The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tyrol and its People, by Clive Holland
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Title: Tyrol and its People
Author: Clive Holland
Illustrator: Adrian Stokes
Release Date: September 28, 2012 [EBook #40889]
Language: English
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Transcriber's Note:
Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
been preserved. Anglicized, archaic, or otherwise unusual spellings
of proper nouns were retained as printed. Examples include "Botzen",
"Kapuzingerberg", "Schonberg" and "Wencelaus". Inconsistent use of
diacritics was also retained as printed. Obvious typographical
errors were corrected.
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
[Illustration:
A MAP TO
ILLUSTRATE
TYROL
AND ITS
PEOPLE]
TYROL AND ITS PEOPLE
[Illustration: THE GOAT HERD, KASTELRUTH, NEAR BOZEN]
TYROL
AND ITS PEOPLE
BY
CLIVE HOLLAND
WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY
ADRIAN STOKES
THIRTY-ONE OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
AND A MAP
METHUEN AND CO.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON
_First Published in 1909_
PREFACE
In the following pages, which in addition to being a record of travel
in a delightful and too little known portion of the great
Austro-Hungarian Empire, are also an attempt to present within a
reasonable compass an account of the national history of a singularly
interesting people, the author has sought to deal more fully than is
usually the case in books of the kind, with the romance and legend
which is closely interwoven with the past of "the land within the
mountains," as Tyrol has not inaptly been described.
It is truly a land of mountains, valleys, lakes, and rushing torrents
that may well have bred the race of romance-loving, poetic, and hardy
people who dwell in it. In the minds of those who know it there arises
almost inevitably a comparison with the nowadays overcrowded and
over-exploited Switzerland--and the comparison is, both as regards
scenery and general interest, greatly in favour of Tyrol. The tourist
and holiday-maker who frequent Pontresina or St. Moritz will find in
this comparatively new "playground for Europe" beautiful counterparts
of those places in Innsbruck, Meran, Botzen, Kitzbühel, and other
delightful towns; whilst the more strenuously inclined who delight in
mountain ascents will find the Dolomite region especially attractive,
and in many other districts also interesting climbs. By the shores of
the placid, translucent lakes, and in many a happy, secluded valley,
those in search of rest and quietude will find their desire fully
satisfied. And in such old-world towns as Innsbruck (of many
historical memories), beautiful Salzburg, charming Bregenz, Botzen,
and Meran the traveller with more artistic, literary, or antiquarian
tastes will delight.
That Tyrol deserves to be better known few who have once come under
the spell of its charms of scenery, and the frank hospitality and
friendliness of its people, or have wandered amidst its lovely valleys
and mountains, will deny.
The early history of this interesting country is shrouded in much
mystery, and to place accurately and date many events is a matter of
very considerable difficulty, and in some cases of well-nigh
impossibility, owing to the fragmentary nature of many of the existing
records, and the contradictory nature of the accounts and evidence
afforded by these. The greatest care, however, has been taken to make
the dates given as accurate as possible, and the best authorities and
descriptions of events have been consulted. Amongst others the works
of Dr. Franz Wieser, Hans Semper, Von Alpenburg ("Mythen und Sagen
Tirols"), Perini ("Castles of Tyrol"), Weber ("The Land of Tyrol"), an
excellent and interesting anonymous guide to Salzburg, Scherer, Albert
Wolff, V. Zingerle, Steub ("Die Verfassung Tirols"), Miller, and the
excellent publications of the Tirol and Salzburg Landesverbaende für
Fremdenverkehr, and other organizations.
The spelling of names has presented much the same difficulty as the
correct dating of events. There are several, and in some cases many,
ways of spelling a large number of these. That of the latest edition
of Baedeker has been adopted where this has been the case and doubt
has existed.
The author's especial thanks are due to Herr L. Sigmund, the Secretary
of the Austrian Travel and Information Bureau, not only for much
valuable information, but also for practical assistance whilst
travelling in Tyrol, facilities afforded for research, and the use of
some excellent photographs.
To W. Baillie Grohman, Esq., of Schloss Matzen, Brixlegg, the
well-known authority upon Tyrol, for the settlement of several
disputed dates and accounts of historical events. Also for permission
to make use of information (not otherwise easily procurable) contained
in his exhaustive work "Tyrol, the Land in the Mountains," and for the
beautiful photograph of Schloss Matzen reproduced as one of the
illustrations in this present volume.
To Dr. Richard Muendl, Imperial Councillor, Chief Inspector of the
Imperial Southern Railway, and a member of the German and Austrian
Alpine Society, for many valuable notes upon the Dolomite Region
incorporated in Chapter X.
To Dr. Otto Rosenheim the author's thanks are given for permission to
reproduce some beautiful photographs of Tyrol scenery and Tyrolese
subjects in place of less pictorial work by the author himself.
To many others, who gave information to the author during his travels
in Tyrol, relating to many interesting matters, acknowledgment is also
here gratefully made.
C. H.
_June, 1909_
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I
THE ROMANCE AND HISTORY OF TYROL FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES
DOWN TO THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 1
CHAPTER II
TYROL FROM ITS INCORPORATION BY AUSTRIA AS A PART OF THE
EMPIRE TO THE PRESENT TIME 33
CHAPTER III
SOME CHARACTERISTIC LEGENDS, CUSTOMS, AND SPORTS 52
CHAPTER IV
INNSBRUCK, ITS HISTORY, PEOPLE AND TREASURES 71
CHAPTER V
THE ENVIRONS OF INNSBRUCK--CASTLE AMBRAS AND ITS
TREASURES--IGLS: A QUAINT LEGEND CONCERNING ITS CHURCH--THE
STUBAI VALLEY, AND SOME VILLAGES--HALL AND ITS SALT
MINES--SPECKBACHER'S OLD HOME--ST. MICHAEL 113
CHAPTER VI
SALZBURG, ITS HISTORY AND ROMANCE 147
CHAPTER VII
THE ENVIRONS OF SALZBURG--HELLBRUNN, ITS UNIQUE FOUNTAINS
AND GARDENS--THE CASTLE OF ANIF--THE GAISBERG--THE
KAPUZINGERBERG--THE MOZART-HÄUSCHEN--THE MÖNCHSBERG
--SALZBURG CHURCHES 176
CHAPTER VIII
SOME TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF SOUTH TYROL--MERAN, BOZEN,
KLAUSEN, BRIXEN, SPINGES, STERZING, MATREI 192
CHAPTER IX
SOME TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF WALSCH-TYROL: TRENT, ITS HISTORY,
COUNCIL, AND BUILDINGS--ROVEREDO AND DANTE--ARCO--RIVA 233
CHAPTER X
AMONG THE DOLOMITES, WITH NOTES UPON SOME TOURS AND
ASCENTS 254
CHAPTER XI
THROUGH THE UNTER-INNTHAL: KUFSTEIN--KUNDL--RATTENBERG,
AND THE STORY OF WILHELM BIENER--BRIXLEGG, AND ITS
PEASANT DRAMAS--THE FAMOUS CASTLE OF MATZEN--ST.
GEORGENBERG, AND ITS PILGRIMAGE CHURCH--CASTLE TRATZBERG
--SCHWAZ 281
CHAPTER XII
THROUGH THE OBER-INNTHAL: ZIRL, ITS CHURCH, LEGENDS, AND
PAINTED HOUSES--THE MARTINSWAND AND MAXIMILIAN--SCHARNITZ
--LANDECK--BLUDENZ--BREGENZ AND ITS LEGEND OF THE MAID 311
INDEX 329
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FACING PAGE
IN COLOUR
THE GOAT HERD, KASTELRUTH, NEAR BOZEN _Frontispiece_
VIEW FROM THE RITTEN, LOOKING SOUTH-WEST 28
THE SCHWARZHORN, SOUTH TYROL 40
A VIEW OF THE TYROL ALPS 54
THE ORTLER FROM THE MALSER HEIDE 68
MOONRISE IN TYROL 94
A PINE WOOD NEAR INNSBRUCK 108
MOUNTAIN POOL ON THE RITTEN 128
A QUIET PASTURE 166
WINTER NEAR MERAN 192
A SOUTH TYROL FARMSTEAD 208
SUMMER-TIME NEAR ST. ULRICH, GRÖDENERTHAL 226
ALPENWIESE, ON THE SEISER ALP 256
MOUNT LATEMAR 276
A WAYSIDE SHRINE IN A PINE WOOD 298
AUTUMN IN SOUTH TYROL 314
IN MONOTONE
A VILLAGE ON THE BRENNER 10
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
YOUNG TYROL 18
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
A WAYSIDE SHRINE, TYROL 24
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
ABOVE THE ARLBERG TUNNEL 32
SUNSET ON A TYROLESE LAKE 36
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
A TYPICAL TYROLESE LANDSCAPE 36
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
THE TRISANNA VIADUCT AND CASTLE WIESBERG 72
A PEEP OF THE ZILLERTHAL 72
THE FAMOUS "GOLDEN ROOF," INNSBRUCK 78
A TYPICAL INNSBRUCKER 88
VIADUCT ON STUBAI RAILWAY 130
VIEW OF THE GROSSGLOCKNER 130
THE MARKET PLACE, HALL 134
THE HALL VALLEY--WINTER 142
MOZART'S HOUSE IN THE MAKART PLATZ, SALZBURG 152
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
ONE OF THE FINEST DOORS OF THE STATE APARTMENTS IN THE
FORTRESS, SALZBURG 164
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
MOUNTAIN PASTURES 178
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
HOHEN-SALZBURG AND THE NONNBERG 182
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
SALZBURG MARKETWOMEN 190
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
MERAN 198
SCHLOSS TYROL, NEAR MERAN 202
A STREET IN BOZEN 206
ST. CYPRIAN AND THE PEAKS OF THE ROSENGARTEN 212
MISURINA LAKE 262
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
A ROAD THROUGH THE DOLOMITES 264
A PEEP OF THE DOLOMITES 270
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
THE LANGKOFEL 272
_From a Photograph by Dr. Otto Rosenheim_
A PEEP OF KITZBUHEL 286
SCHLOSS MATZEN 294
_By kind permission of W. A. Baillie Grohman, Esq._
LANDECK AND ITS ANCIENT FORTRESS 320
CHURCH INTERIOR, TYROL 324
_From a Photograph by Clive Holland_
TYROL AND ITS PEOPLE
CHAPTER I
THE ROMANCE AND HISTORY OF TYROL FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES
DOWN TO THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
As early as the eighth century Tyrol received a name which could not
be bettered as descriptive of its scenery and institutions--"das Land
im Gebirge," the Land in the Mountains. Fascinating alike is the
scenery of Tyrol and its history. When one crosses the Swiss frontier
by the Arlberg route one at once enters upon a land of mountains,
rivers, and pleasant valleys. And with equal truth it may be said that
when one crosses the frontier of Tyrolese history one is at once
plunged in the midst of stirring, romantic, and gallant deeds enacted
throughout the centuries from that far-off age, when the Cimbri
penetrated and traversed the country and swept into north-eastern
Italy, down almost to our own time.
That Tyrol should have proved the battle-ground of nations is, of
course, largely due to its geographical position. In early days it
formed a "buffer state" between the Roman empire and the territory of
the Cimbri and Alemanni.
The question of the original inhabitants of Tyrol is still a much
debated one, and appears to be as far off final settlement as ever;
and this notwithstanding the enormous amount of interest which has
been manifested in the subject by scientists, archæologists, and
students during the last two centuries. Whether they were Cimbri,
Etruscans, or Celts is still doubtful, although many learned
authorities--more especially linguists--incline to the view that the
earliest inhabitants were mainly of the Ligurian race, who were
followed by Illyrians and Etruscans.
And also regarding the manners, customs, and general characteristics
of these early inhabitants, whoever they may have been, very little
conclusive evidence is yet available. By both Greek and Roman writers
they were referred to as Rhætians, in common with the inhabitants of
Eastern Switzerland; and Horace himself speaks of "The Alpine Rhæti,
long unmatched in battle." Thus it is that the most ancient name by
which Tyrol is known is that of Rhætia.
[Sidenote: INVASION OF THE CIMBRI]
To the Romans, however, all-conquering though they were, little was
known of the country until the Cimbri penetrated its mountains and
traversed its valleys and passed on their way to the north-eastern
frontier of Italy about 102 B.C.
By what route these barbarians crossed the Alps on their march to
invade north-eastern Italy there has been as much discussion as over
the question of the original inhabitants of Tyrol. And, although the
event to which we refer occurred scarcely a century prior to the
conquest of Tyrol by the Romans there is little information other than
of a speculative character to throw light upon the question at issue.
For many years the weight of opinion was in favour of the contention
that the Cimbri entered Southern Tyrol and eventually reached the
Venetian plains by the Reschen Scheideck and the Vintschgau, but the
later researches of Mommsen have served to give additional, if not
absolutely conclusive, weight to the view that the Brenner was the
route taken by the Cimbri[1] on their way southward from their
Germanic fastnesses, just as it was undoubtedly the route, but, of
course, reversed, chosen by the Romans under Drusus by which to enter
Tyrol on their march of conquest.
One piece of evidence which would appear to be of considerable weight,
and as conclusively favouring Mommsen's view, is the fact that the
Brenner route forms not only the one of lowest altitude, but also the
only one by which the whole Alpine system and its parallel chains can
be crossed by passing over one chain alone, and in no other spot in
the range do two valleys on either side cut so far into the centre of
the principal chain of the Alps.
Moreover, from Plutarch's "Marius" one learns the spot where the Roman
general, Quintus Lutatius Catullus, and his legions, which were sent
from panic-stricken Rome to check the advance of the invaders, first
encountered the Cimbri on the banks of the River Adige between Verona
and near the foot of the Brenner. The encounter ended in the triumph
of the host of skin-clad invaders who descended the snow-slopes of the
mountains with an onslaught so terrible that even the trained and
well-armed hosts of Rome had to give way before them. But the power of
Rome was not easily shaken, and the triumph of the Cimbri was but
brief. Their southward march was destined very soon to meet with so
severe a check that further advance on Rome, or into the heart of
Italy, was rendered impossible. In 101 B.C., the year following their
appearance in the beautiful province of Venetia, where they created,
so historians tell us, a terrible panic, the Roman arms triumphed at
Vercelli, when the invaders, led by Bojorich, suffered a crushing
defeat in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought, in which it is
said 320,000 were slain, and were driven out of Italy.
The moral effect of this invasion upon the Rhætians, through whose
territory the Cimbri had passed, bore fruit a few years later, when
they attempted the same tactics, making frequent raids into Roman
territory. Some sixty years after the incursion of the Cimbri they
were defeated and driven back into their valleys and mountains by the
Roman general, Munatius Plancus; and a few years later, in 36 B.C.,
not only was a fresh raid repulsed, but the invaders were followed
home, and a considerable portion of the district in the neighbourhood
of what is now known as Trent was taken possession of by the Roman
forces.
[Sidenote: ROMAN CONQUEST OF TYROL]
The Rhætians, however, were a hardy, valorous, and pugnacious tribe,
and so frequent were their attacks upon the Roman forces left to hold
the conquered country that the Emperor Augustus, about twenty years
after the subjection of the Trent district, decided as a measure of
self-protection on the conquest of the whole of Rhætia, as far as the
River Danube.
And for this work he deputed his two stepsons, Drusus and Tiberius.
The campaign, historians are agreed, was planned with great skill, and
probably by the Emperor himself. The Roman forces were divided, one
portion, under Drusus, entering Tyrol from the south, having Tridentum
(Trent) as its base; and the other, under Tiberius, delivering its
attack from the west across what is now Switzerland. Tiberius took
this route (the most direct, though a difficult one) because at that
time he was absent from Italy, in Gaul, as governor. Drusus had a more
easy task, and pushed his way up the wide valley of the River Adige[2]
to the present site of Bozen. His objective was the Pass of the
Brenner, which, once seized, would give him the command of the
country. His advance was not, however, made without opposition, for
the Breones and Genones, who dwelt in the vicinity of the Brenner,
attacked the Roman forces, and a fierce battle and series of
skirmishes ensued. Horace, in Book IV., Ode 14 and 4, gives a vivid
if, possibly, highly coloured account of the struggle which took place
in the gorge near Bozen. The river Icarous ran red with the blood of
both conquerors and conquered. And--as has been the case on many
subsequent occasions when fighting has had to be done by the
Tyrolese--the women played a valorous part, even, according to the
historian, Florus, throwing their infant children into the faces of
the Roman soldiery when other weapons failed.
The campaign of the two stepsons of Augustus resulted in the complete
and final conquest of Tyrol. The victory, won in the narrow gorge of
the Eisack, was commemorated in the name of the bridge _Pons Drusi_
spanning the river, hard by which now stands the interesting mediæval
town of Bozen.
Successful as Drusus' forces were, none the less so were those of
Tiberius. There, however, is less record of his battles, and the
actual ground on which they were fought forms still matter for
conjecture. And equally uncertain is the exact spot where the two
victorious generals ultimately met. It is, however, thought by several
reliable authorities to have been somewhere in the valley of the Inn,
and probably not far distant from the present site of Innsbruck. This
view is made the more probable from the circumstance that a Roman post
was established at Wilten (now a suburb of Innsbruck) then known as
Veldidena.
Here probably both armies rested after a campaign of great fatigue and
severity owing to the nature of the ground over which it was fought
and the stubborn resistance offered by the inhabitants.
Soon Veldidena, from a halting-place of armies, became a town with
houses of considerable size, temples, baths, and surrounding _vallæ_,
or earthen fortifications formed to defend the inhabitants from sudden
attack. Although precautions of the nature we have indicated were
taken wherever a Roman post or station was placed, there is no
historical data to show that the Breones and other adjacent tribes who
were thus brought under the Roman sway did not very speedily
accommodate themselves to the new condition of things and become good
and peaceful citizens of Rome. It appears probable, however, that the
Rhæti did not adapt themselves to the altered conditions as speedily
as did their northern neighbours, the inhabitants of Noricum, with
whom certain Roman habits and customs (including the system of
municipal government) already obtained.
From the evidence adduced by several diligent historians and from that
of one comparatively modern writer[3] in particular it is almost
certain that after the sanguinary and decisive battle on the banks of
the Eisack Tiberius set his face once again westward to resume his
governorship of Gaul, leaving his brother, Drusus, to continue the
subjection of Tyrol, and ultimately to found the important settlement
of Augusta Vindelicorum, now known as Augsburg. Here the Roman general
not only threw up a fortified camp, but also built a forum to
encourage commerce; and soon the settlement became the most important
Roman station to the north of the Central Alps.
Some writers, doubtless bearing in mind the hardihood and bravery of
the native inhabitants and the mountainous and thus easily defended
nature of the ground the Roman legions had to traverse and fight over,
have expressed some surprise at the comparative ease with which Drusus
and Tiberius appear to have accomplished the conquest of the country.
More perfect discipline and arms of greater effectiveness will not,
however, we think, altogether account for this, for history has over
and over again proved that knowledge of the ground by the defenders
and mountainous regions count heavily against successful attacks on
the part of an invader. It can only therefore be supposed that the
various tribes who formed the inhabitants of Rhætia were either
antagonistic to one another or at least were not welded together in a
common cause against the invading Roman hosts, and thus the country
was conquered and kept in subjection with greater ease than would
otherwise have been the case.
As a result of the invasion by Drusus and Tiberius and the Roman
legions the tract of country then and for some considerable time
afterwards known as Rhætia, but now known as Tyrol and the Vorarlberg,
ultimately became Romanized, and by the making of the Brenner Post
Road, which was constructed by the direction of the Emperor Augustus
between Verona and Augsburg (Augusta Vindelicorum), communication
between the Germanic Empire and Italy was opened up. Thus was the
lowest and most accessible of the passes over the mountains which
separated Italy from the barbaric regions beyond crossed by one of
those splendid military roads, which has endured nearly two thousand
years until the present day.
[Sidenote: ROMAN OCCUPATION]
The Roman occupation of Rhætia lasted for five centuries. Under the
rule of Rome the inhabitants learned much of those arts which remained
the heritage of conquered races long after the sway of the great Roman
Empire had come to an end. And traces of that rule, in the form of
weapons, ornaments, articles of jewelry and the toilet, and other
relics have from time to time come to light throughout the portions of
Tyrol settled by the Romans.
Soon along the great Brenner Road, which formed a highway from Italy
to the northern lands beyond Tyrol, activity evinced itself. One of
the most important of the early stations upon it was Veldidena
(Wilten), where the road after crossing the main range of mountains
emerges from the Alpine gorge on the northern side into a wide and
pleasant valley. From this point--close to which, later on, the
capital of Tyrol was destined to be founded--the great Brenner Post
Road branched. One fork led by two divergent ways to the same
objective--Augsburg. The other led in a north-westerly direction by
way of Masciacum (Matzen) and Albianum (Kufstein) to Pons Aeni, which
in all probability closely approximates to the present-day site of
Rosenheim. This road ran down the wide Inn valley, nowadays known as
the Unter Innthal to differentiate it from the valley of the Upper Inn
which runs from the frontier of Switzerland to Innsbruck.
It was along the great military road leading from Verona to Augsburg
that the chief Rhæto-Roman stations were placed. Amongst these were
Tridentum (Trent), Pons Drusi (Bozen), Vilpetenum (Sterzing), Matrejum
(Matrei), Scarbio (Scharnitz), Veldidena (Wilten).
At first, doubtless, these outposts of Roman civilization were little
more than isolated fortresses, or even perhaps merely _speculæ_ or
watch towers, and of these many examples still remain, from which not
only could the road and its approaches be reconnoitred, but also
signals both by day and by night could be made. In the first case by
means of smoke or semaphores, and in the second by bonfires kindled in
cressets or on the hillside itself.
[Sidenote: THE BRENNER PASS]
Another highway into Tyrol through the Vintschgau came to be known as
the Via Claudia Augusta, which name was also improperly applied to a
portion of the Brenner Road. After much contention we think it is now
generally accepted that Mommsen, who has investigated and weighed the
evidence with astonishing care, is correct in assuming that the only
portion of the road via the Reschen-Scheideck Pass which should be
called the Via Claudia Augusta is that traversing the Vintschgau
Valley. The road was constructed not in the reign of Augustus, who
initiated the Brenner Road, but in that of his grandson, the Emperor
Claudius, about A.D. 46-47. It was intended to connect up the River Po
with the River Danube by the Reschen-Scheideck route, and along it at
various times since the middle of the sixteenth century milestones of
Roman origin have been discovered. Though from the fact that little
reference is made to it by the better-known Roman writers of the
period, one may assume that the Via Claudia was of quite secondary
importance to the Brenner Road. But nevertheless it seems probable
that it was the route used for the transportation of stores for the
Roman forces of occupation during the fifth century not long prior to
the evacuation of the country. The Brenner Road for a considerable
period after its construction appears to have been rather a highway
for commerce than a military road in the usual sense of the term.
