Tyrol (Austria) -- Description and travel; Tyrol (Austria) -- History
In death as in life she was mindful of her people and of the poor; and
when she had been laid to rest in the Silver Chapel of the Franciscan
Church at Innsbruck, where her beautiful though unostentatious tomb,
with its recumbent figure lying within a semi-circular arch and with a
crucifix hanging from her crossed hands, is placed, it was found that
in her will few of her household had been forgotten, whether their
positions were high or menial.
The death of Philippine was a heavy blow to the Archduke, and for some
months after the event he lived in complete retirement, seeing no one
but his two sons, his Father Confessor, and his most intimate personal
friends.
However, after his grief had somewhat spent itself, he set out on a
tour, accompanied by his two surviving children; one of whom, Karl,
became Bishop of Brixen and a Cardinal (died 1600); the other,
Andreas, Markgrave of Burgau (died 1618), and the owner of Castle
Ambras by the will of his father. This bequest was made on condition
that Andreas maintained and kept the building in repair, and preserved
the magnificent collection of rare MSS., books, pictures, coins,
armour, and other _objets d'art_, and curiosities which Ferdinand and
Philippine had delighted to gather, and in the possession of which
they had taken such pride.
Eventually, in 1606, so that this wish of his father might be
adequately carried out, Andreas disposed of the Castle and grounds to
the Emperor Rudolf II., and by this means Ambras and its unrivalled
collection came into the possession of the Imperial Austrian family.
[Sidenote: TREASURES OF CASTLE AMBRAS]
Just two centuries later, owing to fear lest the priceless treasures
should fall into the hands of the French and Bavarian invaders, the
greater portion of the Ambras collection was removed to Vienna, and at
first lodged in the Belvidere Palace from whence it has of recent
years been transferred to the Imperial Art History Museum of which it
forms a most interesting and valuable part. Thus was Tyrol robbed of
one of its chief glories, and although at various times promises of
restitution have been made they have never been fulfilled.
There are still, however, some interesting things left at Castle
Ambras, including the valuable collection of Weapons lodged in the
Unterschloss, dating from the fifteenth century to the present day
(formerly, in the sixteenth century, it is said that the Armoury
contained no less than five hundred complete suits of mail); the eight
Roman milestones in the outer court, found along the road from Wilten
to Schonberg, and dating from the time of Septimus Severus about 193
to 211 A.D.; and the collection of furniture, ivories, glass, and
portraits, which latter include several of the Archduke Ferdinand and
Philippine Welser, etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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