bus will also take you to Hofburg. There are public car parking slots nearby.
Cathedral of St. James
Domplatz 6, 6020 Innsbruck
Phone: +43 512 / 58 39 02; Email: [email protected]
There are many attractions nearby like the Hofburg, Goldenes Dachl and the Hofkirche but taking in the church as well as another majestic historic site might prove to be too overwhelming. You can visit this church as a part of an old town exploratory walk or you can even visit it en-route to the Hungerburg funicular.
If you want to grab a bite afterwards then there are plenty of options…walk into Fischerhausl that serves excellent burgers, sandwiches, fish cordon bleu etc. on the Herrengasse; this has charming open-air seating. Or you can sample some traditional German and Austrian food ad Planobar on Herzog Friedrich Strasse. Just 100 meters away from Dom zu St Jakob, there is Strudel Café Kroell which serves European Deli-style food.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.