The chief article exported from Tyrol was salt from the still famous
salt mines at Hall, near Innsbruck, on the northern bank of the Inn.
There were also sent southward into Italy raw hides, timber, Alpine
herbs used in the preparation of medicines, liqueurs, and the purposes
of the toilet; and dairy produce of various kinds, of which cheese was
probably (according to Pliny) one of the chief articles. In those
far-off days, too, much excellent wine was grown far further north in
Tyrol than nowadays when the vine is not cultivated, for vintage
purposes at all events, further north than the southern slope of the
Brenner.
In Roman times the Brenner also formed a link between Aquileia, one of
the most flourishing and important seaport cities on the Adriatic, and
Noricum. As did also another, then important but nowadays almost
deserted route, that of the Plöcken Pass, of which it is believed
Cæsar made frequent use. Along this several important stations were
founded, amongst them Tricesimum, Julium Carnicum (Zuglio), Aguntum
(Innichen), Lonicum (Lienz) and Sebatum (Schabs). Time, however, was
destined to divert the trade from the Plöcken Pass route to that of
the Brenner, and the settlements along the former gradually declined
in importance.
As we have before stated, the Brenner Pass was not originally used so
much for military purposes as was afterwards the case. And it is not
until the latter half of the second century of the Christian Era that
we find it assuming importance as a military highway. Then the
frequent incursions southward of various Germanic tribes caused the
Romans to fully comprehend the strategical value of northern Rhætia.
Two decades at least were occupied in the reconstruction of the
surface and bridges along the road which had owed its origin to the
Emperor Augustus, and the result was the building of a highway
suitable for the speedy passage and massing of large bodies of troops.
Of the stations which were founded along it we have already spoken, it
only remains to say that these were supplemented by "posts" which were
dotted here and there as they were along most other roads made by
Roman builders. They were, however, chiefly used for military and
state rather than for ordinary purposes.
An interesting writer,[4] who has made the history of the Brenner a
special study, has thrown considerable light upon the inns and
hostelries which little by little sprang up to meet the requirements
of the travelling public of those days, who were not, as a rule,
permitted to make use of the official posts. Apparently, these refuges
from the other alternative of spending a night upon the road were by
no means luxurious. In fact, they were probably far otherwise, and
their chief redeeming feature was the undoubted cheapness of the
accommodation they offered. It could not be considered an extravagant
charge for a night's lodging with food of sorts when the bill amounted
to rather less than the equivalent of an English halfpenny! a sum
which would nowadays surprise the modern _oste_ or innkeeper of the
Italian Tyrol as much as his own charges would the Roman wayfarer of
long ago.
[Illustration: A VILLAGE ON THE BRENNER]
[Sidenote: ROMAN REMAINS]
On the heels of Roman civilization, represented by commerce and
travel, which was destined not only to permeate conquered Rhætia, but
to penetrate the regions beyond, in course of time there sprang into
existence a fortress here and a castle there which not only served to
hold the land, but also to encourage and initiate civilization and
bring security to those residing in its immediate vicinity. Of
these, happily for the historian and antiquarian, many traces yet
remain. All along the Brenner the Romans found and were not slow to
seize upon natural coigns of vantage where their unexampled skill as
military builders and engineers permitted them to speedily convert not
easily accessible spurs of the mountains into impregnable fortresses.
Upon some of the castles, the ruins of which nowadays serve to render
these rocky crags of undying interest, the stars must have looked down
ere the dawn of the Christian Era.
Of the occupation of Rhætia by the Romans, unfortunately comparatively
few authentic details have come down to us. But long ere the power of
Rome had waned, never to reassume its pristine greatness, the problem
of resistance to the invasion from the Teutonic tribes to the north
and north-east had become a very real one. Towards the end of the
third century A.D. the Alemanni crossed the Danube and threatened
Rhætia, and through it Italy. They were, it is true, defeated by the
Emperor Maximianus, but the check inflicted was but temporary. About
A.D. 260 Rhætia was invaded several times by the same barbarian tribe,
and on one occasion, at least, Tyrol was ravaged from end to end, and
the invaders afterwards entered Italy, which they penetrated as far
south as Ravenna, having first plundered and destroyed Verona. In the
reign of Claudius (about 269) there was yet another invasion, and
although the forces of Rome ultimately proved victorious in the
struggle with the Teutonic hordes in a battle fought at Naïssus on the
borderland of Tyrol and Italy, when 320,000 are said to have been
slain, there was no lasting peace.
The inroads of the Goths vexed many a quickly succeeding Emperor in
the days when reigns were scarcely to be reckoned as frequently by
years as by months, and it was not until the reign of Aurelianus that
the Goths were driven out of Rhætia and Vindelicia.
Under succeeding Roman rulers there were other raids by the Goths,
and then at last along the roads of Rhætia and over the passes of the
Brenner and the Plöcken poured the invading hosts which were destined
to bring about the eclipse of the powerful Empire which had for so
many centuries controlled the destinies of the greater part of the
then known world.
Just as in our own land, history is almost silent for the period
immediately following the departure of the Roman legions, drawn off to
save Rome, if possible, from the invading hosts of the Goths and Huns,
so was it in Tyrol. Of the years of devastation by fire and sword
which succeeded the withdrawal of the Roman forces from Rhætia there
have come down to us but very scanty details. During this period much
of Roman art and civilization was undoubtedly blotted out by the
barbarian hordes; and, indeed, so far as can be ascertained, little of
either was ultimately left in Rhætia.
Theodoric, the Ostrogothic leader, who had conquered Italy in about
489, planned Rhætia and the Brenner as a barrier against the attacks
of northern invaders, a tribe of whom (the Baiovarii) ultimately
possessed themselves of Vindelicia and Rhætia as far as the southern
slope of the Brenner Pass. About this same period--the middle half of
the sixth century--a very considerable portion of north-eastern Italy
and that part of Rhætia in the vicinity of Tridentum (Trent) was
seized by the Longobards or Lombards. Their Italian Empire lasted for
two centuries, and eventually included the larger portion of what is
nowadays known as the Italian Tyrol.
Meantime, the Baiovarii or Bavarians had conquered the upper part of
Rhætia, and in the beginning of the seventh century their Duke,
Garibaldi II., succeeded in checking the frequent inroads of the
Slavs, although he did not succeed in entirely excluding them from the
country; in the eastern portion of which they remained for a
considerable period. Towards the end of the eighth century (about 789)
the whole of what is now known as Tyrol came under the sovereignty of
Charlemagne, who crushed the Lombards, and a few years later succeeded
in also subduing the Baiovarii.
During the centuries of internecine warfare, with its concomitants of
rapine and chaos, which succeeded the evacuation of Rhætia by the
Roman forces, most of the original inhabitants or peaceably disposed
Romanized Rhætians fled with other fugitives from the southern or
northern plains to the valleys and byways amid the mountains which
hitherto probably had been almost if not entirely unpopulated. Here
they settled, leaving the main routes open to the passage of the
Teutonic invaders bent on the plunder of the Italian cities and
plains, who, we may imagine, did not greatly trouble themselves
regarding the byways or waste time in conquering those who had thus
hidden themselves amid the higher Alpine valleys and fastnesses.
The result of this is seen in the circumstance that whilst in many
cases the out-of-the-way places and villages to this day preserve
their original Romanized Rhætian names, those upon the main routes of
travel have in many instances a purely Teutonic nomenclature.
[Sidenote: "THE LAND IN THE MOUNTAINS"]
The great Empire which Charlemagne created had strangely enough no
natural delimitations, and when it was divided, in A.D. 806, into
three portions amongst his sons, the division was not made upon any
usually recognized system or plan. Tyrol still was unknown by that
name, the country about that time being known as "Das Land im
Gebirge," or "The Land in the Mountains." The immediate successors to
the divided empire of Charlemagne were far less able than he to cope
with the anarchy which so frequently overwhelmed south-eastern and
north-eastern Europe in those days. There was practically no such
unity as now prevails, and, owing to this, the powerful nobles and
ecclesiastics gradually succeeded in dividing up the land amongst
themselves according to the almost universal custom of the Middle
Ages.
The records of Tyrolese history of the period are, however, so
wretchedly meagre that few positive and uncontrovertible facts have
come down to us regarding the events which immediately followed the
partition of Charlemagne's Empire amongst his sons. That the Brenner
Pass and Tyrol formed a sort of highway for successive invaders of
Italy, who swarmed across it from the East and North, there is,
however, little reason for doubt. As has been very truly said, "What
these vast expeditions, consisting of more or less disorderly masses
of curiously mixed races, all in the panoply of war, all eager for
booty, even if bent on a peaceable mission, meant for the countries
through which they slowly ate and robbed their way, it is not quite
easy to picture to one's self in these civilized days, when, even in
the fiercest war, the non-combatant has no reason to go in fear of a
violent death or having his women outraged before his eyes, and his
house razed to the ground." That such things took place in Tyrol is
made almost certain from the statements of contemporary writers,
amongst others, Gottfried von Viterbo, Vincenz von Prague, and Otho
von Freising.
[Sidenote: OLD-TIME TRAVELLERS]
It is the custom for most people to imagine that the "extras" for
lights, tips to servants, and attendance which so often makes the
present-day hotel bill exasperating, are a modern institution. This
is, however, not the case, for some most interesting and illuminating
diaries of early travel which were discovered in 1874 amongst the
archives of the monastery of Cividate show that at the commencement of
the thirteenth century there were a succession of inns already
existing along the Brenner route, where travellers could not only
obtain lodgment and entertainment, but even purchase necessary
medicines. There are also entries for lights, attendance, and
gratuities, which probably vexed the soul of the ecclesiastical
diarist we have referred to as much as they do modern travellers.
Of the types who tramped or rode along the great Tyrol highway and
lodged at the inns, we have fortunately a fairly detailed and
accurate picture handed down to us. If only there had been a Tyrolese
Chaucer what a record might have been preserved! From the diaries of
the Bishop of Passau (whose notes we have quoted), however, we
gratefully gather that in addition to the ordinary itinerant merchants
and countryfolk there were bard musicians of both sexes, conjurers
(more or less skilful, and many of them charlatans), singers,
mendicant friars (some of little holiness), and the far-famed
minnesingers who for a considerable period had a great vogue at Courts
and castles. Along this famous high-road of the Brenner and through
Tyrol passed, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, many of the
pilgrims and Crusaders bound for or returning from Palestine or some
distant shrine of peculiar merit or holiness.
[Sidenote: EARLY TYROLESE RULERS]
One of the chief amongst the many changes and reforms instituted by
Charlemagne was the sub-division of the countries he had conquered and
welded together to form his Empire into margravates or departments
which he placed under the rule of his nobles and other officials whom
he appointed for the purpose. Although this system undoubtedly worked
well during his powerful sway, after his death and during the anarchy
and dissension which distinguished the reigns of his immediate
successors what might have been expected happened. The more powerful
of the nobles and officials and their descendants soon commenced to
regard their offices as of the nature of hereditary appointments, and
in consequence with the development of this idea small dynasties were
gradually founded, and towards the close of the tenth century three of
these had sprung into existence in Tyrol. These three Countships or
_Grafschaften_ were of Andechs, Eppan, and Tyrol, and the country was
eventually divided up amongst them and the great ecclesiastical lords
of the Sees of Trent, Brixen, and Coire.
As is the case with so much of early Tyrol history and events, very
scanty information of a reliable character has come down to us
regarding the origin of these three great families of nobles who held
sway in the country. Nor is it for the purpose of this book necessary
to enquire closely into the evidence we have. The origin of the family
of Andechs is almost entirely unknown, although for a considerable
period they were the most powerful of the three families we have
named. The Eppans are believed to have been descendants of a natural
son of a Duke of Bavaria, and their long and bloody feud with the
Bishops of Brixen on account of lands taken from them and given to the
See is enshrined in Tyrol history and legend.
The third family, the Counts of Tyrol, though originally by no means
the most important, was destined to outlast the other two, and
eventually to become possessed of most of the country and give its
name to ancient Rhætia. Although even in the days of the Roman
occupation there appears to have been a Castle Tyrol, which was the
residence of a centurion, the family, as it is generally known, is
supposed to have taken its origin from Count Hunfried who lived in the
reign of Charlemagne, and was also Count of Vintschgau. This noble
came into prominence on the division of Charlemagne's Empire amongst
his three sons; but it appears to be probable that it was not until
the middle part of the thirteenth century that one of the owners of
Castle Tyrol or Teriolis first took the title of Counts of Tyrol.[5]
The earliest reference to the three Counts of Tyrol appears in the
archives about the year 1140, and we find the family dwelling in the
Castle Tyrol or Teriolis, near Meran. It was from this fortress, now
in a ruinous condition except for the chapel and fine porch dating
from the twelfth century, that not only the family took its name but
eventually the whole country came to be known. Gradually one by one
the possessions of the other nobles in Tyrol were taken from them or
became absorbed by marriage in that of the Counts of Tyrol. Until
about 1240 the then reigning Count Albert was able to style himself
Prince Count (or gefürsteter Graf) of Tyrol so widespread and rich
were his possessions.
The Principality thus formed remained a fief of the German Empire
until the reign of Maximilian I. (1493) when it was incorporated with
the other possessions of the Crown.
The first of the Prince Counts of Tyrol was successful, in 1248, in
obtaining from the Counts of Andechs the district of the Inn Valley,
once the site of Roman Veldidena, which place tradition asserts was
destroyed about A.D. 452 by the Huns under the leadership of Attila on
their return through Tyrol after their defeat by Aëtius at the battle
of Chalons.
During the early Middle Ages the Premonstratensian Abbey of Wilten had
been built on the site of the ancient town, and later on the Counts of
Andechs, who had become possessed of land in the neighbourhood on the
banks of the Inn, became the most powerful and influential nobles in
the district. Under them a trading post or centre of commerce was
founded near the bridge over the Inn, the importance of which can be
easily understood when its proximity to the Brenner high-road, a then
busy thoroughfare, is borne in mind. From this bridge over the Inn was
derived the name of the town Innsbruck--afterwards destined to become
the capital of Tyrol--a mention of which appears for the first time in
archives of the year 1327. It was to the foresight and enterprise of
Otto of Andechs that the town owed the walls, towers, and
fortifications which were to stand it in good stead. Count Otto also
built himself a palace, which still is known as Ottoburg.
Concerning the various princes who reigned over Tyrol in succession to
Count Albert down to Henry, the youngest son of Meinhard II., who, by
marrying the daughter of the King of Bohemia, claimed the throne on
the death of his father-in-law and took the title of king, although
forced to surrender his claims to Bohemia, and rest content with Tyrol
and Carinthia, it is not necessary to say much. This Henry was a
good-natured, easily influenced ruler, who by reason of these
characteristics fell almost entirely into the hands of the more
powerful of his nobles, who by flattery and supplies of money to meet
his spendthrift habits were able to acquire not only influence over
him, but also gain great possessions from and unchecked by him. Under
this ruler Meran became the capital of Tyrol; and Hall, Sterzing, and
other places were raised to the dignity of towns.
Though easily led, Henry was not without his virtues, for he granted
several privileges which were in the interests of commerce, and under
his rule the hard lots of the villein and working classes were
lightened, and a heritable system of land tenure for the peasant class
devised and established. The effect of this was destined to be
beneficial not only to those it was primarily intended to assist, but
also to the nobles, and Henry himself. For as the nobles seldom or
never paid taxes it followed that, with increased prosperity, the
lower orders (who bore the greater part of the burden of taxation)
could be taxed to a higher degree without suffering in proportion.
Many stories are current concerning the difficulties into which
Henry's wastrel habits got him. One of them is that he was unable at
Innsbruck to settle the bill of a fish and wine merchant, and as a
last resort gave this man, one Eberhard, the bridge toll, which it is
unnecessary to say formed a valuable consideration.
[Illustration: YOUNG TYROL]
[Sidenote: "POCKET MOUTHED MEG"]
At his death in 1335 he left no male heir, the succession falling to
his daughter Margaret, known to history as "wide (or Pocket) Mouthed
Meg" on account of her remarkably ill-formed mouth. How her mouth
became so ugly is not exactly known. One story states the name was
derived from the word _Maultasche_, in consequence of her having had
her ears (or side of face) boxed or struck. The explanation gains
some weight from the fact that the blow was said to have been struck
her by one of her Bavarian relatives, and the circumstance that she
ultimately left her heritage to her Austrian cousins and not to the
Bavarian branch of the family, thus causing Tyrol to become a part of
the Austrian Empire.
Eventually, after many abortive attempts to arrange a marriage with
the numerous suitors who were willing to become allied to perhaps the
richest though the ugliest heiress in Europe of that time, for her
inheritance comprised the dukedoms of Goricia, Croatia and Carinthia,
as well as the beautiful land Tyrol, Margaret was married, in A.D.
1330, to the youthful Prince John of Bohemia, the bridegroom being
nine years of age and the bride several years older. The latter was
destined to have a troublous career, ugly as her mouth in some of its
details; and the young couple, when (a few years after the formal
marriage) they came to live together, were almost from the first at
variance.
John was feeble and of weak intellect, and Margaret as determined and
shameless as were many other women rulers in those times. Plots and
intrigues were rife, the former between the two parties who espoused
the German or Luxembourg (Bohemian) claims, the latter between
Margaret and her courtier and even peasant lovers, some of whom were
given privileges and even lands and patents of nobility by the amorous
princess of the "Pocket Mouth," who made several unsuccessful attempts
to get rid of her husband, until she frightened him into returning to
his own country. This desire accomplished, Margaret commenced to put
in operation her further plans. John was a fugitive, going from castle
to castle in search of shelter or sanctuary, awaiting assistance from
his father or the Luxembourg party, which was favourable to the
Bohemian side of the question. Soon the Emperor Louis, who was the
ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and a deadly enemy of the Bohemians,
saw an opportunity for accomplishing a long-cherished desire, that of
the acquisition of Tyrol.
He found a ready accomplice in his good-looking, attractive son, who
appeared willing enough to marry another man's wife, however
ill-tempered and ugly, even before the first marriage was formally
declared null and void by the Pope, provided wealth and possessions
were acquired with her. However, when the Pope--who himself had cast
longing eyes on Margaret's possessions--heard of the proposed union,
he not only declined to annul the marriage between John and Margaret,
but threatened the latter with excommunication if she espoused the son
of Louis, who was his implacable foe. There were also reasons of
consanguinity which made the marriage impossible without the Pope's
sanction. Louis, however, not to be thwarted in his desire, set about
to find a bishop willing to defy the Pontiff and bold enough to
solemnize the marriage. Soon he succeeded in persuading the Bishop of
Freisingen both to annul the first marriage and celebrate the second.
Accordingly the Emperor, in whose train were numbers of nobles, set
forth with the bishop mentioned, and also the bishops of Augsburg and
Regensburg, for Tyrol.
But whilst on the journey and crossing a pass (the Jaufen), which
afforded the quickest route from Sterzing to Margaret's home near
Meran, the Bishop of Freisingen's horse stumbled and threw its rider,
killing him on the spot. This accident so sapped the courage of the
other two bishops (who doubtless considered the event as a direct
message of wrath from Heaven) that they refused to go on with the
scheme upon which they had embarked.
This did not, however, weaken the determination of either the Emperor
or Louis, who, on his arrival at Castle Tyrol, forced the terrified
resident chaplain to celebrate the marriage, although we are told the
people protested loudly, anticipating terrible punishments for
breaking the laws of the Church and defying the commands of the Pope.
Nevertheless the event was celebrated with great festivities, and, so
far as one can gather, no immediate wrath from Heaven was experienced
by the evildoers.
[Sidenote: ERA OF CIVIL WAR]
During the weak rule of John, the various nobles in Tyrol had gained
great ascendency; had extended their possessions and rights; and had
in fact seriously weakened the sovereign power of their ruler. Louis
proved of very different metal to his precursor. He at once attacked
the nobles, who had aggregated to themselves unlawful or dangerous
authority, devastating their estates, burning and dismantling their
castles and fortresses, and exiling those who did not submit. Civil
war of the most bloodthirsty kind ran riot in Tyrol, and other
disasters in the shape of fire, which destroyed some of the most
important towns, including Meran the capital; swarms of locusts,
plague and earthquake, all afflicted the unhappy and unfortunate land.
It is needless to say that these terrible calamities were esteemed by
many Tyrolese as the direct expression by Heaven of anger at
Margaret's bigamous marriage and defiance of the power of the Church.
The ravages of the Black Death were not less severe than in other
parts of Southern Europe, and, according to one chronicler, scarcely a
sixth of the population of Tyrol were left alive. As was so often the
case in the Middle Ages, some human scapegoat was sought for and
found; and the very common one was fixed upon--the Jews. The
persecution of this unfortunate race which ensued was of so ruthless a
character that neither women, children, nor the aged were spared, with
the result, we are told, that very few were left alive.
Then succeeded a period of war. The supporters of the discarded
husband of Margaret--John of Bohemia--were not slow to seek to revenge
themselves upon her, and Tyrol was subsequently invaded by the King of
Bohemia, who was joined by the militant Bishop of Trent with
considerable forces. An active campaign followed, characterized by
great cruelty on the part of the invaders, during which the two chief
towns, Meran and Bozen, were captured and destroyed, and ultimately
Margaret was besieged in her own Castle of Tyrol. It was so admirably
situated for defence that in her husband's absence Margaret, who, with
all her vices and failings, was no coward, was able to defend it
successfully from all assaults, and did so until her husband was able
to return by forced marches, and surprising the besiegers, succeeded
in defeating them and forcing them to retire. The country, however,
suffered terribly during the enemy's retreat, as, in revenge for being
baulked of their prey, they burned and ravaged in every direction, and
spared no man from the sword. Indeed, the history of the campaign
exhibits in the most lurid light the underlying and primitive savagery
of all warfare in the Middle Ages.
It was to meet the heavy charges arising from the prolonged campaign
and defence of his territory that Louis had to sell or pawn many of
his richest personal possessions, with the result that many nobles
(who provided him with money or other support) gained or regained
valuable privileges and a considerable accession of power and
influence.
[Sidenote: STORIES ABOUT "MEG"]
Into the whole course of this war and the history of
Tyrol--interesting and even fascinating though it be--it is impossible
for us to enter. Margaret ultimately (it may be noted) made her peace
with Rome, owing to the influence exercised over the Pope by her
Austrian cousins of the House of Habsburg, the condition of their
mediation being that she should leave to them and not to her Bavarian
cousins her heritage should her son and heir Meinhard pre-decease her,
and die without issue.
