Tyrol (Austria) -- Description and travel; Tyrol (Austria) -- History
More than one of the chapels and churches of Hall owe their origin to
special circumstances of a more or less romantic character. That of
St. Saviour, for example, which stands on the site of some tumbledown
hovels which existed in the first years of the fifteenth century. The
story goes that it was to a dying man in one of these that one of the
priests attached to the village church was summoned to convey the
Viaticum, and administer extreme unction and the last rites of the
Church. He came in due course to the hovel, and placing the sacred
vessels on a rickety table the latter collapsed and the Host was
thrown on to the floor. This was, of course, a terrible disaster in
the eyes of the priest and peasants; and a rich burgher, Johann von
Kripp by name, hearing of the circumstance, purchased the cottages,
and as a reparation for the sacrilege which had occurred, founded a
church on the spot, dedicated to the Redeemer.
The Hall records are of great interest, and show that the town was a
place of much importance in the fifteenth century, when a considerable
part of the trade between Venice and Germany passed through it. In
those days, too, the town was somewhat celebrated for its junketings,
more especially the feasts which were held in connection with the
opening of the sessions at the Courts of Justice.
The neighbourhood, on account of the good sport provided, was a
favourite hunting-ground with the Emperor Maximilian, who on several
occasions was entertained in the town.
Hall declined slowly in importance during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries by reason of the change in the trade routes; but
in quite modern times has regained some at least of its former
prosperity by adopting up-to-date methods.
There are numerous excellent and interesting excursions to be made
from Hall, but nearly every one pays a visit to the famous salt
mines, which are to the north amid most romantic and beautiful
scenery. Even by carriage the journey of about eight miles takes the
greater part of two hours; on foot even good walkers can scarcely hope
to do it in less than three. The scenery is in places very fine, and
one enjoys most beautiful views, and nearer glimpses of the
Bettelwulf, Speckkar and Nisslspitz Alps.
[Sidenote: ABSAM AND JAKOB STAINER]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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