Tyrol (Austria) -- Description and travel; Tyrol (Austria) -- History
The spire of the church, which has a curious double bulb surmounting
it, is of considerably later date than the building itself, which,
although thoroughly restored some forty years ago, was done very
carefully and sympathetically, and preserves many of its most
interesting architectural features, including some very early
sculpture. In the churchyard, from which such a delightful prospect of
the valley of the Inn is obtained, there are two monuments, which
should not be missed by any one interested in antiquities and history.
One is to Oswald von Schrofenstein, dating from early in the fifteenth
century; the other takes the form of a little Gothic chapel, dating
from 1870, which was erected to the memory of the Landeckers who fell
whilst assisting to defend the Italian frontier of Tyrol during the
Austro-Italian campaign of 1866.
[Sidenote: A TYROLESE VICTORY]
Landeck bore a brave part in the War of the Spanish Succession in
1703, when Maximilian, Elector of Bavaria, joined forces with the
French and Italians against Austria, and invaded Tyrol. The Tyrolese,
always ready to speedily assemble in defence of their beloved country,
soon made the main road over the Brenner impossible of passage by the
enemy, and Maximilian thought to elude the sharpshooters who swarmed
upon the hillsides commanding that way, by sending his forces round by
the Finstermunz and Ober-Innthal. They reached the neighbourhood of
Landeck without much opposition; but the Tyrolese had gathered to
dispute their further advance on the first favourable opportunity.
The Judge of the district, one Martin Sterzinger, had speedily
summoned all the available Landsturm forces of the neighbourhood, and
worked out a plan of campaign. The latter were to permit the enemy to
advance until they were well into the gorge, and then attack them so
fiercely and from so commanding a position as to have some hope--in
spite of their greater numbers--of severely and finally defeating
them. They were in consequence allowed to advance into the narrow
gorge, the road through which was spanned by the Pontlatzerbrucke. But
before they entered the defile the bridge had been destroyed by the
Tyrolese. The Bavarians, who were compelled to traverse a steep and
narrow mountain path, when they came in sight of the destroyed bridge
at once realized that they were entrapped. The precipitous sides of
the hills above them were practically unscalable, and there was no way
now the bridge was destroyed by which they could cross the roaring,
rushing Inn to safety on the other side. In the panic which ensued
numbers fell or were pushed from the road into the river, to be swept
swiftly away.
[Illustration: LANDECK AND ITS ANCIENT FORTRESS]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account