Fate favoured the schemes of the Habsburgs, for both Margaret's
husband Louis and her son died before her, the latter at the early age
of twenty. As an example of the old saw, "Give a dog a bad name and
hang him," popular opinion laid both deaths at Margaret's door. Her
husband died in 1361-2 whilst on a journey to Munich in her company.
This supposed murder was, according to then common report, a _crime
passionel_ arising from Margaret's fear that Louis was about to
compass the death of Conrad of Frauenberg, a noble with whom she had
carried on an intrigue that had been common talk and a scandal for
years. On the death of his father, Meinhard assumed the responsibility
of government; in doing this he appears to have placed, or attempted
to place, some sort of check upon the shameless conduct and intrigues
of his mother, and when he died in January, 1363, his death, like that
of Louis, was laid at his mother's door. Popular opinion, however, has
been proved to have been in error by historians who do not favour the
supposition that she was really guilty of either death; and although
no explanation of the actual cause of Louis's death is forthcoming,
there would appear some evidence for supposing that Meinhard's
untimely end was unromantic and free from mystery, and, in fact, was
the result of drinking cold water whilst overheated from exertion.
In those days, although news travelled but slowly according to modern
ideas, it was less than a fortnight ere it had reached Vienna, and
Rudolph IV. of Habsburg, by travelling "day and night," was at Bozen
eager to make certain his position as the eldest of the three brothers
to whom his cousin Margaret had agreed to cede Tyrol and her other
wide possessions.
Around the picturesque, though licentious and uninviting, figure of
"Pocket-Mouthed Meg" has gathered an accretion of traditions and tales
unequalled by those attached to any other Tyrol ruler. But, although
she was for many years so outstanding a figure in the history of her
country and indeed of South-Eastern Europe, strangely few authentic
records or documentary corroboration of these stories have been
discoverable.
Thus, by the death of Meinhard in 1363, the country became a portion
of Austria under the rule of Rudolph IV., who, though young, was wise
and far-seeing. However, he was not destined to long enjoy the
possessions he had acquired chiefly by skilful diplomacy, and on his
death, two years after his accession, Tyrol was governed jointly by
his two brothers--Leopold and Albert.
During this dual control the Bavarian relations of Margaret made
frequent incursions into the country, especially in the neighbourhood
of the Unter-Innthal, and in 1369 succeeded in obtaining a large sum
from the Habsburgs at a temporary peace made at Schärding. Ten years
later the dual sovereignty came to an end, the two brothers dividing
the inheritance, Leopold taking Tyrol as his share. He was killed at
the Battle of Sempach on July 9th, 1386, where the Swiss gained so
signal a victory under the leadership of Arnold Von Winkelried.
[Sidenote: DUKE FREDERICK'S REIGN]
In 1406 Frederick, Leopold's youngest son, succeeded to the
sovereignty, which during his minority had been held by his elder
brothers and his Uncle Albert, who had ruled the country in so lax a
manner that the nobles gained a great ascendency.
It was, indeed, no easy task to which Duke Frederick was called. The
nickname bestowed upon him, that of "the Empty Purse," was by no means
an exact description of his financial condition, save during a
comparatively short period of his reign of thirty years. It was given
him at the time he was an outlaw by reason of the ban of the Church,
and was obliged to fly for his life and take refuge amid the
mountains. His was a stormy reign. In the early portion of it he was
at variance with many of the most powerful of his nobles, who resisted
his attempts to curtail the power which they had acquired during his
minority. After the anxieties and hardships which ensued, when the
country was over-run by the Bavarians, and even the capital
threatened, Frederick was destined to have still greater trouble by
reason of his action at the Council of Constance, which was summoned
to settle the momentous questions as to who was the rightful head of
the Church, and who the ruler of the Empire. There were three
claimants for each position, nominated and supported by the rival
factions. The spiritual claimants were John XXIII., Benedict XIII.,
Gregory XII.; and the temporal Kings Sigismund of Hungary, Jost of
Moravia, and Wencelaus of Bohemia.
[Illustration: A WAYSIDE SHRINE, TYROL]
Of the Ecclesiastical claimants John had Frederick's support, and when
the former, failing to get elected by the Council, had not only to
renounce his claims but flee for his life, Frederick assisted him to
escape from Constance. This act of loyalty to a friend almost cost
Frederick his life, as Sigismund (who of the three candidates had been
elected Emperor) was his enemy, and not only succeeded in persuading
the assembly to declare Frederick's throne forfeited, but also him and
his chief supporters and followers outlaws, to shelter any of whom was
a crime punishable with death.
Frederick's evil case was made worse and his difficulties immeasurably
increased by the secession to the ranks of his enemies of his brother
Ernest, who had taken the Dukedom of Styria as his portion of the
inheritance.
Duke Ernest took up the reins of Government of Tyrol, and there ensued
a period of bloodshed and disastrous Civil War in which the peasants
and the lower classes remained firm and loyal supporters of their
ruler Frederick, and the greater number of the nobility espoused the
cause of the usurper Ernest. At length a peace was brought about
between the two brothers, chiefly through the mediation of the
Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg, and the Duke Louis of Bavaria. The
reconciliation of Frederick and Duke Ernest, whose estrangement had
been brought about by Frederick's action in relation to Pope John at
Constance which had brought him under the powerful ban of the Church,
took place at the castle of the Archbishop at Kropfsberg.
The remaining portion of Frederick's life appears to have been
peaceable, and notwithstanding his _sobriquet_ of "Empty Purse" he
left a huge fortune in treasure, which some authorities assert was the
greatest amassed by any ruler of those times. He was undoubtedly one
of the most able, and with the peasants and townsfolk most popular,
rulers Tyrol has ever had as a separate principality. He carried on a
struggle throughout his reign against the encroachments of the
nobility upon the lands and liberties of the people, which in itself
was a thing sufficient to gain him the love and loyalty of the great
masses of his subjects, which his affable manners, generosity, and
kindliness served to cement. To him belongs the credit of summoning
the first Tyrolean Landtag of any use or importance, held at Meran in
1423. Subsequently the Landtag was convened at Innsbruck, which town
in consequence gradually came to be regarded as the capital of Tyrol.
On the death of Frederick he was succeeded by his son Sigismund, then
a mere lad of eleven or twelve years of age. The latter lived for some
seven years at the Court of Vienna under the control of his guardian
the Emperor Frederick III. Whilst in Vienna he became acquainted with
one Æneas Silvius de Piccolomini, afterwards Pope Pius II., a widely
travelled, able but licentious man who had journeyed so far afield as
Scotland, and who poured such glowing descriptions of the beauty of
the ladies of the Scottish Court into the young Duke Sigismund's ears
that he became possessed with a desire to marry a Scotch bride. Thus
it happened that when the daughter of Charles VII., King of France,
died (whom it had been intended by his father he should marry) the
young Duke Sigismund wooed and won Eleanor, daughter of ill-fated
James I. of Scotland, to whom as dowry the Duke gave the historic
castles of Ambras, Imst, and Hörtenburg for life. This gifted princess
lived in Tyrol for a period of more than thirty years, and by her
gentle manners, love of sport, especially hawking and hunting, and
social accomplishments made herself much beloved by her husband's
subjects. Her Court, for the size of the principality over which her
husband ruled, was very large and luxurious.
During the reign of Sigismund the vast mineral wealth of the
Unter-Innthal district especially became opened up, and this enabled
the Duke to spend lavish sums upon pleasures, entertainments, arts,
and science, which soon caused his Court at Innsbruck to be spoken of
as one of the most refined, gay, and interesting in Eastern Europe. At
the same time Tyrol owed much to Sigismund, as he was a generous
patron of art and employer of artists of all kinds.
[Sidenote: THE WAR WITH VENICE]
On the death of his consort Eleanor he married, in 1484, the Princess
Catherine of Saxony, who was both young and beautiful. A man of great
judgment, he yet committed the grave error of provoking a war with the
Venetians, whose trade with Tyrol was an important and valuable asset
in the country's commerce and material prosperity. It arose from the
seizure of some rich silver mines the property of the Venetians in the
Valsugana, and the tense situation arising from this act was
aggravated shortly after, in April 1487, by the forcible seizure of
the goods of Venetian merchants who had come (as was their wont) to
the great fair held at Bozen. Over a hundred and twenty Venetian
merchants were also thrown into prison. In the war which ensued the
Tyrolese were ultimately victorious; but the victory was a Pyrrhic one
as Tyrol lost much by this struggle with the great commercial power of
those remote times. The Venetians took a speedy revenge, "boycotting"
Tyrolese trade, absenting themselves from the fairs and markets, and
avoiding using the Brenner Route which had very materially added to
the wealth of the country.
Sigismund, as had other rulers of the Mountain Kingdom, fell out of
favour with the Church, owing to a quarrel with the Cardinal Bishop of
Brixen, Nicholas of Cusa, chiefly on account of the latter's
persistent endeavour to exalt the power of the Church at the expense
of the former's temporal authority, and it was only Sigismund's
indifference to religious matters and power in his own country which
enabled him to treat with unconcern if not positive contempt the ban
placed upon him by the Church of Rome. He even went the length of
making war upon the Bishop, and of besieging him in his castle at
Brunneck; and as a consequence was excommunicated by both Pope
Calixtus III. the Courageous and Pius II.
In Sigismund's declining years he applied himself "to the task of
purchasing salvation in the manner approved by the Church he had
defied, and whose bulls, bans, and mandates he had scorned." He set
about founding monasteries, gave largely to charitable endowments, and
was generous in other ways to a Church which was anxious to pardon the
sinner who was willing to purchase absolution on satisfactory monetary
or other terms. One effect of this great expenditure was to impoverish
the country, which had already been much "drained" by the demands made
upon it by Sigismund's patronage of art, love of women, and lavish
entertainments.
[Illustration: VIEW FROM THE RITTEN LOOKING S.W.]
[Sidenote: MAXIMILIAN I]
Maximilian, his cousin (afterwards the famous Emperor Maximilian I.),
succeeded him on his abdication in 1493. He was in a great measure an
ideal ruler for Tyrol, whose brave, independent people were touched by
the spirit, frankness, and great personal bravery of their new prince.
Fond of war, he was equally devoted to the chivalric jousts and games
of the period, and, if one may believe historians, to these sterner
qualities was united a kindly and approachable disposition which
further endeared him to his people. It was only in the latter portion
of his reign that he lost touch with and hold upon them, and, owing to
the heavy drain that incessant wars and military operations had placed
upon the country, necessitating heavy taxation, became in a measure
unpopular.
From his biographers one gathers that the Emperor was deeply affected
by the change of attitude of the populace towards him, and he referred
to it bitterly on several occasions. During some considerable time
before his death he always went about accompanied by his coffin, which
he is stated to have described as "the one narrow palace which
architects can design at small cost, and the making of which does not
bring ruin upon princes."
During the reign of Maximilian to Tyrol was added other and
considerable new territory, including the Ampezzo district; Rovereto;
the three lordships of Rattenberg, Kitzbühel, and Kufstein; the towns
of Riva and Arco; a portion of the present Vorarlberg; and a portion
of the Pusterthal. Maximilian also did something for education in his
capital of Innsbruck, where he built a new palace which was first used
at the time of his second marriage with Maria Bianca Sforza of Milan
in 1494.
He was succeeded by his two grandsons, the Emperor Charles V. and the
Archduke Ferdinand. The former, however, found his dominions so vast
that he soon resigned his Austrian possessions (including Tyrol) to
his brother Ferdinand, who afterwards became Emperor. The reign of the
latter, though long, was not a happy or prosperous one. The religious
disturbances brought about by the Reformation, which Ferdinand
severely suppressed, and risings of the peasants in consequence, made
his name detested in Tyrol, so that in the War of the Schmalkald the
inhabitants supported Charles V. It was at Innsbruck (after two
unsuccessful attempts to leave Tyrol) that he was surprised by his
treacherous friend Maurice of Saxony, who had marched his army rapidly
into Tyrol intent upon capturing Charles. The latter, who had no army
with him, having arrived at Innsbruck on his way to the Council of
Trent, in order to escape had to leave his palace at dead of night in
torrents of rain in May 1552--a man broken in health and tired of
life.
It was this Ferdinand who founded the famous Franciscan Church at
Innsbruck with its world-renowned tomb in memory of his grandfather
Maximilian I.
On the death of Ferdinand, in 1564, he was succeeded on the throne of
Tyrol by his second son who bore his name. A romantic interest
attaches to this Archduke, who after much opposition on the part of
his family married the beautiful daughter of an Augsburg merchant,
Philippina Welser, who ultimately succeeded in winning the Emperor's
sanction to the marriage.[6]
The thirty-one years' reign of Archduke Ferdinand was chiefly notable
for the encouragement given by him to Art. Indeed, during this period
the country reached its highest culture. The world-famous art
collection now in Vienna, concerning which most authorities are in
agreement that it was the most extensive and beautiful formed up to
that period, owes its existence almost entirely to him. In his Castle
of Ambras, near Innsbruck, he gathered together art treasures that are
now, as regards many examples, almost if not quite unique; and by so
doing ensured his position with posterity as one of the first, most
learned, and most discriminating of art collectors and connoisseurs
the world has known.
[Sidenote: A ROYAL ROMANCE]
Ferdinand and his beautiful spouse remained throughout their married
life devoted to each other, although when the former's father, in
1563, recognized the marriage it was agreed that any children born to
the pair should not be recognized as of Royal birth, the alliance
being regarded as morganatic. The story that Philippina died a violent
death seems to have no basis upon fact.
Ferdinand after the death of his first wife married Anna Katharina
Gonzaga of Mantua, to whose devout tendencies and influence over him
Innsbruck and the neighbourhood owed many of its religious houses and
institutions.
On the death of Ferdinand, as his and Philippina's children could not
succeed to their father's possessions and title for the reason we have
mentioned, and as there were no children of the marriage with Anna
Katharina, Tyrol reverted in 1595 to the Emperor Rudolph II., who soon
appointed his brother the Archduke Maximilian as Regent. This prince
was the head of the Teutonic Order, and bore the title of
Deutschmeister. After his death Tyrol reverted to the Emperor
Ferdinand II., who in 1622 celebrated his second marriage with
Eleanora Vincenzo of Mantua at Innsbruck. The event was celebrated
with great magnificence even for a period when entertainments of the
kind were veritable triumphs of splendour and art, and the wedding
feast was served by Tyrolese noblemen.
Ferdinand soon appointed his brother the Archduke Leopold as Regent,
and on his death in 1632 the latter was succeeded by his widow, the
wise and beautiful Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Medici, who
governed Tyrol during the minority of her two sons. Her chief
counsellor was the brilliant and distinguished Chancellor Wilhelm
Biener. The Archduke Ferdinand Charles came of age (and succeeded to
his estates) in 1646, and in default of male heirs was succeeded by
his brother Francis Sigismund in 1662. The reign of the last named
lasted only three years, and came to a sudden and tragic close on the
very eve of his marriage. Popular opinion ascribed his death to
poison, given to the Archduke by his physician Agricola, the latter,
at the time, being supposed to have been instigated to the crime by
some Italian nobles whom the Archduke had banished from his Court. On
the death of Sigismund the second Tyrolese-Habsburg line of rulers
came to an end.
[Illustration: ABOVE THE ARLBERG TUNNEL]
It was then that Tyrol finally came into the possession of the
Emperors of Austria, by whom the ancient title of Prince-Count of
Tyrol and other subsidiary titles are still borne.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Several well-known authorities still refuse to accept this theory.
[2] Also called the Eisack.
[3] Mommsen in his "Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum."
[4] W. Von Rodlow.
[5] This view of the origin of the country's name is, we would add,
disputed by some authorities.--C. H.
[6] This is disputed by some authorities, but would appear to have
been the case.--C. H.
CHAPTER II
TYROL FROM ITS INCORPORATION BY AUSTRIA AS A PART OF THE
EMPIRE TO THE PRESENT TIME
During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) between the Catholics and
Protestants of Germany, which was renowned for the victories of
Wallenstein and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Tyrol did not altogether
escape its influence though playing no very important part in the
struggle. One result was, however, of considerable importance to a
family of great note in Tyrol. It brought about the ruin of the
Fuggers, whose financial assistance to various rulers of Tyrol and
Eastern Europe had been generally forthcoming when required. Owing to
their possession of the two famous castle-fortresses of Tratzberg and
Matzen their prosperity or otherwise was of considerable importance to
Tyrol.
From the date (1665) when the country became completely incorporated
as a part of the Austrian Empire it did homage to the Emperor Leopold
I., sole heir of the joint Austro-German possessions. It was during
his reign and on account of this circumstance that Tyrol became deeply
involved in the War of the Spanish Succession, and was the object of
attack on the part of both French and Bavarians, Leopold being the
Austrian claimant to the Spanish throne, and Philip of Anjou, grandson
of Louis XIV., the French aspirant.
In 1703 the French troops, under General Vendome, entered Tyrol from
the South and unsuccessfully besieged Trent on their way northward to
Austria; and at the same time the Bavarians overran the country by
routes which they had traversed from almost time immemorial when
making their periodic raids upon the Tyrolese. For a considerable
period the invaders were successful, and many villages and castles of
the Unter-Innthal and contiguous districts were destroyed. The capture
of the capital was the cause of the uprising of the Landsturm, or
general levy of the peasants; and during 1703 a number of fierce
engagements were fought between these ill-armed but brave Tyrolese and
the Bavarian and French troops. One of the most noted battles was that
which took place immediately after the Tyrolese had destroyed the
Pontlatz Bridge which spanned the River Inn, by which the Bavarians
were about to cross. In this engagement the latter, under the
leadership of the Elector Maximilian Emmanuel, were utterly routed by
a much inferior force of the Landsturm, and driven back from North
Tyrol. Following up this success the Tyrolese concentrated their
energies upon the French force under General Vendome which they
compelled to retire into Italy.
The Emperor Leopold I., not wishing to reside for any length of time
at Innsbruck, had created the office of Statthalter or Governor of
Tyrol and Vorarlberg, an office which has been filled ever since till
the present day, with the exception of the period of the French and
Bavarian wars with Austria in the early part of the last century.
The Emperor did not live to see the ultimate triumph of his forces. He
died in 1705, and was succeeded by his sons Joseph I. and Charles VI.
On the death of the latter in 1740, owing to the fact that with him
the Austrian male line became extinct, the Empress Maria Theresa ruled
in his stead. During her long reign the Vorarlberg became an integral
part of Tyrol owing to the fact that it was an Imperial fief which
reverted to the Crown by natural process on the extinction of the line
of feoffees. Maria Theresa and her husband the Emperor Francis I.
came to Innsbruck in 1765 for the wedding of their son Leopold, Grand
Duke of Tuscany (afterwards the Emperor Leopold II.), with Maria
Ludovica, daughter of Charles III., King of Spain. The Tyrolese and
the Innsbruckers gave a warm welcome to their sovereigns, and the
festivities were upon a most magnificent scale. The gaiety was
destined, however, to be clouded and put an end to by the sudden death
of the Emperor (husband of Maria Theresa), who expired at the palace
immediately after his return from the Italian Opera. It was he,
Francis Stephen of Lorraine, also Grand Duke of Tuscany, who founded
the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, which still rules over the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
[Sidenote: REFORMS OF JOSEPH II.]
On the death of Maria Theresa in 1780 she was succeeded by her son
Joseph II., upon whose accession many innovations were introduced in
Tyrol as well as other portions of his wide empire. His salutary and
liberally conceived reforms, more especially as regarded the Church,
were brought about by a desire to adjust political and religious
affairs and do away with anomalies.
Inasmuch as Joseph's scheme embraced the suppression or abolition of
numerous priories, monasteries, churches, and other religious
institutions, it is little to be wondered at that his action met with
the most strenuous opposition from the Church whose property was
threatened. One act, the closing of the University of Innsbruck, which
had been founded by Leopold I. in 1677, it is not easy for any one at
the present day to understand. The Emperor Joseph II.'s scheme of
reform was not successful, although it had arisen from honourable
motives and a sincere desire to redress some very crying grievances.
He was succeeded in 1790 by his brother, the Emperor Leopold II., who
reopened the University, and undid much of the work his predecessor
had accomplished with regard to the suppression of religious houses.
He, however, reigned but two years, and was followed by his son
Francis II. of Germany and Francis I. of Austria. This ruler came to
the throne at a great and unhappy crisis in European history. The
French Revolution was at its height and the ensuing period of the
"blood lustful" Napoleonic Wars made of Europe a vast camp and battle
ground. It was also a period destined, as events proved, to make Tyrol
famous for all time, to develop the best instincts of her people, and
to exhibit the race in a heroic and romantic light.
To understand the position of Tyrol at this epoch it is necessary to
briefly sketch the events which led up to the struggle as it affected
the "land in the Mountains." Mantua, an Austro-Italian possession,
fell before Napoleon in 1797, and immediately the young general sent
an army under Joubert into Tyrol, the routes into the country being
left almost undefended by the retreat of the Austrian forces towards
Carinthia, after their defeat at Lodi on May 10, 1796.
[Sidenote: FRENCH INVASION]
Once more the Landsturm was raised in South Tyrol, and again the
peasant forces (to whom the name of "ragged coats" had been
contemptuously given) engaged in a terrific struggle for their beloved
land with the not only better armed but more numerous detachments of
French and Bavarian invaders. Even the well-tried legions of Napoleon
were destined, however, to find them as redoubtable as had formerly
Maximilian.
Under the gallant von Worndle the Inn Valley Landsturm was led down
into the Pusterthal, where it was joined by the Austrian forces under
Generals Laudon and Kerpen. Napoleon's troops, although well led, and
possessing all the advantages that experience and a knowledge of
strategy could give them, nevertheless could not withstand the
terrific onslaught and heroic bravery shown by the Tyrolese. A fierce
and bloody engagement was fought at Spinges which resulted in the
triumph of the peasant forces and the utter rout of the invaders, who
were compelled to evacuate the country. About the same time
another smaller engagement took place near Bozen, where a mere handful
of peasants engaged a much superior force and defeated it. This
otherwise comparatively unimportant event has gained fame and
significance from the fact that this small body of Passeyer peasantry
was led by a tall, broad-shouldered man with a long brown beard, named
Andreas Hofer, who was destined afterwards to play so great and
remarkable a part in the history of his beloved country.
[Illustration: SUNSET ON A TYROLESE LAKE]
[Illustration: A TYPICAL TYROLESE LANDSCAPE]
After the Battle of Spinges hostilities were ended for a time by the
Treaty of Campo Formio, October 17, 1797.
During this preliminary struggle against the French it is estimated by
several authorities that upwards of 100,000 peasants took up arms in
defence of their country, amongst whom were many women and young
maidens. The total population of Tyrol at that period did not probably
much exceed three quarters of a million.
The peace secured by the Treaty of Campo Formio did not, however,
endure very long, for early in 1799 the war broke out again, and the
French under General Massena entered Tyrol, on this occasion by way of
Switzerland through the mountain passes, the Bavarians supporting the
invaders by incursions over the frontier in the direction of Salzburg.
In an engagement near Feldkirch in Vorarlberg General Massena was
defeated; and upon making a fresh attack the French, hearing all the
church bells of the district ringing on Easter Eve and mistaking them
for the alarm bells summoning the Landsturm, hastily abandoned their
intentions and retreated across the frontier into Swiss territory. The
victories of Marengo and Hohenlinden on June 14 and December 3 of the
next year, brought about the Treaty of Luneville on February 9, 1801,
by which the Bishoprics of Brixen and Trent (already in a sense
belonging to Tyrol) were made integral parts of the country.
Hostilities were continued, however, in other parts of Europe, and
the long war dragged on, Napoleon over-running the Continent and more
especially South-Eastern Europe almost unchecked, till Ulm, where the
Austrians were defeated October 17-20, 1805. The French army under
Marshal Ney afterwards entered and occupied Innsbruck. Then came the
disastrous Battle of Austerlitz on December 2, where Napoleon defeated
the combined Russian and Austrian forces. The power of the latter was
shattered, and by the Treaty of Pressburg, December 26, 1805, Tyrol,
which now for upwards of four hundred years had been one of the chief
possessions of the house of Habsburg, was ceded to the victors. The
Bavarians took the northern, and the French the southern portion. Not
only was the country for a time lost to Austria, but even its name was
taken from it. The new owners promptly divided it into three
departments known by the names of the three chief rivers--the Inn,
Eisack, and Adige.
In the beginning of the year following the Treaty the Bavarians took
formal possession of their new territory. During a period of some
three years the Tyrolese fretted under the rule of their conquerors.
But the time was not spent merely in idle murmurings or in servile
acceptance of the conqueror's yoke. The peasants who had fought so
bravely for their land and liberty in ancient times, and in 1797 and
1799, were eager once more to take the field to recover their lost
freedom, and to drive the usurpers of their beautiful Tyrol for ever
beyond its frontiers.
[Sidenote: RISE OF ANDREAS HOFER]
Day by day, week by week, month by month a general rising of the
community was being gradually organized by three men more
particularly, who were each of them destined to become famous, and to
go down to posterity as the saviours of their country. Of these
Andreas Hofer, born of Inn-keeping parents at Sandyland in the
Passeyer Valley in 1765, was destined to outshine both in his life and
death his two companions, named Speckbacher, born at Rinn, and
Haspinger, the tall, red-bearded Capucin monk, known respectively as
"the fire-devil" and "the red beard."
The task that Hofer and his companions set themselves was no easy one.
The country swarmed not only with the soldiers of the Bavarian
occupation force, but with spies who seem always to spring up whenever
the price of treachery is worth earning. The punishment for men taking
part in any such schemes as that in which Hofer, Speckbacher, and
Haspinger and their faithful companions were engaged in was death.
Death not only for the principals, but death for the humblest
participant. Nevertheless the plan prospered. It is interesting to
remember the very large and important part which was played in the
organization of the peasants' uprising by the Tyrolese innkeepers, or
_wirthe_, who were very dissimilar to the ordinary conception which
English people have of men of their class. They were usually the most
wealthy as well as the most solid members of the village communities
in which they dwelt and kept their _Wirthshaus_, around which, indeed,
much of the social as well as the municipal life of the village
centred. They were better informed than many of their neighbours, for
whatever travellers came to the villages found their way to their
hospitable roofs; and what echoes of the outer world ever reached the
secluded villages filtered its way, as it were, through them. It was
in these men that Hofer found his greatest allies and ablest
assistants. During the three years which succeeded the Bavarian
occupation and the peasant rising, the innkeepers of Tyrol were busy
gathering round them small bodies of trusted men, who, fired by a
common desire to free their country, would, indeed, have suffered
death rather than betray a single word of the secret arrangements of
which they gradually became cognizant.
When many of the preparations were completed Andreas Hofer commenced a
correspondence with the Government in Vienna--which seemed so
incapable and unwilling to assist the brave people it had seemingly
abandoned in their struggle for freedom--in the person of the
Archduke John. But although Hofer and his companions do not seem to
have received very much definite or material encouragement from the
Emperor or his advisers, they proceeded to Vienna, had several
interviews with the Archduke, who appeared to be most favourably
inclined to their scheme, and at these interviews the plan of campaign
was definitely formulated. In the end Hofer returned to St. Leonard
raised to the dignity of Commander-in-Chief of the national forces,
and with full powers to do what he deemed best in the interests of the
country.
What he did not, however, secure was any support from Vienna in the
form of arms or disciplined troops with which to leaven his "ragged
coats." The courage of the men who entered upon a campaign against
trained and tried soldiers armed with the most up-to-date weapons of
those times can scarcely be estimated just as it most certainly cannot
be over-praised. Owing to the rigorous search for arms which the
Bavarians and French had instituted in almost every dwelling in the
land, during the two or three years which intervened between the
Treaty of Pressburg and the uprising of the peasants under Hofer, it
was not possible to obtain and store new weapons in any quantity even
if to do so had not been rendered difficult from the hosts of spies
which overran Tyrol and seemed to lurk beneath almost every rock. Thus
it was that out-of-date weapons--most of which had seen service in the
war of a century before--billhooks, scythes, clubs and pitchforks,
with whatever other arms their own ingenuity could devise or the
village blacksmiths make, were pitted against the arms of some
precision of the French and Bavarian troops. All that the peasant
forces had to sustain them in the struggle against well-armed and
disciplined veterans, superior as regards knowledge of warfare, was
dauntless courage and a greater acquaintance with the country and of
hill fighting.
[Illustration: THE SCHWARZHORN, S. TYROL]
Upon Hofer's return with his companions from Vienna his Inn became
the resort--more or less secretly--of all who were truly desirous of
joining the popular movement and of freeing the country. Many, we are
told, blamed him for trusting so implicitly all who came. But to
objectors he made the same answer: "There are no traitors amongst my
countrymen." That his confidence was not misplaced was abundantly
shown by the fact that the secret of a conspiracy so vast that it may
be said to have extended north, south, east, and west almost
throughout Tyrol was unrevealed until the ever-memorable night of
April 10, 1809, when the time fixed for the uprising arrived.
[Sidenote: THE SUMMONS TO ARMS]
On the evening of that day the peasants of the Passeyer and other
valleys were called to arms by means of great fires which blazed out
in the darkness of the clear April sky in long, ruddy banners of
flame. Every hill crest in the vicinity of the Passeyer Valley had its
signal fire, and these were answered by others on the mountains
overshadowing the distant valleys. On the morrow Andreas Hofer found
himself at daybreak at the head of nearly 5000 men who had one and all
"confessed" and received the Sacrament ere taking up arms in their
sacred cause of liberty.
The Bavarians were at once hotly attacked and routed; and on the 12th,
soon after dawn, upwards of 15,000 peasants had rallied to Hofer's
standard and appeared before Innsbruck. With indomitable bravery they
captured the bridge over the Inn, carried the heights by assault, and
entering the town engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand conflict with the
troops of General Bisson (who was in command of the joint French and
Bavarian forces) and compelled him to surrender.
In the deadly conflict of the streets, which ran red with blood, and
into whose mire peasants, French and Bavarian soldiers and officers
alike were trampled by the on-press of the Tyrolese, the ruder weapons
of the latter, consisting of heavily butted fire-locks, broad knives
used in husbandry, scythe blades attached to staves, and bludgeons
cut from the thickets of the mountain side, were as deadly and even
perhaps more so than the weapons of their enemies.
Down the ancient streets, overshadowed by the everlasting snow-clad
mountains; into the narrow byways and courtyards of the ancient town;
along under the arcades of the old-time Herzog Freidrich Strasse,
swept the Tyrolese, slaying as they went, until the invaders, driven
from cranny to cranny, struck down in the open, compelled many of them
to retreat along the Inn banks till they fell back into the swiftly
flowing river, cried for quarter and surrendered.
At Wilten, on the outskirts of Innsbruck itself, the fiery Speckbacher
surrounded a Bavarian force of nearly 5000 men and took them prisoners
of war. Thus after less than four days' fighting the Tyrolese had
defeated the Bavarians, captured Innsbruck, and compelled the French
commander to sue for quarter. And in their hands they held two
generals, 132 officers, nearly 6000 men, three standards, five pieces
of cannon, and 800 horses.
By the end of April, Tyrol was again free of invaders with the sole
exception that the Bavarians still held the castle of Kufstein.
It was now that the Government in Vienna made one of the many serious
mistakes which throughout its dealings marked the policy pursued in
relation to Tyrol's struggle for freedom. General Chasteler, of whom
it was said that "he always came too late and went too soon," was
given the supreme command. And from that moment the advantages gained
by Hofer, his brave companions-in-arms Speckbacher and Haspinger, and
the peasant troops, were lost. In an almost incredibly short space of
time Chasteler succeeded in losing all that had been won. At length
his failure to hold what had been committed to his charge became so
obvious that he retreated beyond the Brenner, leaving Andreas Hofer to
do the best he could in defence of the portion of Tyrol not then
reconquered by the enemy. In little more than a month from the time
the French and Bavarians had been driven from Innsbruck they entered
it again in triumph; and thus, on the 20th of May, Tyrol was once more
to all intents and purposes conquered.
The brave leader of the peasants, however, was determined to make one
more supreme effort to free his country from the French and Bavarian
yoke, and after summoning to his standard all who were capable of
bearing arms, he had the satisfaction of once more driving the
invaders from Innsbruck, and freeing for the second time the country
he loved so well.
[Sidenote: THE CRUSHING OF AUSTRIA]
This triumph was not, however, destined to endure, for the Austrian
forces under the Archduke Charles suffered a crushing defeat from
Napoleon's troops at Wagram on July 5 and 6, 1809, and were forced to
sue for peace or at least an armistice at Znaim, in which Tyrol was
ignored. Amongst other things, by the subsequent Treaty, Austria ceded
all her sea coast to France, as well as considerable territory to
Saxony and Bavaria. But it was not until the French, Bavarian, and
Saxon troops, straight from their victory at Wagram, to the number of
some 50,000 men, entered Tyrol under the command of Marshal Lefèbre,
and the Austrian army marched away out of Innsbruck in full retreat
before the advancing enemy, that Hofer realized that he and his cause
once more were abandoned by the Emperor and his advisers.
Again Hofer came to the rescue; and, though in a measure a fugitive,
in one of the little-known gorges, he managed to send forth from
valley to valley his summons to the people to gather once more round
his standard. That none should certainly know from these summonses
where he lay concealed it was his wont to sign them "Andreas Hofer,
from where I am "; whilst in return those communicating with him
addressed theirs "To Andreas Hofer wherever he may be."
He once more succeeded in inspiring his fellow-countrymen with his own
undying, unyielding patriotism. Gathering his forces together in a
gorge of the Mittewald he awaited the enemy's advance. We cannot do
better than draw in part, for a description of what followed, from the
stirring and vivid narrative of Albert Wolff. The vanguard of Marshal
Lefèbre under the command of General Rouyer advanced to Sterzing; and
then a column of Saxon troops to the number of about 4000 was thrown
out beyond the village towards the gorge of Stilfes with orders to
sweep away the insurgents. The idea that the untrained, ill-armed, and
heterogeneous peasant forces could successfully resist the victors of
Wagram appeared ridiculous to the Marshal and his officers, even if
the Tyrolese were so foolhardy as to make the attempt. For some
distance the Saxons advanced without either meeting with opposition or
discovering an enemy; and then, when the whole column, had fully
entered the defile from the mountain sides above them there resounded
a sudden, terrifying cry of "To the attack, and no quarter."
The cry was followed by a starting up of thousands of peasants, men,
women, and children, the aged and the young, from behind the boulders
on the hillside, from out the hollows. Down the steep mountain gorge
crashed rocks, tree trunks, baulks of timber, earth and stones loosed
from the restraining ropes by the Tyrolese, sweeping every obstruction
before them, and falling upon the penned-up Saxons like an avalanche.
Then, as the latter were vainly and fiercely struggling to extricate
themselves from the debris and entanglements, the peasants rushed down
the mountain side and hurled themselves upon their bewildered foes,
shouting Hofer's battlecry, "For God and our Country."
The enemy, utterly routed, turned and fled--what remained of
them--towards Innsbruck, pursued by the Tyrolese led by Hofer,
Speckbacher, and by the red-bearded Capuchin Haspinger, who held in
one hand a crucifix, and in the other a bloodstained sword. Upon the
Saxons the Tyrolese had no mercy, and hundreds were cut down as they
fled along the road back to Innsbruck.
[Sidenote: TRIUMPH OF HOFER]
In little more than a week Hofer, by a vigorous following up of his
victory in the Pass of Stilfes, had once more repulsed the invader,
retaken the position on Berg Isel, and established his headquarters at
Schönberg. These historic eight days of fighting and victory are known
in Tyrolese history as "the great week."
Innsbruck still, however, remained in the occupation of the enemy. To
take the town was a task that might have given pause to any less brave
and venturous a commander than Hofer. But he was not the man to hold
back from a complete freeing of his beloved land from those who had
invaded it. The plans were laid, the day fixed, and the advance
ordered. On the morning of the attack, at five o'clock, Haspinger the
militant Capuchin, a commanding figure upon whom the light of early
dawn threw an almost uncanny refulgence, celebrated Mass before the
assembled peasant host, who knelt in serried ranks, ragged, unkempt,
but inspired to great deeds by memories of their past victories. After
this solemn observance Haspinger once more became a captain of troops
rather than a priest; and springing into his saddle he drew his sword
and led on the left wing. Andreas Hofer himself was in the centre, and
led the attack there, marching right on to Innsbruck.
A contemporary account describes the hero as being "transfigured with
a grandeur scarcely earthly, as, burning with patriotism, he urged his
horse forward into battle." With his long beard, which had gained him
the nickname of General Barbonne amongst the French, flowing in the
wind, and his war cry of "Onward for your country and your Emperor!
God will protect the right!" he led his forces so irresistibly that
the troops of Marshal Lefèbre gave way and evacuated the town. On the
following day, August 15th, which was the fête of the Blessed Virgin,
Hofer, at the head of his victorious peasants, made his third entry as
victor into the capital.
Around him thronged the citizens, overcome with transports of joy,
pressing him so closely that many were trampled beneath his horse's
feet. In the enthusiasm, relief, and triumph of victory, Hofer was
named with one voice dictator of Tyrol. But there was that strange
analogy which links Hofer's attitude in the hour of triumph so closely
(notwithstanding the differentiations of sex) with that of Joan of Arc
and with Cromwell. Turning to the thronging multitude, which filled
the narrow streets to overflowing, he cried out, with a gentle and
almost pitiful glance at their upturned faces, "Do not shout in
triumph; but offer thanks to God and pray." At the door of the church
of the Franciscans he dismounted, and entered the building to return
thanks to God, and remained there in prayer, unmoved by the cheers and
"Hochs" of the great assembly of his troopers and fellow-countrymen
outside, the sounds of which, as they came in through the constantly
open doors of the church at that hour, bore no personal significance
to him.
On leaving the building he was waited upon by the chief citizens, who
expressed their undying gratitude to their deliverer. But in response
he said, "By my beard and St. George, God himself and not I has been
the Saviour of our country."
Andreas Hofer was destined to show that he was not only a warrior, but
also an administrator, actuated by the most lofty desires for his
country's good. In every act of his government could be detected the
truly religious and patriotic character of the man. And during the
short time that he reigned in the palace at Innsbruck, waiting
anxiously for the approval and the help from his Emperor in Vienna,
his conduct was marked by dignity, kindliness, and strength. But alas,
his triumph was but brief. In less than two months after the retaking
of Innsbruck, a fresh Bavarian army was entering Tyrol by way of the
Unter-Innthal, and taking Speckbacher unawares the invaders gained a
partial victory; and ere the disaster of October 10th could be
retrieved, the Treaty of Vienna was agreed upon (October 14, 1809), by
which the hand of one of the Habsburg princesses was promised to
Napoleon as the price of peace.
Tyrol by this new arrangement remained Bavarian, and the Archduke John
himself called upon Andreas Hofer to lay down his arms. The latter did
not obey. He persuaded himself that the Treaty of Vienna was without
substance, or merely a trick to enable the invaders to make good their
fresh hold upon the country, and he decided to continue the struggle.
His followers, however, were discouraged by the callous way in which
the Austrian Government had invariably left them to fight their own
battles alone.
Speckbacher, too, was deserted by all save a mere handful of men, and
after remaining in hiding for some time and escaping capture by a
miracle he succeeded in getting to Vienna. The Capuchin Haspinger
afterwards joined him there, and was ultimately made curate of
Hietzing, near Schönbrunn. It then became clear to Hofer that to
continue the struggle for freedom just then was useless and, indeed,
impossible; so he dispersed his own handful of faithful friends and
supporters, telling them, "We shall meet again before long, for Tyrol
will not perish."
[Sidenote: HOFER AN OUTLAW]
With these prophetic words, which were destined never to be realized
so far as the meeting with his faithful comrades in arms was
concerned, Hofer took farewell of his companions and fled a fugitive
into the mountains of the Passeyer Valley.
A price was put upon his head by the Bavarians and French, who
recognized that their peaceful occupation of the conquered and ceded
territory depended very greatly upon the capture and imprisonment or
death of Hofer, who, as a popular hero, held so high a place in the
hearts of his countrymen; and that for him to remain at large would
constitute a perpetual menace.
For a long while Hofer was able to elude the vigilance and discovery
of his would-be captors. Technically, and owing to his abandonment by
the Austrian Government, he was a rebel on account of his refusal to
lay down his arms when commanded by the Archduke John to do so. In the
end, as so often happens, there was one found base and treacherous
enough to betray the fugitive for blood money. Guided by such an one,
named Raffl, some Italian gendarmes, supported by a small detachment
of French soldiers, made their way amid the intricate mountain paths
to the chalet where--near St. Leonard, but far from other
habitations--Andreas Hofer had for some months lived with his family,
now broken down by despair for his country, anxiety and privation.
He made no resistance, and was immediately taken to Mantua, escorted
(such was his fame and the fear lest he should escape or be rescued)
by four French officers, a battalion of infantry, and a detachment of
cavalry. No effort appears to have been made by the Austrian
authorities to save the hero to whom they owed so much, and Hofer was
tried by court-martial under the presidency of General Bisson, and
condemned to be shot.
[Sidenote: THE DEATH OF HOFER]
On the morning of February 20th, 1810, Andreas Hofer, who lay in
prison but a short time after condemnation, was awakened early and led
forth to die. At the gates were gathered a handful of his friends and
companions in arms who had been captured and brought to Mantua, or had
followed him there, and these knelt and entreated his blessing as he
passed by them; this he gave calmly, remaining far less outwardly
moved than they who received it.
Then onwards to the Ceresa Gate, where the firing party halted. Hofer
declined to have his eyes bandaged; neither would he kneel. But
standing erect with unwavering courage he faced the file of soldiers,
who with loaded muskets were to do him to death. Giving his last
remaining piece of money to the corporal, he said to him, "Aim
straight." Then he calmly gave the signal to fire.
The muskets rang out, the bullets sped to their mark, and one of the
noblest of patriots Europe had ever seen fell without a groan.
At his own last request his body was buried at Mantua in the garden of
his friend and father confessor, Manifesti. There it lay for fifteen
years, until one night three officers of a Tyrol Chasseur regiment
stealthily removed the remains, distressed that the hero of Tyrol
should lie buried in foreign soil. The body was first taken to Bozen,
and shortly afterwards to the Abbey of Wilten.
When later a funeral worthy of his fame was accorded him, deputations
came from all parts of Tyrol to pay their tribute to the greatest hero
in its history; and amid a throng which was perhaps never before
equalled in the streets of Innsbruck, the remains of Andreas Hofer
were with great appropriateness borne to their last resting-place in
the church of the Franciscans by twelve innkeepers. On the coffin lay
his hat, sword, and decorations, and upon it were the armorial
bearings of his family, which had been ennobled by the Emperor Francis
I. in 1819. And thus, in a tomb cut from the marble of the Tyrol he
loved, his body was laid to rest.
In the same year that Hofer died, Tyrol was divided into three parts.
Italy took the southern, Bavaria retained the northern, and Illyria
the south-eastern or Pusterthal district. So it remained for three
years, until 1813, when the power of Napoleon was once and for ever
broken in eastern Europe, when he was defeated at the fierce battle of
Leipsic on October 16-18, by the allied forces of Austria, Russia and
Prussia. In this battle (known as "the battle of the nations") upwards
of 400,000 men were engaged; a fifth of the number were slain. The
allies were helped at a critical point of the fighting by the
defection from Napoleon of a large force of Saxons.
In the following year Tyrol was reunited to Austria with the addition
of the Ziller and Brixen valleys and Windisch-Matrei. On May 27, 1816,
the Emperor Francis I. (who in 1806 had resigned the title of Emperor
of Germany, retaining only that of Austria) entered Innsbruck to
receive the allegiance of the people. His reception was most
enthusiastic, the people rejoicing unrestrainedly at once more gaining
their freedom, and being reunited to the Austrian Empire.
During the revolutionary excitement which pervaded Europe in 1848 the
then Emperor of Austria, Ferdinand, and his Empress took refuge in
Tyrol; and in the Austro-Italian War of 1848 the Tyrolese greatly
distinguished themselves by their bravery and good marksmanship.
There remains little more to add concerning Tyrol's history. On
December 2, 1848, the Emperor Francis Joseph I. succeeded his uncle
Ferdinand, who abdicated after ruling the country for thirteen years
under the guidance of the powerful Prince Metternich whose reactionary
policy provoked the Revolution of 1848.
In 1859 the Austro-Italian provinces, with the exception of Venice,
were absorbed by the Kingdom of Sardinia, previous to the formation of
the Kingdom of Italy. In consequence Tyrol became the frontier of
Austria to Italy, and of increased importance. In 1866, during the war
between Austria and Prussia, the latter supported the Italians in a
scheme to seize Southern Tyrol. The Tyrolese Jager and Schutzen forces
took a prominent part in the campaign, and were engaged with great
credit at the Battle of Custozza, where the Austrians with 70,000 men
defeated the army of Victor Emmanuel, nearly twice as strong.
Afterwards, when the Prussians defeated the Austrians at the Battle of
Sadowa or Koniggratz on July 3, 1866, and a fresh attempt was made to
seize South Tyrol, the inhabitants once more showed that their
old-time courage and resource was not diminished.
[Sidenote: TYROL OF TO-DAY]
Since then Tyrol has been happily both peaceful and prosperous;
advancing in the arts, and with a system of education which is bearing
good fruit.
What the future of this favoured and beautiful land may be, who can
tell? Perhaps the secret is already locked up in the chancelleries of
Eastern Europe.
But the wise and beneficent ruler who now guards the destinies of the
many-sided Austrian Empire is old, and when the end comes it does not
need the keen observer to possess much gift of anticipating events to
predict that Tyrol may be the scene of yet further struggles when
Germany's desire for a seaport on the Mediterranean via the Adriatic
has possibilities of accomplishment.
CHAPTER III
SOME CHARACTERISTIC LEGENDS, CUSTOMS, AND SPORTS
Just as is the case with Switzerland so in Tyrol the land itself, its
history, even its geological evolution, seem in a measure reflected in
the character and disposition of its people. One cannot indeed be any
long time in Tyrol without becoming aware of and appreciating this
fact. In the kindliness and hospitality of the Tyrolese one has
reflected the characteristics of aloofness from the outer world, and
dependence upon one another, which the position of their "land within
the mountains" typifies--characteristics which have grown (and
fortunately have not yet become, at least in the more remote parts, to
any large extent tainted by considerations of self-interest) from the
circumstances of former days, when individual hospitality had to serve
for the absence of inns and commercial conveniences of the kind. So,
too, in the rugged, patriotic, and sturdy natures of the people one
can trace a parallel with the configuration of their beloved land; as
one can also trace in their single-heartedness, piety, poetic traits,
and simplicity, the frugal and laborious lives which the majority
lead, unvexed in former times by the fret of small things, and through
succeeding ages strengthened by the great needs of patriotism and
self-sacrifice which the political crises outside their own borders
often brought home to them by invasion and attempted subjection.
[Sidenote: A DELIGHTFUL LAND]
It is not at all wonderful, then, that a people dwelling in a land of
such surpassing beauty, where flower-bedecked upper pastures melt away
into rocky peaks, glaciers, and snow-clad heights; where the music of
tinkling brooks trickling down the mountain side and the roar of
greater torrents are ever with them; with the eternal silence of great
heights surrounding them and, as it were, shutting them in from the
outer world, should be gifted with an appreciation of romantic beauty,
legend, and poetry beyond the common run of mortals.
As we have already shown, much history and many stirring events have
been enacted within the mountain-girdled borders of Tyrol. And,
nowadays, when the country is coming slowly but surely to her own as a
delightful holiday ground for weary dwellers in Western cities, many
of her valleys bring to the minds of those who know something of the
country's story dramatic and romantic memories of the stirring events
and legends which have through past ages become associated with their
names.
Scarcely a valley, village, or townlet, whether set high or low in
this enticing land, but has its own legend or story. And in almost all
of the less travelled corners one finds strange, and to most
travellers incomprehensible, dialects still lingering amongst the
peasantry, notwithstanding the fact that gradually the Germanization
of even the southern portion of Tyrol is being brought about. In one
or other of these dialects which so survive, scholars and philologists
of former times have thought the key to the ancient language of
Etruria might be discovered; and in more modern days there has been
the same hope expressed, but as yet it is unfulfilled. Müller,[7] for
one, thought that in some secluded valley of the Tyrol or Grisons the
key to the riddle in the form of "a remnant of the old Rhætian dialect
might be discovered." Müller's hope has since then in a measure been
realized through the efforts and researches of Steub, who, whilst
travelling in Tyrol in Alpine districts in 1842, found some
fragmentary remains of a dialect approaching very nearly Etruscan,
though not sufficiently full to form any very important or extended
key to the tongue. His book[8] contains the results of the inquiries,
tests, and deductions which he was at first led to undertake by the
strange names of the towns and villages which he came across in his
travels. Then he collected these, and we are told set to work "testing
them with Celtic, but discovering no analogy he tried other tests, and
with the Etruscan met with some considerable success," which was
chiefly valuable, however, as confirming the theory and ancient
traditions of a Rhæto-Etruria. Many of his conclusions, however, have
never been accepted by philologists either of his own day or of later
times; and some of the word examples he gives as having analogies are
quite incomprehensible to the ordinary student.
[Sidenote: THE LANGUAGE]
To all intents and purposes German and Italian are the languages
spoken throughout Tyrol, a knowledge of which will be sufficient for
all ordinary purposes of travel. The former prevailing in the
Vorarlberg and North Tyrol; the latter in South Tyrol and Wälsch
Tyrol, though German is found in both of these districts, and in South
Tyrol very considerably.
In the Vorarlberg, however, one comes across numerous words and
expressions which are undoubtedly of Italian origin, and are remaining
evidences of the periods when the Venetian Republic ruled over a
district now a part of Tyrol. The Italian word _gútto_, a can or
feeding-bottle, for example, has its counterpart in _guttera_; whilst
from _fazzolétto_, a handkerchief, one has _fazanedle_; and from
_gaudio_, joy, we have _gaude_; and from _cappéllo_, a hat, has
probably come _schapel_.
[Illustration: A VIEW OF THE TYROL ALPS]
A very considerable number of words of French origin or of marked
similarity to French words are found in parts of the Vorarlberg.
_Gespousa_, a bride, has a distinct philological affinity to
_épouse_; and _au_, water, pronounced very similarly, can be traced to
_eau_, and is found common to both North Tyrol and the Vorarlberg.
_Shesa_, a trap or gig, bears a marked resemblance to the French
_chaise_.
Even England appears to have contributed a considerable number of
words to the vocabulary of certain districts of Tyrol, though perhaps
they are, more strictly speaking, words similarly derived from German
or Norman French which have become common to both. In _gulla_, a
gulley; _gompa_, to jump; _datti_, daddy; _witsch_, witch; and many
others this is traceable. It will be gathered from these few examples
that the language and dialects of Tyrol are composite of several
tongues, as is almost always the case in countries which have seen
many vicissitudes of occupation and development.
[Sidenote: FOLK TALES]
In Tyrol, which has experienced these and possesses such a large share
of romantic beauty, and even nowadays some "solitary places," there
need be little wonder that legends, superstitions, and myths are found
nearly everywhere. Almost every village has its own, whose origin has
been lost in the mists of antiquity, and whose date can only be traced
uncertainly by its analogy to some other similar, more widely known,
and more easily dated legend, tale, or superstition. Many of them
enshrine actual events recorded and re-recorded with poetic license
and varying accuracy, so that at last what was originally founded upon
fact has in process of time become overlaid with much poetic imagery
and fiction. To most of these tales and accounts of events each teller
added something of himself suggested by his knowledge, imagination, or
art; and thus ultimately what had once been facts became legends
common to all throughout the length and breadth of the land till some
one set them down in permanent form by writing or printing. Then the
variations in a measure ceased.
Tyrol is full of these legendary tales, superstitions, and myths, to
which, indeed, the geological situation of the land and the simple
habits of the people conduce. When we remember that in ancient times
it was the universal custom to ascribe all manifestations of Nature's
laws which could not be easily traced and understood to the
supernatural, it is little wonder that the simple, unsophisticated,
and uneducated Tyrolese should have so attributed many of the wonders
amid which they lived. One very noticeable feature of the Tyrolese
character is demonstrated by the fact that, notwithstanding the
centuries of evolution during which superstition played so important a
part in the life of the people, and the existence of an unreflecting
belief in the supernatural, their many virtues, especially those of
patriotism, industry, frugality of living, morality, hospitality, and
religion, have not, as with some other nations, become impaired.
Amongst the many legends of a startling and supernatural character
which are found throughout Tyrol, is one connected with the pretty
little village of Taur in the Innthal. It has to do with a hermit who
lived in the seventeenth century in a cell overlooking the Wildbach.
He is often said by the countryfolk to have been St. Romedius himself,
though this, of course, could not be the case. One night, whilst the
holy man was engaged in his usual meditation and prayer, a tapping was
heard against the little window of his retreat. Upon opening the door,
what was his amazement to see, not the benighted traveller he expected
to find craving his hospitality and shelter, but the spirit of his
friend the priest of Taur who had recently died. The latter entreated
the holy man to have compassion upon him, saying, "Have pity upon me,
Father, for my sufferings are terrible. Once when three Masses had
been ordered and the fees paid I forgot to say them, and now for this
sin I am being punished more than I can bear."
Then the legend goes on to say that he laid his hand upon the
low-pitched roof of the little porch outside the hermit's cell, and
the holy man afterwards found that the wood was charred and the
impression of the tortured priest's hand was left indelibly in the
wood. The poor suppliant begged his old friend the hermit to say the
Masses, and to pray and fast for him. This the holy man promised
faithfully to do; and keeping his promise, a year and a day afterwards
the spirit once more rapped upon the casement and told him that he was
now free of purgatory. In the chapel there hung at least a few years
ago, and we believe now hangs, the tile with the mark of the priest's
hand branded into it, beneath which is written an account of the
miracle, with the date February, 1660.
In Wälsch Tyrol, especially, there are many folk-lore tales having a
distinctly Biblical origin or suggestion. Possibly they are oral
versions of Bible incidents handed down from generation to generation
in the early years of Christianity and during the Middle Ages, until
they have gradually in process of time and varied repetition lost
their strictly Biblical character. One of the most usually met with
(it is told by most Wälsch Tyrol mothers to their children, and is a
favourite on account of its dramatic end, and because virtue triumphs)
bears a very strong resemblance to the story of Joseph and his
Brethren. The story runs thus: "Once long ago there lived a king who
had three sons. Two were quite grown up, but the third was a child,
and was his father's joy and favourite. One day the king, who had been
out upon a hunting expedition, returned home from the chase of the
bear and chamois fatigued, and dispirited because of the loss of a
favourite feather[9] which he was accustomed to wear in his cap. There
was a hue and cry raised, but no one could find the lost article. At
length little (Joseph) came to his father and urged him to grieve no
more but to refresh himself and then rest, "for," said the child,
"either I myself or one of my brothers will find the feather."
Then the king, pleased with the child, and doubtless hopeful that he
would be the one to find the missing plume, said, "To whomsoever finds
the feather will I leave my kingdom."
The three brothers set out on their search, and after much trouble the
youngest suddenly espied the object for which they were looking. But
the two elder men, consumed by jealousy at the thought of Joseph's
inheriting the kingdom, led him away into a wood and killed him, and,
taking the feather to their father the king, told him that they both
found it and thus jointly claimed the reward. Regarding the missing
(Joseph) they said that whilst searching for the feather they missed
him, and suddenly looked up to see him being borne away by a bear into
the recesses of the woods, and as they were unarmed it was impossible
for them to attempt to rescue him. The king was consumed by grief;
search was made, but the body was not discovered; and it was not until
the proverbial year and a day afterwards that a shepherd boy came
across (Joseph's) bones, and, taking one of them, fashioned it into a
primitive flute or shepherd's pipe. The wonderful part of the story is
still to come. No sooner had the shepherd commenced to play upon the
pipe than it told, in the voice of the poor child victim of jealousy,
the whole story. The shepherd took the pipe to the king and played
upon it before him. The king listened, and, accepting the miraculous
tale it told, ordered his two sons, who were present and struck with
amazement and fear, to be instantly put to death.
There are scores of other stories of a similar character told during
the winter evenings around the fire in Tyrolese huts and houses. Some
have a family likeness to tales of our own land, such as Cinderella,
Puss in Boots, Jack and the Beanstalk (only the giant is often
replaced by an immense toad who guards fabulous wealth, that is only
to be obtained by killing the toad in single combat, which feat is, of
course, performed by the poor boy who wishes to marry the Princess),
Red Riding Hood, etc. An account of these, however, rightly belongs to
a volume of comparative folk-lore, and for detailed description we
have no space in the present one.
[Sidenote: SOME QUAINT CUSTOMS]
Of the many quaint customs which still prevail in different parts of
Tyrol, those relating to Christmas and to All Souls are amongst the
most tender and picturesque. In North Tyrol, more especially perhaps
in the district of the Unter-Innthal, Christmas, which is called
Christnacht and Weihnacht, is celebrated by the gift of _Klaubabrod_,
a strange cake-like compound made of dough, almonds, slices of pears,
and other preserved fruits and nuts, which, at least with the
generality of foreigners, must, we think from personal experience, be
"an acquired taste." The Zillerthal maidens are specially
well-instructed in the making of _Klaubabrod_, and the one prepared
for the family consumption, if the maker be engaged, must have the
first slice cut out of it by her betrothed, who then kisses her and at
the same time gives her some little present as a mark of his
affection. In former days it was the custom of the Bishops of Brixen
to make presents of fish to members of their household and to all in
their employ. The fish came from Lake Garda, and was allowed by custom
to pass through the dominions of the reigning Count of Tyrol and the
Prince Bishop of Trent exempt from the toll which would otherwise have
been levied.
In Wälsch Tyrol there is a curious Christmas custom still to be met
with which consists of the arrangement, by the father of the family,
of a number of heaps of flour upon a table or shelf. In these are
hidden various little presents, and when the children and other
members of the household have been admitted they take their heap
according to the drawing of lots, or the result of some contest or
competition.
The belief that animals have the gift of speech, which has during past
ages been prevalent throughout Christendom, still prevails in some
parts of the more remote districts and valleys of Tyrol; and strange
stories are told of things said by beasts and over-heard by human
beings which have come true, so that animals evidently are accredited
also with the gift of prophecy.
At Epiphany, in many parts of Tyrol, performances very similar in
character to the English old-time "mummers" are given. Generally three
of the village boys dressed up to represent kings, one having his face
blacked, go from house to house singing. Sometimes a Herod will appear
at the window of the house and reply to their songs in rhyming
couplets. After which the singers stand in turn and sing, and end with
a chorus which contains broad hints that they would not refuse some
refreshment were it offered them! They seldom or never fail to receive
this, as usually some provision has been made by the hospitable
village folk for the purpose.
The blessing of cattle on the Eve of Epiphany was at one time an
almost universal practice with the Tyrolese. This, however, has been
largely discontinued, although still extant in some hamlets of the
remote valleys.
As showing the almost universal prevalence of certain ideas underlying
customs, though often varying in details, one may quote the observance
of All Souls in Wälsch Tyrol, which bears a marked resemblance to the
beautiful and even more pathetic ceremonials connected with the Feast
of Bon Matsuri in far-off Japan. In parts of Wälsch Tyrol, although
the graves of the departed are not decorated nowadays, as is so much
the practice in Germany, the parish priests gather their parishioners
together in the churchyards and recite the Rosary whilst kneeling
amidst the graves. In many parts loaves, called _cuzza_, are given to
the poor with small doles of money, and sometimes bean soup. In
former times, however, these doles, which are for the refreshment of
the souls of the departed, were actually laid upon the graves
themselves, apparently in the belief that the souls would come forth
and partake of the food so lovingly provided. Pitchers, cups, and
other vessels containing fresh water were also placed so that the
souls might slake their purgatorial thirst. It is in this latter and
ancient, and not in the less symbolic modern observance that the
analogy to the Bon Matsuri of Japan is so distinctly traceable.
[Sidenote: MARRIAGE IN TYROL]
Of the curious customs which once prevailed very widely, and are even
now to be found in the more remote districts, those relating to
marriage are amongst the most quaint. The month of May is, strangely
enough, unpopular; with us the opposite appears to be the case. The
favourite day is a Thursday. In fact, one writer ventures to say,
"throughout Tyrol a Thursday is chosen." Monday, however, is the
favourite in one of the smaller valleys of the Windisch-Matrei
district.
On the night before the wedding there is usually a great dance given,
and in towns often a hall is hired for the purpose, where the
contracting parties are well known, in a good position, and have a
large circle of friends and acquaintances; and in villages where the
same circumstances occur an elaborately decorated barn is often used
for the merry-making.
From the time the wedding is announced or the "banns" published the
betrothed maiden is known as the "Pulpit Bride" or _Kansel-Braut_.
These village wedding festivities are often rendered picturesque and
even mediæval in effect, as the peasants frequently wear the costumes
of former times, and the barn is lighted by pine torches or equally
primitive methods. The dancing is kept up till early morning, in fact
often until sunrise; and not till then do the guests disperse, some of
the more favoured going on to the bride's house for a substantial
breakfast, or, as it is called, _Morgensuppe_. Whilst this is in
progress the bride is usually attired by her girl friends (quite a
number of them frequently sharing in this interesting and even
exciting ceremony), and those who have not come in to breakfast may
continue the dancing. One of the special adornments worn by brides is
a knot of long ribbons or scarlet leather worked with gold thread,
whilst blue bands, worn round the arm, and the hat ribbons are of the
same colour. These were anciently thought, and are indeed still so, to
have special powers to preserve the wearer from goitre and other
complaints.
The bride's procession, which forms usually at about ten or eleven in
the morning, is headed by musicians. But before starting the guests
assemble round the table in the living room and drink the good health
of the happy couple out of a large bowl from which the latter
themselves have drunk first. The nearest relatives and friends of the
bride usually form a kind of guard of honour, being known as "train
bearers," although we fancy a "train" is seldom worn by a peasant, or
by one of the lower middle class. These "train bearers" surround the
bride, and, except in inclement weather, walk with their hats in their
hand, and sometimes bear garlands of flowers. In some districts it is
the custom for the priest to accompany the bride to church, not as
with us to await her arrival there, walking on one side of her whilst
the parents walk on the other. Orange blossom is seldom worn, save by
the rich; peasant girls wearing as a substitute a spray or wreath of
Rosemary, which it is also a common practice for them to do in Italy
and Spain. The plant is considered emblematic of the purity of the
Virgin, and for that reason highly valued.
[Sidenote: COSTUMES]
Very frequently a Tyrolese bride wears no special bridal dress, but
her holiday or _fête_ dress, which has perhaps been retrimmed or
additionally embellished for the occasion. This was the case at a
wedding at which we were present in the Unter-Innthal, where the
bridesmaids also wore their picturesque festal attire, with
broad-brimmed velvet hats, elaborately embroidered bolero-shaped
bodices, snowy linen sleeves, short velvet skirts, and handsome
aprons. Their shoes were mostly of black leather, some of those worn
by the well-to-do girls being adorned by huge silver buckles.
On this occasion the bridegroom was scarcely less gay in attire than
the bride. Clad in short black velvet knee-breeches, and wearing a
green velvet double-fronted waistcoat, a black jacket, thick brown
knitted woollen hose, a crown or head ornament of silver filigree
work, and a massive silver belt with heavy bosses, he was not only a
conspicuous, but also an almost theatrical figure of the procession. A
priest also accompanied him, followed by the village innkeeper, who is
not seldom the richest man of the community, owner of the largest
amount of land, and the holder of a position somewhat analogous to
that of a mayor. It is generally agreed that the Tyrolese village
innkeeper is a man of superior calibre to his English counterpart.
Usually he is a man of upright character, and superior intelligence to
the average villager; and carrying on, as he frequently does, several
other businesses besides that of innkeeper, he is less interested than
in some other countries in the excessive consumption of drink.
At many weddings singers from neighbouring villages and hamlets will
come into the bride's native place to assist with the singing and
music which form a prominent feature of the ceremony. Lighted tapers
are sometimes carried by the bridal party in church; and candles that
will not burn well are always avoided and thrown aside by the younger
and unmarried members of the company on account of the belief
prevailing that to hold such is a sure sign that the bearers will not
be married within the year. At the conclusion of the ceremony a cup of
spiced wine mixed with water is sometimes handed round by the priest
after he has blessed it, out of which the guests all drink to the
health of the bride and bridegroom to be. In the old name given to
this _Johannis segen_ (literally John's blessing) some authorities are
inclined to trace a symbolism having its origin in the miracle
performed at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.
After the ceremony has been performed the wedding-party leaves the
church, and, as is the case on similar occasions in Brittany and other
countries, dancing almost immediately commences. It is sometimes,
indeed, started almost at the church door, and thus the wedding-party
proceeds to the village inn accompanied by musicians. In former times
it was the almost universal custom in several valleys of Tyrol to
proceed in turn to every inn within a radius of some miles after
refreshments had been partaken of at the first. A very fatiguing
custom one would imagine. Refreshments, we were told, generally marked
each visit, and yet the real business of the day, the wedding feast,
was still to come!
In ancient times--the custom has now fallen into disuse so far as we
have been able to discover--it was also the practice to slaughter a
fatted calf, which had been reserved for that particular purpose.
Every possible joint and portion of the animal was served up in turn
even to the head and feet.
[Sidenote: A TYROLESE WEDDING]
At the end of a feast which even nowadays lasts hours, and formerly,
so one old writer says, "consumed much time so that the whole day was
frequently given over to feasting till few who sat down to the board
were capable of much exertion," the best man or some prominent
groomsman rises and asks the guests whether they are satisfied with
the fare provided. It is needless to say that such a question is
invariably received with rounds of appreciative applause. Then, in
former times more frequently than nowadays, the speaker proceeded to
preach a little sermonette which generally ran something in the
following style, and was little varied from occasion to occasion, or
even from one generation to another. "The good gifts of which we have
partaken are from the hand of God. Therefore should thanks be given to
Him. And yet more should this be done for His mercy in making us in
His image and reasonable beings, and not as the wild beasts of the
field or crawling things, or unbelievers. We have but to thank Him and
turn ourselves to Him in the spirit of humbleness and gratitude, and
He will abide and go with us as with those at the marriage feast in
Cana of Galilee."
Other duties in life and aspirations were usually touched upon, and
coming from one of themselves we can well believe the speech was
listened to with additional attention by a race of people
distinguished for simple piety and homely religion. The exhortation
was usually followed by a loud saying of a Paternoster and a "Hail
Mary" by all present.
Often this address is followed by other refreshments of a lighter kind
than those of the feast proper. Some are of special design, and in
their shapes and decorations have symbolic meaning, as is sometimes
the case of wedding dishes and decorations in other countries. After
this the guests bring forth the gifts they have for the young couple.
Coming from a naturally generous and warm-hearted people these are
often not only useful but valuable, and prove a great help to the
newly established housekeepers.
Then, when the most exigent appetites have been more than satisfied,
the musicians, who have played at intervals throughout the
proceedings, strike up dance tunes, and the younger--and often older,
too--members of the party indulge in their favourite indoor
pastime--dancing.
Tyrolese peasant dances are many of them exceedingly picturesque and
quaint, if somewhat boisterous and lively in their performance. Both
the men and the girls in one or two of them beat time not only with
their feet but also by means of resounding thwacks on their thighs and
hips. And whilst the young men, clad in gay waistcoats, black velvet
or leather knee-breeches and high-crowned hats often of a delightful
shade of green felt, are getting more energetic, their partner's
short, full skirts during their top-like revolutions often ascend
waistward until the extent of shapely and sturdy limbs displayed
almost rivals that of a conventional ballet girl. Other dances of the
waltz, _dreher_, and _allemande_ type are more graceful, and less
"romping" in character. Dancing is carried on far into the night, and
it is a notable circumstance that although there is a good deal of
eating there is not often excessive drinking on these occasions, and
cases of actual drunkenness are very few and far between.
Several of the valleys--the Zillerthal, Iselthal, and Grödenerthal in
particular--have their own peculiar wedding customs. And in several,
as in parts of Germany, the old custom of stealing one of the garters
of the bride whilst she is seated at the wedding feast for the purpose
of cutting it up into mascots or souvenirs still obtains.
[Sidenote: TYROLESE SPORTS]
A love of sport of all kinds seems inherent to the Tyrolese nature;
and this in conjunction with the pure air and bracing climate in which
the people live, the strenuous struggle for existence with the forces
of Nature which is always going on amidst the higher valleys, not only
serves to keep the Tyrolese a hardy and vigorous race, but has much to
do with the special qualities of industry, religiousness, morality,
frugality, and straight-forwardness for which they have long been
distinguished.
Their athletic festivals parallel those of Westmorland, Cumberland,
and the Highland gatherings of our own land and the sports are to a
considerable extent similar in character. The most popular, however,
are undoubtedly shooting at a mark, or _Scheibenschiessen_ as they are
called, and wrestling.
The Tyrolese gun, usually a short-barrelled rifle, known as _stutz_,
has played an important part not only in the history of the nation,
but also in the domestic life of the people. In many of the more
remote valleys, in the past at least, it has deserved its name of the
bread-winner, for upon the game shot with it many a household has
largely subsisted; whilst from the skins of the deer, chamois and
other animals killed, articles of clothing are made. To the constant
use of the gun in all its evolutionary stages, from the flint-lock
musket down to the more modern rifle of to-day, the Tyrolese owe their
renown as being amongst the finest marksmen in Europe, a
characteristic which has counted so tremendously in their various
struggles with the invaders of their country.
Wrestling is popular throughout the Tyrolese valleys, but nowhere more
so than in the picturesque and romantic Zillerthal. The champion
wrestler of a village, as used to be the village "bruiser" with us, is
a person of importance who would not barter the distinction for love
nor money. The wrestlers are divided into three kinds, the "Roblar,"
"Mairraffer," and "Haggler," who follow the rules of different schools
of wrestling. In former times this love of the sport, or perhaps one
should say supremacy in it, frequently led to scenes of crime and
bloodshed. Often in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries noted
robbers and freebooters were those who had acquired great physical
powers as wrestlers, and in consequence took to brigandage as a means
of livelihood. Indeed, there are stories told of fair maidens in past
ages having been carried off from their betrothed by force, when the
rejected suitor (or perhaps the unknown rival who had set his heart on
a particular girl) had killed his rival in a wrestling bout. To prove
murderous intent under such circumstances was not only extremely
difficult but also somewhat against the "sporting" instinct of the
race, and the primeval idea that the woman should fall to the
strongest.
Bowling and the game of skittles are also favourite pastimes, and to
the latter especially several romantic stories attach. Indeed, even at
the present day one can find traces of the belief that the game is
also popular with the elves, gnomes, goblins, and "little folk" who
are supposed to dwell in or haunt certain mountains, woods, and
streams, only these supernatural folk mostly play with gold and silver
balls and skulls in the legends and folk tales one hears around the
firesides in Tyrolese chalets.
[Sidenote: A GHOSTLY LEGEND]
There is a strange story in connection with this game and the spirit
players attached to the now ruined and once strong and famous castle
of Starkenberg, which was destroyed by Frederick with the Empty Purse
in the fifteenth century.
Once, so the story goes, a pedlar was overtaken by darkness upon the
mountain side, and losing his way, he came to the ancient _schloss_,
in which he decided to take shelter for the night. He lay down on the
grassy floor of the ruined hall, and placing his pack beneath his head
went off to sleep. He slept for some hours and then was awakened by
the clock of a neighbouring village striking midnight. As the last
stroke reverberated amongst the rocks of the hillside he was
astonished to see twelve spectral figures clad in complete armour file
into the hall, and set to work to play a game of bowls, using skulls
in place of balls.
[Illustration: THE ORTLER FROM THE MALSER HEIDE]
Now it happened that the pedlar was not only a fine wrestler and a man
of great physical strength and courage (otherwise he would scarcely
perhaps have chosen a haunted ruin in which to pass the night), but
was the champion bowler of his native village. So he offered to pit
his skill against that of the spectral knights. His challenge was
accepted, and in the end he beat them all, and to his astonishment,
instead of disgust being shown at his victory, his prowess was hailed
with shouts of joy, and one of the spirits speaking to him said that
now they were released from purgatory, and then they all vanished.
Much mystified, the pedlar turned to see where they had disappeared
to, when his eyes were greeted by the sight of ten more men in armour,
who entered the hall by separate doors. After having carefully locked
the latter they all brought the keys to the pedlar, and entreated him
to try and discover the right one for each door. Nothing abashed he
undertook the task which was a difficult one owing to the fact that
each key, door, and ghostly visitant were exactly alike. He managed,
however, to accomplish his task successfully, and was overwhelmed by
the thanks of the spirits, who told him, as had their bowl-playing
counterparts, that he had by this feat released them from torment.
As was to be quite expected, it was now the devil's turn to appear
upon the scene, which he immediately did, roundly upbraiding the
pedlar for having thus robbed him of some of his victims, and
declaring that he (the devil) would now inevitably manage to gain the
pedlar's soul instead. The latter was not to be so easily disposed of,
however, and he offered to stake his soul upon a game of bowls to be
played between himself and the Evil One. Needless to say that the
latter was beaten, and when dawn came at length he fled away with a
horrible rushing of his bat-like wings, and his hot sulphurous breath
tainting the air, so that the grass was withered in places.
The pedlar was not likely to keep such an interesting experience to
himself, and so when in due course he came to the village, towards
which he was making his way when overtaken by nightfall, he told the
tale. The villagers amazed went to the ruined castle, and lo and
behold there was the scorched grass as the pedlar had declared.
It would be easy to quote other equally quaint and romantic stories
which are told in connection with the sports and pastimes of Tyrol,
but that of the pedlar and the ghostly knights or men-at-arms must
suffice. It will, at all events, serve to demonstrate how inextricably
interwoven are the threads of legendary lore and romance, even with
the commonplace daily life and amusements of this interesting people.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] In "Etrusker," Einl. 3, 10 _et seq._
[8] "Über die Urbewohner Rätiens und ihren Zusammenhang mit den
Etruskern."
[9] Or ornament.
CHAPTER IV
INNSBRUCK, ITS HISTORY, PEOPLE AND TREASURES
The approach to Innsbruck, whether one come to it by railway or by
road from the west, north, east or south, is picturesque and even
wonderfully beautiful. Most English and American travellers, however,
we imagine, come to the old-time capital of Tyrol via Zurich and the
Arlberg railway, with its marvellous tunnel all but six and a half
miles in length, above which tower snow-clad peaks and glaciers. This
route provides a wonder-world of delight, a succession of deep gorges
lying at the foot of towering mountains covered on their summits with
a mantle of spotless and eternal snow. At one moment the train
traverses a steep gradient climbing slowly along the hillside as
though the line were laid upon a shelf of rock from which nothing but
a miracle can keep it from tumbling into the foaming torrent below;
the next plunging into the darkness of one of the many tunnels, to
emerge a moment or two later into a blaze of light and vistas of still
greater beauty. The Arlberg railway is not alone an engineering
triumph; it is also an artistic one. Few lines in Europe present
greater charm or variety of scenery in so comparatively short a
distance. To enter Tyrol by it is to see the country as it is, largely
unaltered from the days when Napoleon's armies entered it also from
the Swiss frontier with the same objective, Innsbruck.
Soon after leaving Feldkirch the valley commences to contract as the
line climbs upwards from Bludenz and passes through the beautiful
Kloster Thal; and at Langen one suddenly comes into the region of
Alpine pastures, and from the valley below one can hear the musical
tinkle of cow-bells, and discover on the hill-slopes picturesque
groups of peasants minding their flocks. Then comes the ascent through
the famous Arlberg tunnel, which is 26 feet in width and 23 feet in
height, with its six and a half miles of gloom succeeded by
magnificent scenery as St. Anton is passed, and the line proceeds
through the narrow Stanzer valley, between towering mountains, many of
whose peaks are snow-covered. Soon it crosses the wonderful Trisanna
Viaduct which, in one arch of nearly 150 yards in length, spans the
gorge of the Patznaum valley, at the bottom of which, nearly 200 feet
below the line, rushes the glacial stream, and thence past the ancient
Castle of Wiesberg onwards to Landeck, which is set in a wide valley
with its commanding castle.
From Landeck by taking a carriage one can reach Innsbruck in a
leisurely way along the Finstermunz high-road via Sulden and Trafoi,
and thence along the Stilfserjoch, the highest carriage road in
Europe, which climbs to the height of 9055 feet above sea level. This
was constructed between the years 1820-25 by the Austrian Government,
and traverses a wonderful variety of exquisite scenery, from the
region of the eternal snow on the Ortler and Monte Cristallo to the
vine-clad slopes of the Val Tellina. The most impressive scenery is,
however, found on the Tyrol side of the pass.
From Landeck the line passes many another picturesque village;
castles, whose history would fill volumes, seem to stand stark and
stern almost on every mountain spur, some now mere ruins, others
wonderful survivals of a past age, sometimes environed by pine-clad
slopes, at others half-encircled by rushing torrents washing the bases
of the rocky promontories upon which they stand, whilst above one
towers on either hand the illimitable glaciers and snow slopes of the
Eastern Alps. Thus through ever interesting and beautiful scenery one
at last approaches Innsbruck.
[Illustration: THE TRISANNA VIADUCT AND CASTLE WIESBERG]
[Illustration: A PEEP OF THE ZILLERTHAL]
[Sidenote: INNSBRUCK]
Innsbruck is not only the capital of Tyrol, a town of upwards of
50,000 inhabitants, renowned historically and climaterically, but it
is also the junction of two important lines of railway by means of
which one can get eastward to Vienna and the East, and southward into
Italy.
It has been said that of all Tyrolese towns Innsbruck is the least
national. Such a statement, although tinctured with truth, needs some
qualification. In the season it certainly puts on a cosmopolitan air,
and one meets numbers of English, Austrians, Germans, French,
Americans, Italians, and Anglo-Indians in its streets; and games and
entertainments make up a social round of considerable gaiety. But the
town nevertheless retains its native charm, bred of historic memories,
ancient buildings, and the hospitality of its people.
To the northward, sheltering it from the cold winds from off the
Bavarian plains, stands the bulwark of the eternal heights which
literally wall in Tyrol. There rise the magnificent groups of
limestone mountains towering above the fertile Inn Valley, the
Frauhitt and Martinswand with their romantic traditions and memories,
the Seegrubenspitzen, and Rumerjoch and Brandjoch. In fine weather
they appear but a stone's throw from the bottom of the
Maria-Theresien-Strasse, or from the Ferdinands Allée which runs along
the south bank of the Inn, with its maples and poplars graceful and
shady.
Situated amid so much beauty of scenery, favoured by an equable
climate and much sunshine, it is little wonder that the town has
become a popular resort, more especially during the winter months. The
valley is at its broadest where the city stands, allowing a wide
prospect and charming views from the slopes of St. Nicolaus and
Mariahilf across the river to the Berg Isel, and the wooded sides of
the Mittelgebirge, with here and there a tiny village with outstanding
spire perched high on the mountain side, or set amid the plain. The
valley lies east and west of Innsbruck with the river flowing eastward
like a silver ribbon, amid cultivated fields of fertile alluvial soil,
threading its way through the gradually narrowing valley to Kufstein
and thence through Bavaria to the Danube.
This Alpine city, pregnant with so many historical memories, deeds of
blood and chivalry, engirdled by the everlasting hills, is, with the
possible exception of Salzburg, the most picturesque and interesting
of all German Alpine towns.
The character of Innsbruck of to-day differs very materially in some
respects from what it was two decades ago. The modern element, which
always comes to such places with greater notoriety and prosperity
brought by travellers and tourists, has become developed, but happily
as yet not greatly to the detriment of the old-time air which still
permeates its narrow, ancient streets, and by-ways, courts, and
buildings. In some of the former, the Maria-Theresien-Strasse at the
south end of which stands the Triumphal Arch and Gate, and the
Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, for example, the old and the new are
strangely mingled. It is not a little owing to this distinguishing
feature as well as to its beautiful environment that Innsbruck owes
its charm. With much of the convenience, it possesses less of the
vexing artificiality of ancient places vulgarized by the exigencies of
modern travel than do many similar towns. In some parts one might
almost imagine one's self in one of the larger mountain villages, in
another at Pontresina, or St. Moritz, minus, however, some of the more
artificial gaiety of these resorts.
[Sidenote: INNSBRUCK TYPES]
During the season--more especially the summer--there are numbers of
German tourists as well as Austrian to be seen in the streets, and in
their almost boisterous enjoyment of their sight-seeing and holiday
amusements they form a very marked contrast to the quieter and perhaps
somewhat restrained English and American visitors, who as a general
rule set about exploring the place and its treasures with a much more
preoccupied and business-like air.
From the higher and more distant valleys, too, many mountaineers and
peasants come down to enjoy a few hours' marketing or the pleasures of
the town. They form not the least interesting feature of the summer
crowd which throngs the new as well as the old streets of Innsbruck.
The women, many of them, wear picturesque costumes, consisting of
velvet bodices, skirts of often beautiful shades of green and brown;
aprons elaborately worked, or of lace; and sailor-shaped hats of black
or green felt, often ornamented by gold embroidery under the brims and
with two long ribbons (frequently also of velvet) hanging down or
fluttering in the wind at the back. These hats are singularly like
those of the Breton peasants, only they are worn more by the women
than the men, whilst in Brittany women seldom wear them.
The fact that Innsbruck is a garrison town accounts for the presence
of a large number of soldiers about the streets; green plays a
prominent part in many of the uniforms--more especially of Tyrolese
regiments--whilst the officers of several wear a particularly smart
shade of blue-grey, or "pastel" blue cloth with trimmings of cerise,
scarlet, or green, which seldom fail to arouse the admiration of the
ladies. The countryfolk, too, crowd the streets on market days with
feathers in their hats which are often of beautifully "weathered"
golden green or bright green felt.
The history of Innsbruck from the tenth century onwards is indeed
largely that of Tyrol itself. The name as a town appears first to have
occurred in a document of the year 1027 which was a grant to the
chapel of St. James' in the Field (St. Jacob in der Au), which most
probably occupied the site on which the stately church of the same
name erected in 1717 now stands. Long before this date, however, a
settlement of people--small at first--had taken place at this crossing
or ford of the Inn, brought into existence by the growing and
profitable commerce between Germany and Italy by way of the Brenner.
Both the travelling merchants and the Tyrolese themselves soon found
the place a convenient depôt for the heavier goods and articles of
merchandise, such as skins, wines, cloths, and metal ware; and as the
years went by it gradually grew to be more than a convenient
halting-place for the merchants and their pack trains on their
journeys. Houses fit to accommodate the well-to-do were erected, and
Innsbruck as a flourishing town came into being. Towards the end of
the twelfth century certain rights over the town were acquired by a
von Andechs, Berthold II., from the monks of Wilten to whom it
belonged; and in consequence of these rights, Otto I., his successor,
encircled it with walls, fortifications, and watch-towers, and also
built himself a palace.
The rise of Innsbruck was from the middle of the thirteenth century a
steady one. At that period it was made the sole depôt for the storage
of goods between the Zillerthal and the Melach; and as the years went
by other privileges were granted to the steadily growing town, which
not only served to maintain but also to increase its importance.
In 1279, Bruno, Bishop of Brixen, consecrated another church in the
Ottoburg, which was called the Moritzkapelle. The town's lords,
spiritual as well as temporal, appear to have done what they could to
foster and encourage its growth, and there are records of festivities
and princely entertainments on a lavish scale within the precincts of
the Ottoburg in those far-off times. It was not, however, until after
the cession of Tyrol to Austria by the Duchess Margaret, known as
"Pocket-mouthed Meg," that the admirable situation of Innsbruck was
fully realized. Ultimately, the convenience of its water communication
by the Inn and Danube with other distant and flourishing towns of the
Empire seems largely to have brought about its adoption as the seat of
government for Tyrol.
[Sidenote: INNSBRUCK'S RULERS]
Innsbruck throughout the centuries, so far as its rulers are
concerned, appears to have been "fortune's child." Many privileges
were granted to it from time to time, and the staunch fidelity of the
citizens to Duke Rudolph IV. of Habsburg at the time of one of the
periodic Bavarian invasions resulted in further concessions being
granted which served to place Innsbruck in the unassailable position
of being both the capital and the most prosperous town in the Tyrol.
Duke Frederick of the Empty Pocket (_Mit der leeren Tasche_) made
Innsbruck his home and base of operations whilst endeavouring to put
down the Rottenburgers and other of the powerful nobles, who were
attempting to set him at defiance and continue the oppression of the
countryfolk which they had commenced and carried on during the
unstable and weak government of Frederick's immediate predecessors.
The Innsbruckers gave him loyal and very material support in his
endeavours, and reaped a substantial reward in the favours and
privileges which Frederick afterwards granted to them.
It was this prince who gained, by contact with his people when a
fugitive amongst the mountains and valleys of Tyrol, a knowledge of
them (and thereby earned their affection) that made it possible for
him ultimately to call the peasantry to arms, and to defy the power of
the Emperor Sigismund, Ernest the Iron Duke of Styria, and his other
enemies.
The circumstances of Frederick's call of the people to arms was
romantic in the extreme. Indeed, his doings in the early years of his
outlawry by the Church and State read like pages of the most stirring
romance. Perhaps some of the deeds recorded are more or less
legendary, but enough remains to fill to overflowing with stirring
incidents the pages of any historical romance. Briefly the story of
the event is as follows. Assured during his many wanderings of the
people's devotion to him, for when pursued they had sheltered him, and
when discovered they had boldly refused to surrender his person to his
enemies, Frederick devised a plan by which he should appear as the
principal actor in an heroic peasant comedy at the great fair at
Landeck. This play set forth in stirring scenes the fortunes or rather
misfortunes of an exiled prince driven from his throne by his enemies,
compelled to wander destitute, and with a price upon his head amongst
his people, whom he eventually calls to arms and leads to victory and
thus recovers his inheritance.
He must have played his part remarkably well if one may judge by the
results. The people, who had come to the fair from all parts of the
country roundabout were stirred to the very depths by his acting, and
by his pourtrayal of the imaginary prince's misfortunes. We are told
the audience were many of them moved to tears and that when Frederick
came to sing of the people following their ruler's call to arms the
enthusiasm became uncontrollable.
Then, so the tale goes, Frederick threw off all disguise, and made a
direct appeal to them. The vast audience vowed to support his cause,
and the enthusiasm which swayed the Landeckers was not long spreading
through the whole country with the result that shortly afterwards the
Emperor Sigismund and Frederick's brother concluded a truce with him
and he was allowed to become ruler.
[Illustration: THE FAMOUS "GOLDEN ROOF," INNSBRUCK]
During his reign he did much to show his gratitude to his loyal
friends and people by curbing the oppressive power of the nobles, and
granting many privileges which were on the whole more for the
benefit of the poor than of the rich.
[Sidenote: THE "GOLDEN ROOF"]
But to many who come to Innsbruck we fancy Frederick's fame rests not
upon his wisdom as a ruler so much as upon his extravagance in
building the world-famous "Goldne Dachl" to the elegant late-Gothic
balcony of his palace at the foot of the Herzog-Friedrich-strasse. The
nickname of "Empty Purse" or "Pocket" had been bestowed upon him by
his enemies, who sought to belittle him when he attained to power. It
was not certainly his by common consent. The Tyrolese account rather
points to the fact that Frederick at one time had impoverished himself
in his endeavours to relieve his subjects from the burdens of
taxation, and in consequence the nobles who were no believers in his
system of government in this respect bestowed upon him this somewhat
approbrious _sobriquet_. Frederick saw in this a reproach not perhaps
so much directed against himself as against his people in general. It
seemed to him to indicate that his enemies thought those for whom he
had undoubtedly done much kept him poor and would do nothing to keep
up a state in character with his position as ruler. He therefore built
the famous roof.[10] Outside the house which was then the Furstenburg
or princely dwelling, now very ordinary looking and far less imposing
and ornate in character than say the Heblinghaus hard by, he in 1425
erected over the two-storied balcony the "Goldne Dachl," on which
piece of mediæval display of wealth he is stated to have expended
30,000 ducats or about £14,000. In it there are 3450 gilt upon copper
tiles, which have several times since Frederick's day been regilded.
The last occasion on which this was done is upwards of twenty years
ago.
It is necessary, however, for us to say that considerable doubt exists
whether Frederick--who is now supposed not even to have built the
house--did construct the roof which has done so much to immortalize
his nickname. Loth though one is to destroy a romantic story, truth
compels us to state that the most reliable evidence points to the
Emperor Maximilian as the originator of the roof and probably the
balcony also in 1500, after his second marriage with Maria Bianca
Sforza of Milan.
The house has long ago descended from its high position as a royal
palace, even at times of recent years having been let to private
families or in apartments, but the famous "Goldne Dachl" over the
beautiful oriel window, with its Gothic balconies, the balustrades of
which are decorated with carved armorial bearings and shields in
marble, has been preserved as a beloved relic almost in its original
state. Within the house itself is a curious old fresco, the subject of
which has been the cause of much dispute. On the second floor is an
interesting sculptured bas-relief, depicting Maximilian and his two
wives, Mary of Burgundy and Maria Bianca Sforza, with the seven
coats-of-arms belonging to the seven provinces over which the Emperor
held sway.
Frederick's son Sigismund succeeded him, and for a time kept a
brilliant and gay Court at Innsbruck, but being without direct heirs
he in 1490 gave up Tyrol to his cousin who, three years later, became
the Emperor Maximilian I. Maximilian in turn did much for the town
which he adopted as his Tyrol home, and by his residence in Innsbruck,
after he had become the Emperor of a wide dominion, he did much to
increase its importance and prosperity. He it was who built a new
palace in the Rennplatz, called the Burg, which scarcely forty years
later was burned down. The Great Hall, called the Goldene Saal, and
the state bedroom, the decorations and furniture of which were so
beautiful and magnificent that it was known as _das Paradies_, were
eventually totally destroyed, many of the occupants of the palace,
including the children of the Emperor Ferdinand of that time, escaping
with their lives with difficulty.
Maximilian, who became familiar to his Innsbruckers as the "Kaiser
Max," especially endeared himself to them by reason of his frank
manners and love of the chase and mountaineering.
[Sidenote: ANCIENT INNS]
Amongst the many interesting mediæval buildings which have happily
survived in Innsbruck there are several in the immediate neighbourhood
of the famous "Goldne Dachl." One of the oldest, if not the oldest, is
the Ottoburg of Otto I. standing at the end of the
Herzog-Friedrich-strasse close to the River Inn; and, indeed, only
separated from it by the Herzog-Otto-strasse. This, the residence of
the Andechs, was built in 1234, and was the reputed birthplace of Otto
III. A quaint motto concerning it remains, which, roughly translated,
runs--
"Here the Ottoburg firmly stands,
A house upheld by God's own hands."
In this ancient building many dramatic scenes of Tyrolese history took
place.
Close by is the oldest Inn, the famous and deeply interesting Goldener
Adler (Golden Eagle) to which, in former times, before modern hotels
and conveniences were esteemed indispensable, every visitor of
distinction to Innsbruck came. The "visitors' list" of the Goldener
Adler is one long entry of nobles and celebrities.
Indeed, during the time it was the acknowledged resort of the nobility
and even monarchs who came to Innsbruck, it sheltered amongst its many
distinguished guests and travellers the Emperor Joseph II.; Ludwig I.,
King of Bavaria; Gustave III. of Sweden; Heinrich Heine, the gifted
though melancholy poet; and Goethe, who came to Innsbruck with the
Dowager Duchess Amalie of Saxe-Weimar in 1790. In commemoration of
this visit a bust of the poet adorns the room which he occupied. And
last, but by no means least, the Goldener Adler housed the patriot
Andreas Hofer. It was regarding the portraits of the latter, of his
enemy Napoleon Bonaparte, and of Ludwig of Bavaria that Heine remarked
on seeing them hanging side by side in the dining-room of the Inn that
it was strange to see such enemies grouped together even though merely
portraits. Tradition has it that it was from the middle window of the
famous Goldener Adler that Hofer made his speech to the surging crowd
in the narrow street below on August 15, 1809, when he entered the
town in triumph after the third battle on Berg Isel. A copy of the
speech, which was a modest though stirring oration, has been preserved
at the Inn.
One of the most delightful vistas of the old town is to be obtained
from the corner where stand the three well-known Inns, the Goldener
Hirsch, Rother Adler, and Goldener Löwe; whilst from the balcony of
the old Stadtthurm or belfry a fine view over the town and of the
environing mountain summits rewards the adventurous climber.
The old-fashioned "lauben" or arcades of the Herzog-Friedrich-strasse
in particular, under which are set out tiny stalls often kept by
picturesquely attired girls and women, seldom fail to attract the
attention of visitors.
On either side of the street these "lauben" stretch under the low
arcaded roofs, providing not only a cool promenade in the heat of
summer, but a shelter which on wet days can be fully appreciated, for,
to speak frankly, Innsbruck in wet weather strikes one if one wanders
in the byways as a somewhat muddy though intensely interesting town.
In these "lauben" one frequently sees types of the older Tyrolese in
the national costume, which in the towns of Tyrol (as in those of
other countries) show signs of dying out. Old women in the short
skirts, and picturesque aprons, quaint hats and bodices, of the
mountain districts and villages, and the old men, wrapped (if the
weather be cold) in long, flowing, cloaks of green or russet cloth,
smoking their long pipes with painted porcelain bowls, on which are
often as not stirring scenes in miniature from the life of Hofer.
[Sidenote: MARKET TYPES]
By way of these covered promenades one gradually reaches the busier
centre of the town where the old-world aspect of
Herzog-Friedrich-strasse gives place to the more modern Maria
Theresien-strasse, and the Burggraben joins the Marktgraben. There are
few more deeply interesting and picturesque places of its kind than
Innsbruck Marktgraben on a festival or market day. Here, indeed, is a
spot not alone for the artist and amateur photographer, but for the
student also, who may see many quaint local customs and costumes, and
occasionally even the boyishly attired girl cowherds of the upper
pastures in their cloth or velvet knee breeches, short jackets,
"sailor"-shaped hats decorated with feathers, edelweiss or gentians,
and worsted stockings. Here, too, perhaps, one can better realize from
the cosmopolitan throng of market people, than from anything else, the
fact that for many generations Innsbruck has been the business highway
for Italians, Slavonians, Hungarians, Austrians, and Germans. One can
often, indeed, see representatives of Northern, Southern, and Eastern
nations gathered together at one and the same time in the Marktgraben,
with a sprinkling of tourists to represent the more Western peoples.
If we were asked to pick out the two streets which in different ways
would probably most deeply impress the newcomer to Innsbruck, we
should without hesitation chose the old-world
Herzog-Friedrich-strasse, on either side of whose narrow roadway are
so many interesting ancient houses, low-ceiled rooms, and picturesque
courtyards, as one; and the Maria Theresien-strasse with its more
modern air, exquisite view of the snow-capped Bavarian Alps as the
other. But this latter fine commercial street with its up-to-date
shops, upon the windows of many of which frequently appears that
comfort-bringing (but alas! sometimes delusive) legend, "English
Spoken," is not without its old and historical buildings. In the
Spitalkirche or Church of the Holy Ghost one has an early eighteenth
century Rococo building of considerable interest. And almost opposite
stands the house in which Hermann von Gilm, the well-known Tyrolese
poet, died in 1864. A little further along is the Rathaus or Town Hall
of Innsbruck, which was formerly the Oesterreichischer Hof, a large
hotel. In the courtyard is a noticeably fine marble staircase, and
there are some interesting and effective frescoes on the walls from
the brush of Ferdinand Wagner.
Few visitors but are attracted by the column of red native marble
which occupies a prominent position in the middle of and almost
exactly midway down Maria Theresien-strasse. Surmounted by a statuette
of the Virgin Mary, and with those of St. Anna, St. George, St.
Vigilius, and St. Cassian grouped round the base, it was erected as a
memorial of the retreat of the Bavarian troops on St. Anna's Day (July
26), 1703.
At the corner of Maria Theresien-strasse and Landhaus-strasse is the
Landhaus of Anton Gump completed in 1728, and in the Rococo style of
architecture then prevalent. Here are held the sittings of the
Tyrolean Landtag which was formerly held at Meran, and on its
transference to Innsbruck was one of the main causes of the town
becoming the capital of Tyrol.
Close by is the church of the Sevites, with its famous dome decorated
by the paintings of the well-known Tyrolean artist, Joseph Schöpf,
depicting the death of St. Joseph and his entry into paradise.
The University, which stands in the street of that name, has undergone
some considerable vicissitudes. Founded by the Emperor Leopold I. in
1677, it was, by the Emperor Joseph II., reduced to the standing of a
Lycée, but was once more accorded the dignity of a University in 1826.
In the valuable library of upwards of 75,000 volumes there are many
illuminated MSS. of great beauty and value, as well as a number of
early fifteenth-century books. The adjoining Botanical Garden, which
contains an unrivalled collection of Alpine flora, and was constructed
by Professor von Kerner, belongs to the University, and here during
the summer months those who wish to study Alpine flowers will find
grouped and gathered together specimens which it would take many
months and perhaps even years to study and discover on one's own
initiative in their native habitats. The University is, however, about
to be transferred to a more convenient home on the Fürstenweg near the
Inn, and the old building will, alas! probably be pulled down and the
site used for modern houses.
[Sidenote: MAXIMILIAN'S CELL]
Quite close to the latter stands the Jesuit Church attached to it,
which is chiefly interesting because of its being the burial place of
the Tyrolese Prince Regents, and on account of the paintings by
Albrecht Durer which adorn the sacristy. The Capuchin Church and
Convent dating from the latter end of the sixteenth century are worth
a visit, for in the latter one sees an interesting and historical
survival in the retreat of the Archduke Maximilian, known as the
"Deutsch-Meister," who here devoted a week in every year to prayer,
fasting, and penance.
In his simple cell, which is panelled in plain wood, and has for
furniture but a bedstead and chair of the most ordinary make, one can
realize exactly the kind of "retreat" which was so often in those
far-off days used by the highest nobles and rulers to free them for a
time from the cares and vanities of State. The inkstand and other
small articles of necessity, which still remain memorials of
Maximilian's occupation, are supposed to have been his own handiwork.
How complete this ruler's retirement from the world and whilst he was
in retreat can be judged by the fact that he not only followed with
exactitude the rules of the brotherhood, rising early and also
attending the night offices, but in addition he engaged in the manual
labour of the garden, and field, and workshop like as one of them. The
cell has a little window high up and opening on the chancel of the
chapel to enable the noble recluse to take part in the services.
This cell has been in a sense a pilgrim place ever since, and has been
visited at various times by many distinguished people. In 1765 the
Empress Maria Theresa came to the Convent, and upon entering
Maximilian's retreat sat herself in the wooden chair.
She was little used to so hard a resting-place, and after a minute or
two she expressed her astonishment, exclaiming, "Heavens! What men of
iron our forefathers were!"
There are (so far as we know) no relics of the Empress Maria Theresa's
visit, not even an autograph; but another illustrious visitor, St.
Lorenzo of Brindisi, who came to Innsbruck on his way to found a
religious house in Austria, somewhat strangely one is forced to think,
left behind him his staff, breviary, and copy of the Hebrew Bible,
which are treasured as carefully as the relics of the Archduke
Maximilian himself. During the reign of the latter the religious
houses and Churches of Innsbruck all benefited by his generosity and
prospered from his devotion to the Church. The effect of his example
upon the townsfolk themselves was so marked that after the terrible
plague of the year 1611 the burghers founded and built the
Dreiheiligen Kirche (Holy Trinity) for the Jesuits as a thank-offering
that the ravages of the plague were stayed. It was probably owing to
the fact that, during this particular outbreak of the scourge of the
Middle Ages, when the old hospital or Siechenhaus was all too small to
hold all the victims, two Jesuits, Kaspar von Kostlan of Brixen, and
the Professor of Theology at the University, assisted by a lay
brother, tended the sick with indefatigable self-sacrifice, that the
Jesuits were destined to chiefly benefit by the Innsbruckers' desire
to commemorate their gratitude to God, that the pestilence at last had
been overcome. They readily subscribed the necessary funds (we are
told), and the then Burgomaster took a vow to see that the building
was erected. From the time of which vow, tradition tells us, "the
pestilence at once began to abate."
An altar-piece, the artist of which was Stötzl, was given by
Maximilian himself. It represented the three patron saints against
sickness: St. Sebastian, who stayed a plague in Rome by his
intercession; St. Martha, who according to tradition founded a
hospital and spent the rest of her life attending to the sick; and St.
Rocchus, who devoted his life and strength to the care of those
suffering from the pestilence.
[Sidenote: THE NEWER TOWN]
Some of the most beautiful roads and modern houses of the newer
Innsbruck, which is increasing in area year by year, lie close at hand
to this votive church, and to the northward, in the part of the town
which is best reached by the Universitats-strasse and Saggengasse,
alongside of which is the vast Exercier Platz, and at the back of that
and nearer the river the beautiful Hofgarten. These never fail to
charm the rambler on the outskirts of the town.
[Sidenote: MUSEUM TREASURES]
But there yet remain many other interesting objects, which the lover
of Innsbruck and the visitor who stays for any considerable period of
time are sure to gradually discover and enjoy. One of these is the
National Museum, known as the Ferdinandeum, in which are gathered
together objects, pictures, and relics forming, so it is claimed for
them, an almost complete historical record of Tyrol, its people and
its products.
The Museum, which is the resort of students from all parts of Europe,
and is for even the casual visitor an object of the greatest interest,
bears the name of its founder and patron Ferdinand I. Originally
intended to illustrate in a vivid and practical way the history and
national customs of the country in the various domains of art,
science, and industry, the collections have gradually been enlarged
and expanded so as to contain examples of art by members of well known
foreign schools. The present museum is a comparatively modern
building, with a façade in the Italian Renaissance style. The ground
floor was commenced in 1842, and the upper story added in 1886.
On the ground floor are some most interesting archæological remains,
including several ancient Roman milestones from the Brenner road and
elsewhere; burial urns from Matrei; bronze statuettes of Roman days
from Brixen and Innicherberg; many ornaments of the Roman period from
Meran, Moritzing, Zedlach and other places. From Salurn, in the valley
of the Eisack, there are some Roman tombs, with the ornaments of the
dead, and household and toilet utensils and articles of great value
and interest. One of the most important objects in the archæological
section of the Museum is the sarcophagus, arms and ornaments of a
Lombardian prince disinterred at Civezzano, near Trent. The coffin was
richly ornamented by gold bands, and in it was found a gold cross.
Zoology, Geognosy, Palæology, and Mineralogy are represented with
remarkable fulness, and in the last-named section of the Museum is to
be found almost every Tyrolese mineral discovered up to the present
time. Some of the specimens are of great beauty and value.
In the Armoury, which so far as the general visitor is concerned,
appears to be one of the most popular sections, there are many fine
examples of the weapons of bygone days, including poignards, inlaid
pistols, guns, powder-horns and flasks, helmets, breastplates, etc.
[Illustration: A TYPICAL INNSBRUCKER]
In the Topographical section few fail to notice with interest the many
early maps of Tyrol, bearing on their faces the history of the country
as is shown by the partitions of it which from time to time took
place; and the homemade globes of the self-educated shepherd boy,
Peter Anich, who became a famous geographer. In the same room are
some fine specimens of peasant costumes, musical instruments
(including some Strads, Amatis, and Stainers of great value), the
jewel case of the famous Philippine Welser (wife of Ferdinand II.) who
lived with her royal and devoted husband at Castle Ambras for many
years.
There are also in the Museum some deeply interesting relics,
portraits, busts, autographs, etc., of Tyrolese patriots and
distinguished citizens of Innsbruck. Those relating to Andreas Hofer,
and his two loyal comrades, Joachim Haspinger and Joseph Speckbacher,
include many of their personal belongings, and are regarded by the
Tyrolese visitors with almost religious veneration--a feeling which
the life--history of these men quite justifies.
Amongst the sculpture are some fine specimens of old carved woodwork
and interesting German carvings of an early period brought from
Tyrolean churches, which were either despoiled during the Napoleonic
Wars, or have since for one reason or another been pulled down and
their treasures and fittings dispersed.
On the second floor of this convenient and commodious building is
chiefly gathered together the Art collection, which so far as native
work is concerned is, we believe, unrivalled. There is presented for
the information of the student as well as the ordinary visitor an
astonishingly complete survey of Tyrolese painting from the earliest
times, including the work of the schools of Brixen-Neustift, and the
Pusterthal, with representative work by such masters as Andrä Haller
and Michael Pacher; and also examples of the old Flemish and German
masters, including Lucas Cranach, St. Jerome, Altdorfer, Pateiner,
etc., Innsbruck painters being represented by Sebastian Schel.
Well worth the attention of all interested in painting and its
development as an Art are the works of the Tyrolese masters covering
the period from the seventeenth century to the present day, which are
well represented by pictures of the Unterberger family, Joseph Schöph,
John Baptist Lampi, Angelica Kaufmann, Gebhard Flatz (Fra Angelico),
Joseph A. Koch, Mathias Schmidt, E. von Wörndle, Karl Blaas and
others. Amongst the more notable pictures of the modern school are the
"Chancellor Wilhelm Biener at the Innsbruck Landtag," of Karl
Anrathers, and the historical masterpieces of Franz Defregger.
It is impossible for one to study the latter nine in number, which
depict patriotic events connected with the campaign of 1809, without
appreciating the vigour of their execution and the charm of their
colour, at the same time realizing something of the stirring nature
and significance of the events to which they refer. Three are
originals, and the remaining six are copies made by pupils of
Defregger under his own personal supervision, and supposed to have in
some cases been finished or touched up by him. The following are the
subjects of the originals:--
(1) The Three Patriots--Andreas Hofer, Joseph Speckbacher, and Joachim
Haspinger; (2) Speckbacher and his son Anderl at the Bear Inn, St.
Johann; (3) The Innkeeper's Son. The last named is the son of the
Tharer Wirth at Olang in the Pusterthal. The copies are of the
following subjects: (1) Speckbacher's Call to Arms; (2) The Last
Summons, the original of which is in the Imperial Art-History Museum
in Vienna; (3) The Mountain Forge, the original of which is in the
Dresden Gallery; (4) The Return of the Victors, the original of which
is in Berlin; and (5) Andreas Hofer in the Castle at Innsbruck, the
original of which belongs to the Emperor Francis Joseph; (6) Andreas
Hofer being led to Execution, the original of which is in Konigsberg.
These are all distinguished by beauty of colouring, strength of
drawing, and dramatic appeal.
There are many other treasures in this Museum, which is national in
the true sense of the word. And amongst them is the fine and almost
priceless collection of pictures by Dutch masters which has been
principally acquired through bequests of wealthy Tyrolese. In it are
examples of the work of Van Dyck, P. Paul Reubens, Paul Potter, R.
Ruysch, Adrian von Ostade, A. Cuyp, Rembrandt and others. There is
also a most comprehensive and valuable Library of works relating to
Tyrol, and also the archives of both the Austrian and German Alpine
Clubs.
Each year sees important additions made to the various departments of
the Ferdinandeum, and so the returning visitors to Innsbruck find an
ever new interest in the country and its National Museum awaiting
them.
[Sidenote: THE HOFBURG]
The remaining objects of supreme interest at Innsbruck are the Hofburg
or Palace; and the Hofkirche or Church of the Franciscans. They are
easily reached from the Ferdinandeum along Museum-strasse and the
Burggraben, which may be said to form the boundary line dividing the
old town from the new. The archway, through which one reaches both the
Palace and the Church, formed, in mediæval times, one of the city
gates; and in those far-off times was crowned by a watch-tower upon
which the many escutcheons of the Habsburgs were emblazoned. It was
taken down in the time of Maria Theresa, as its condition had become
too dangerous to permit it to remain standing.
The Hofburg stands at a right angle with the Hofkirche to the
north-west. Of the original building erected by the Emperor Maximilian
not very much now remains; for after being seriously damaged it was
ultimately reconstructed by Maria Theresa. On the exterior are traces
of the original baroque style favoured at the time it was built; still
also to be found in several of the larger, older, and more important
houses in the town. The state apartments are chiefly distinguished for
the decorative paintings of the well-known artist A. F. Maulbertsch,
principally in the large salon known as the Riesensaal. It was in the
chapel, which connects the Palace with the Damenstift or Ladies' Home,
that the Emperor Francis I. of Germany, husband of Maria Theresa, died
so tragically on August 18, 1765, while the wedding festivities in
connection with the marriage of Prince Leopold (afterwards the Emperor
Leopold II.) with the Infanta Maria Ludovica were in progress.
It is not the Hofburg, however, but the famous Hofkirche--which has by
several writers and antiquarians been called "The Tyrolean Westminster
Abbey,"--that attracts most visitors, and has the greatest charm for
all who are either interested in Tyrolese history or antiquities. This
church was built during the decade from 1553-63 by the Emperor
Ferdinand I., then King of Rome, as a memorial to his grandfather the
Emperor Maximilian I., who was buried underneath the high altar in the
Castle Chapel of Wiener-Neustadt. Tradition states that the building
had been contemplated by Maximilian, and was ultimately brought into
being in accordance with his will. The architect of the church, which
is in the Italian Renaissance style, was Thuring of Innsbruck,[11] and
the ground plan follows the lines of a columnar basilica. Lübke,
however, states that it was the tomb and not the building which
Maximilian himself planned in collaboration with Gilg Sesselschreiber,
a Munich artist, who occupied the position of painter to the Court.
The first impression made upon the mind by the famous Hofkirche is one
of lightness and elegance, wedded to a somewhat flamboyant decorative
scheme, rather than impressiveness or age. The lofty and
slender-looking columns which support the roof on either side of the
nave are of red marble, and the ceiling itself is elaborately
decorated in rococo. The vista on entering is extremely fine,
including as it does the wonderful tomb of Maximilian, the organ loft,
and the huge crucifix in the centre, and the handsome pulpit on the
left of the tomb. The impression of magnificence and beauty grows upon
one, thus carrying out what was doubtless the design of the architect
and the Emperor who was instrumental in its erection.
[Sidenote: MAXIMILIAN'S TOMB]
The tomb in the centre, with its imposing bronze figure of Maximilian
kneeling with clasped hands on the top of the huge marble sarcophagus,
at the four corners of which are smaller figures, at once arrests
attention. The Emperor is in Imperial dress, with crown, armour, and a
robe, and is surrounded by the twenty-eight huge figures which have
become world-famous, and all save two of which were once
torch-bearers, and are now seen with their right hands extended as
though holding torches. The two exceptions are King Arthur of England,
and the Emperor Theodoric the Goth. All of the statues surrounding the
tomb are thought to have had some real or legendary connection with
the House of Habsburg, and it is believed that Maximilian himself
chose the characters who were to be represented. They may be grouped
into two series. One consisting of his five favourite heroes of
antiquity; the other of twenty-three ancestors, contemporary relatives
or members of his house, both men and women.
The figures differ very greatly both in style and merit. It was
perhaps only natural that this result should have been arrived at when
one remembers that several generations were occupied upon the
construction of this marvellous example of German Renaissance
monumental work erected during the sixteenth century, and that it was
necessarily the work of several designers as well as many different
hands. The tomb is a wonderful, perhaps even unequalled, example of
the German art of a period which marked the blending of the mediæval
and the modern. To the Imperial designer of the tomb the chivalric
figures he chose to surround it were no mere abstractions but living,
breathing entities; just as the old feudal Empires of south-eastern
Europe were real. He was unable to realize that even then the old
order was about to pass away, to be replaced by a new which was so
divergent from that he had known, and of which he himself had been so
prominent a figure.
The bronze figures, which twenty years or so ago attracted the notice
of but few foreign visitors, but are now objects of keenest interest
to all comers to the capital of Tyrol, are by several hands. The two
of surpassing beauty of design and execution are those of King Arthur
of England, and King Theodoric. They are nowadays pretty generally
supposed to have been the work of Peter Vischer of Nüremberg.
These two statues have a particularly interesting history which has
been brought to light of recent years. Though cast at Nüremberg in
1513, and costing no less than one thousand florins, it was not until
nearly twenty years had elapsed that they reached Innsbruck. In the
meantime, owing to Maximilian's need of ready money, they had been in
the possession of Bishop Christopher of Augsburg, to whom they had
been pawned by the Emperor. The Bishop placed them in the chapel at
St. Lorenz, where they remained until the year 1532. Ferdinand I. then
sent to redeem them, and they were delivered up on payment to the
steward of the then Bishop of the amount which originally had been
advanced upon them.
[Illustration: MOONRISE IN TYROL]
[Sidenote: KING ARTHUR AND THEODORIC]
The statue of King Arthur is especially impressive and fine. Standing
erect, the tall, chivalrous-looking figure has an alertness of pose
which is astonishingly lifelike and commanding. It is impossible not
to recognize the representation of a true ideal of knighthood "sans
peur et sans raproche," and that without any suggestion of aggressive
valour. The helmet worn is of the close-fitting type with the visor,
which is enriched with ornamentation, raised so that the face of a
somewhat Teutonic mould is plainly seen. The breastplate, worn over a
coat of mail, is magnificently worked; but the rest of the suit is
plain. Arthur supports by his right hand a shield bearing the arms of
England, and at his left side is a long sword.
The statue of King Theodoric, although fine in execution, does not
possess the same impressiveness and commanding merit as that of King
Arthur to which we have just referred. It appears probable that the
same model may have been used for both. But, whereas King Arthur is a
commanding figure, the pose of King Theodoric is rather a dejected and
wearied one. His breastplate is not nearly so richly ornamented, and
his helm is also plainer, with the visor of a quite different shape.
As is the case with King Arthur, the breastplate is worn over a coat
of chain mail, and the greaves worn are plain.
The remaining twenty-six figures according to some authorities were
designed by Gilg Sesselschreiber; although opinion is still somewhat
divided regarding this point. It may, however, we think be accepted
that Sesselschreiber was, at least in part, responsible for the
greater number.
The relationship which existed between the Emperor Maximilian and the
Munich artist Sesselschreiber, who had been engaged as Court painter
in 1502, was not untinctured by an element of romance, which is doubly
interesting as showing the relative positions of artist and patron in
those stirring and disturbed times.
Happily for lovers of art and antiquities the original designs for the
statues surrounding the tomb of Maximilian which Sesselschreiber made
have been preserved, and can be seen in the Imperial Library, Vienna.
Exquisite pen-and-ink drawings delicately tinted, upon some of which
the Emperor himself made corrections and suggestions in his own hand.
These are distinctly traceable on some from the unskilled nature of
the pen-and-ink alterations.
[Sidenote: THE FAMOUS STATUES]
A curious fact is also brought to light by these sketches. It would
seem from them beyond question that Maximilian fully intended being
modelled for the figure of himself, which was to grace the memorial,
in the suit of exquisite silver armour which he had worn on the
occasion of his marriage at Ghent with Mary of Burgundy.[12] Several
sketches were made, one, apparently from the notes and alterations
upon it, displeased the Emperor from a technical point; in another the
face was not as he wished with the result that Sesselschreiber
altogether made four or more drawings.
The care which had been taken over this most important figure was,
however, never destined to be utilized to the full, for the statue was
not even modelled at the time of Maximilian's death in 1519, and the
figure clad in coronation robes (instead, as was evidently intended,
entirely in armour) which kneels on the top of the cenotaph was the
work of Abraham Colin, who had never seen the Emperor in life, the
cast not having been made until more than sixty years after
Maximilian's death.
How slowly the great work of this magnificent tomb proceeded can be
gathered from the dates we have quoted. The delay arose from several
causes; amongst others, from the Emperor's shortness of money, owing
to the vast schemes of conquest, science, and other matters in which
he was engaged; and from the circumstance that Gilg Sesselschreiber
appears to have become lazy, intemperate, and dissolute. In the end he
took flight to Augsburg in fear of Maximilian's anger. The Emperor,
however, was not prepared to yield up possession of his Court painter
without a struggle, so the latter was captured and thrown into prison,
from which he appears to have been released in 1516 on promise of
reform. So that he might be freed from the temptations which Innsbruck
afforded in the way of wine, women, and boon companions he was
compelled by the Emperor to take up his residence at Natters on the
western side of the Sill Gorge above Innsbruck.
The casting of the statues was largely done by the famous Gregor
Löffler, who established a bronze foundry near Innsbruck, and also
built the Castle of Büchsenhausen, although some of the statues were
undoubtedly cast by Stephen and Melchior Godl and Hans Lendenstreich
who worked at the Mühlau foundry on the outskirts of Innsbruck.
Although the designing and casting of the statues is now generally
accepted as being the work of the men we have named, it is more than
possible that the idea of the whole complete piece of mediæval and
historical symbolism was that of some comparatively unknown brother of
the Franciscan order. Originally the scheme was designed to include,
in addition to the figures we have mentioned, twenty-three others of
saints which were to be placed on raised pedestals or in niches, and
were for this reason of much smaller size. They are now to be seen in
the Silver Chapel. The following is a list of the large statues
grouped around the tomb.
(1) Clovis, the first Christian King of France.
(2) Philip the Handsome, of the Netherlands, Maximilian's
son. (1495.)
(3) The Emperor, Rudolf of Habsburg.
(4) Albert II. the Wise, Maximilian's great-grandfather.
(5) Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths. (455-526.)
(6) Ernest der Eiserne, Duke of Austria and Styria.
(1377-1424.)
(7) Theodebert, Duke of Burgundy. (640.)
(8) King Arthur of England.
(9) Sigismund der Munzreiche, Count of Tyrol. (1427-96.)
(10) Maria Bianca Sforza, Maximilian's second wife. Died
1510.
(11) The Archduchess Margaret, Maximilian's daughter.
(12) Cymburgis of Massovica, wife of Ernest der Eiserne.
Died 1433.
(13) Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, father of Mary of
Burgundy, Maximilian's first wife.
(14) Philip the Good, father of Charles the Bold. Founder of
the Order of the Golden Fleece. (1419.) Married Margaret of
York, sister of Edward IV., in 1468. (1467-77.)
(15) Albert II., Duke of Austria, and Emperor of Germany.
(1397-1439.)
(16) Emperor Frederick III., Maximilian's father.
(1457-93.)
(17) Leopold III., Margrave of Austria; since 1506 the
patron saint of Austria. (1096-1136.)
(18) Rudolf, Count of Habsburg. (1273.)
(19) Leopold III. the Pious, Duke of Austria, Maximilian's
great-grandfather; slain at Sempach. July 9, 1386.
(20) Frederick IV. of Austria, Count of Tyrol, surnamed "mit
der leeren Tasche."
(21) Albert I., Duke and Emperor of Austria. Born 1248,
assassinated by his nephew John of Swabia, 1308.
(22) Godfrey de Bouillon, King of Jerusalem in 1099, wearing
a crown of thorns.
(23) Elizabeth of Hungary, wife of the Emperor Albert II.
Born 1396.
(24) Mary of Burgundy, Maximilian's first wife. (1457-82.)
(25) Eleonora of Portugal, wife of the Emperor Frederick
III., Maximilian's mother.
(26) Cunigunda, Maximilian's sister, wife of Duke Albert IV.
of Bavaria.
(27) Ferdinand II., of Aragon, surnamed "the Catholic."
(1479.)
(27) Johanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and wife
of Maximilian's son, Philip I., of Spain.
[Sidenote: HISTORY IN MARBLE]
The cenotaph itself, placed upon three steps of red marble, is about
fourteen feet long and six feet high, and is constructed of different
coloured marbles. The figure of the Emperor on top with its face
directed towards the altar, is a fine bronze casting by a Sicilian
named Luigi del Duca made in 1584.[13] Slender columns divide the ends
and sides of the cenotaph into twenty-four panels or compartments of
white marble in which are scenes in relief (depicting the chief events
and achievements of Maximilian's life). These are really marvellous
works of art, not alone for their execution but from the care with
which accuracy has been attained in the costumes, the architectural
and other details introduced, and from the extraordinary finish which
marks the whole of the work. Many of the faces are undoubted portraits
of the greatest historical and antiquarian value, those of the Emperor
at various periods of his life being remarkable for their differing
likeness. The variations of the national types depicted are rendered
with the most painstaking care. The first four of the panels are
filled by the work of Albert and Bernard Abel of Cologne, who began
their task in 1561, after a visit to Genoa to choose the marble. They,
however, both died two years later, leaving their work to be taken up
by Alexander Colin, of Malines, in Flanders, who lived at Innsbruck
for forty years, and died in 1612. Aided by a large number of other
artists he completed the work of the Abels in a period of about three
and a half years. Even the least learned of visitors will recognize
the beauty of craftsmanship which so great a master as Thorwaldsen
pronounced "the most admirable and perfect of its kind."
The delicacy of execution is, indeed, rather that of ivory than of
marble, and it is not without good cause that these exquisite reliefs
are nowadays protected by glass and surrounded by a railing in iron
work of very beautiful design.
[Sidenote: SOME HISTORIC EVENTS]
The subjects, a brief description of which may be of interest, are as
follows:--(1) The marriage of Maximilian (then aged eighteen) with
Mary of Burgundy at Ghent, August 19, 1477. She was killed whilst
hunting by the stumbling of her horse, and was buried at Bruges, 1482.
(2) Maximilian's victory over the French at Guinegate, in 1479. (3)
The taking of Arras, 1482; the fighting men and the fortifications in
this are worthy of special note, not alone for historical accuracy of
detail but also for the marvellously fine execution; one woman in
particular should be noticed, who is bringing provisions to the camp.
This figure is a masterpiece in itself. (4) Maximilian is crowned King
of the Romans at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1486. The scene is the interior of
the Cathedral, Maximilian is seated on the stone chair of Charlemagne
(a sort of throne) before the altar surrounded by his courtiers, whose
dresses and those of the ladies high above in their gallery are a
perfect record of the fashions of the period, so minute is their
accuracy of detail. (5) The Battle of Castel della Pietra, or Stein am
Calliano, situated between Trent and Rovereto in 1487. The landscape
background of this panel is excellent, and the Tyrolese are seen
driving the Venetians with great fury before them across the Adige.
(6) Maximilian's entry into Vienna, 1490, after it had been evacuated
by the Hungarians, an incident in the course of the fight for the
crown of Hungary after the death of Matthias Coryinus who had held
Vienna for several years. The figure of Maximilian on his horse is
very beautifully carved. (7) The siege of Stuhlweissenburg, the city
in which the Kings of Hungary were crowned; Maximilian captured it in
1490. The horses in this tablet are worthy of particular notice. (8)
The return of Margaret, daughter of Maximilian. This episode, which it
must have required some courage to record among the acts of so
glorious a reign, shows Maximilian meeting his daughter Margaret on
her return in 1493, after Charles VIII. had rejected her hand for that
of Anne of Brittany, whom Maximilian himself had intended to marry as
his second wife. The French envoys hand to the Emperor two keys,
symbols of the suzerainty of Burgundy and Artois, the price to be paid
for the double affront of sending back his daughter and depriving him
of his bride, Anne. (9) Maximilian's campaign against the Turks in
Croatia. (10) The Alliance between Maximilian and Pope Alexander VI.,
the Doge of Venice, and the Duke of Milan, against Charles VIII. of
France; the four allies are shown standing in the hall of a palace in
the act of joining hands, whilst the French are seen in full flight in
the background. (11) The Investiture at Worms of Ludovico Sforza with
the Duchy of Milan. The portraits of Maximilian are well preserved and
finely executed on each occasion that he is introduced, but in none
better than on this one. The Empress Maria Bianca is seated on the
left of the Emperor, Ludovico Sforza kneels before the throne; on the
waving standard, the symbol or investiture, the ducal arms are
plainly discernible. (12) The marriage at Brussels, in 1496, of Philip
der Schöne, Maximilian's eldest son, with Johanna, daughter of
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, by the Archbishop of Cambrai.
The remaining panels show (13) The campaign in Bohemia, and victory of
Maximilian at Regensburg in 1504. (14) The siege of Kufstein, 1504.
(15) The capture of Guelders and submission of Charles d'Egmont to
Maximilian, 1505. The Duke is standing with uncovered head, and the
battered walls of the city are seen in the background. (16) The League
of Cambrai, 1508. The scene is a handsome tent in the camp near
Cambrai; Maximilian, Julius II., Charles VIII., and Ferdinand V. are
meeting to enter into an alliance against Venice. (17) The siege of
Padua, 1509, the first result of this league. (18) The expulsion of
the French from Milan in 1512. (19) The second battle of Guinegate;
known also as the Battle of Spurs, so called from the fact that the
French were said to have used their spurs rather than their swords on
that occasion, with Henry VIII. of England in command of the allied
infantry, August 16, 1513. (20) The meeting of Maximilian and Henry
VIII. before Tournai, 1513. Maximilian and Henry are seen both on
foot. (21) The battle of Vicenza, 1513. (22) The siege of Murano, on
the Venetian coast, 1514. (23) Maximilian treating with Vladislaw,
King of Hungary, for the double marriage of Anna and Ludwig, children
of Vladislaw, with Ferdinand and Maria, grandchildren of Maximilian,
which event had as one of its consequences the subsequent joining of
Hungary with the Empire. (24) The defence of Verona, made by
Maximilian's forces, against the French and Venetians, 1516.
Maximilian's splendid memorial is well-placed so that its beauty and
impressiveness is given full effect, and the spectator is able to
consider it not only in detail but as a whole. As an example of
sepulchral art of its kind it is unrivalled.
Of a very different character to this magnificent cenotaph is the tomb
of Andreas Hofer at the entrance to the left aisle, wrought in
Tyrolese marble by Schaller, of Vienna, and with a bas-relief by
Joseph Klieber, of Innsbruck, depicting six Tyrolese taking the oath
of allegiance to the National flag and cause. On either side of the
great patriot lie his comrades, Joseph Speckbacher and Joachim
Haspinger. Near them is a tablet inscribed, "From a grateful
Fatherland to the sons who perished in the Patriotic Wars," with the
date (1838) of erection, and the motto, "Death is swallowed up in
Victory."
[Sidenote: STATUETTES IN SILVER CHAPEL]
In the opposite aisle and reached by a flight of steps is the Silberne
Kapelle (Silver Chapel), so known because of the silver statuette of
the Virgin, presented by the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, who was
Regent of Tyrol from 1563-1595, and the embossed representations of
the Lauretanian Litany, also in silver, which adorn the altar.
Underneath the marble steps by which the chapel is reached is a
notable tomb, the work of Alexander Colin, with a reclining figure of
Katharina von Loxen, aunt of Philippine Welser. In the chapel itself
are the beautiful tombs of the Archduke Ferdinand, and his first wife
Philippine Welser in marble, with effigies which are ascribed to
Alexander Colin. The first named tomb is adorned with four scenes of
events in the Archduke's life in relief; and the latter with two
reliefs. There is also a notable life-size bronze figure of the
Archduke kneeling, clad in full armour, with his face turned towards
the altar, and his hands folded in prayer. These monuments in
themselves are sufficient to ensure a degree of fame for the Silberne
Kapelle with all who are either interested in art or historical
memorials.
The twenty-three statuettes, originally intended as part of the scheme
of Maximilian's cenotaph, to which reference has already been made,
have been placed in the chapel without following any particular design
or order of arrangement. They have a considerable interest from the
fact that they represent saints of royal or noble birth whose
destinies, legendary or real, have been bound up with those of the
House of Habsburg. They are frequently overlooked by visitors to
Innsbruck and by even those who enter the Hofkirche; but, irrespective
of their individual merits, they should be studied on account of
having originally formed part of the scheme for the magnificent
memorial to Maximilian.
(1) St. Adelgunda, daughter of Walbert, Count of Hainault. (2) St.
Adelbert, Count of Brabant. (3) St. Doda, wife of St. Arnulf, Duke of
the Moselle. (4) St. Hermelinda, daughter of Witger, Count of Brabant.
(5) St. Guy, Duke of Lotharingia. (6) St. Simpert, Bishop of Augsburg,
son of Charlemagne's sister Symporiana, who rebuilt the monastery of
St. Magnus at Füssen. (7) St. Jodok, son of a king of Great Britain,
wearing a Palmer's dress. (8) St. Landerich, Bishop of Metz, son of
St. Vincent, Count of Hainault, and St. Waltruda. (9) St. Clovis. (10)
St. Oda, wife of Duke Conrad. (11) St. Pharaild, daughter of Witger,
Count of Brabant. (12) St. Reinbert, her brother. (13) St. Ronald,
brother of St. Simpert, Bishop of Augsburg. (14) St. Stephen, King of
Hungary. (15) St. Venantius, martyr, son of Theodoric, Duke of
Lotharingia. (16) St. Waltruda, mother of St. Landerich. (17) St.
Arnulf, husband of St. Doda, afterwards Bishop of Metz. (18) St.
Chlodulf, son of St. Waltruda. (19) St. Gudula, sister of St. Albert,
Count of Brabant. (20) St. Pepin Teuto, Duke of Brabant. (21) St.
Trudo, priest, son of St. Adela. (22) St. Vincent, monk. (23) Richard
Coeur-de-Lion. All of whom were more or less closely related or
associated with the royal house of Habsburg.
The monuments which we have referred to, gathered within the walls of
the Hofkirche, serve to conjure up for those versed in Tyrolese
history many stirring, romantic, and tragic episodes. To this historic
building was the beautiful Philippine Welser borne from Castle Ambras
to her last resting-place. And here knelt the Archduke Leopold V. at
his marriage with the lovely Claudia Felicitas de Medici, whilst all
the while there rolled the thunder and tumult of the Thirty Years' War
beyond the frontier of Tyrol. And a few years later came Queen
Christian of Sweden to make her abjuration of the Protestant faith on
October 28, 1655. We read in one account of this imposing and
impressive ceremony that the Queen was attired in a plain black silk
gown, and wore no other jewels than a cross on her breast in which
flashed five great diamonds of wonderful beauty symbolical of the five
wounds of Christ. Her repetition of the Latin profession of faith
after the Papal nuncio, we are told, was so clear and emphasized as to
attract general comment. Not only was the Ambrosian hymn sung after
the ceremony, but "the Innsbruckers celebrated the event of her
conversion to the true faith by the firing of cannon and the ringing
of the church bells." An ever popular ceremony which marked her stay
in the town was the procession of the favourite picture of Tyrol,
Cranach's Madonna brought to the country by Leopold V. Mystery plays,
which are still popular in Tyrol, were also performed, and the event
was made the excuse or occasion for much general rejoicing.
The historic Hofkirche has seen more joyful scenes and sadder than the
renunciation of Queen Christian, for in it was held a solemn
thanksgiving service on behalf of yet another Claudia de Medici, the
Tyrolese princess who was chosen for his bride by the Emperor Leopold
I. And here in more modern times knelt Andreas Hofer to receive the
gifts of his Emperor, the medal and chain which were hung around his
neck when he was made Regent or Governor of Tyrol.
Into this Hofkirche, which was destined to provide him ultimately with
a fit resting-place, he also came to return thanks after his greatest
triumph over the invaders of his country, on Berg Isel, whilst outside
the church the brave citizens of Innsbruck were acclaiming him
Dictator, and cheering in a delirium of joy.
[Sidenote: ABBEY OF WILTEN]
No description of Innsbruck, however brief, could be deemed complete
without at least a passing reference to the famous Abbey of Wilten
which stands on the outskirts of the south-western portion of the
town. The present Abbey belonging to the Praemonstratensian Order was
founded in the eleventh century upon the site where stood the Roman
settlement of Veldidena. The Abbey and Church of that day, however,
have been so frequently damaged by fire that during the centuries it
has been practically reconstructed. The story of its foundation forms
one of the most remarkable of Tyrolese legends, and exhibits in its
incidents with extraordinary clearness the conflict taking place in
those times between the doctrines of Christianity and Heathendom.
[Sidenote: HAIMON AND THE DRAGON]
Certain authorities state that the Romans, when they entered the
country, found a town already existing, which they adopted as one of
their most important stations, and re-named Veldidena. This
settlement, however, was, according to tradition, destroyed by Attila
on his way back through the country after the desperate Battle of
Chalons; but it nevertheless continued to be a largely frequented
station in the stretch of country lying between the Po and the Rhine
owing to the convenience of its situation and the existence of the
famous Brenner Road. Afterwards came the expedition of Theodoric of
Verona against Chriemhild's Garden of Roses at Worms; and we are told
amongst those who enlisted in Theodoric's service and distinguished
themselves at the taking of the famous Rose Garden was one Haimo or
Haimon (now believed to be the Heime of "the Heldenbuch") who, after
the expedition, came through Tyrol in his master's victorious train.
This Haimon was a giant, taller and more powerful even than Goliath
himself; and as he approached Veldidena he found barring his progress
another giant named Thyrsus (now identified as Schrudan) living near
Zirl. This latter giant having heard of Haimon's prowess, and as his
own supremacy had hitherto remained unchallenged, determined to force
Haimon to fight him.
Theodoric's giant proved willing enough for the encounter, and
scarcely, indeed, waited to be challenged. Thyrsus, although the
bigger and more terrible of aspect, with a skin bronzed by the
open-air life he had led, and his muscles developed and kept in
condition by constant exercise, was not so skilful and wily as his
opponent, whose every movement showed him to be a master in both the
arts of attack and defence.
We are told that Thyrsus grasped in his hand a pine tree which he had
torn up by the roots to serve as a weapon, and that at every movement
of his the ground shook under his tread, which made a noise like
thunder. Rushing impetuously to attack Haimon he found the latter cool
and collected, watchful of his antagonist's every movement, and
waiting patiently for the opportunity of striking a decisive blow. As
the Titanic struggle went on, Haimon merely acting on the defensive,
Thyrsus became weary, and then Haimon gathering all his force together
fell upon him and slew him.
The story goes on to tell how a Benedictine monk of Tegernsee, passing
whilst Haimon was still flushed with victory, stopped to reason with
him on the worthlessness of mere brutal strength and all that he had
hitherto deemed of value, and succeeded so well in painting the
attractions of a better life that the giant was converted on the spot,
and thenceforth abandoned his life of battle and bloodshed, and
devoted his time and strength to the service of God. One of his first
acts was to start building with his own hands a church and monastery
on the site of ruined Veldidena on the banks of the Sill.
The legend tells us that he quarried the stone necessary for this
undertaking with his own hands, and at last the day came when he had
sufficient to lay the foundations of the church. He found, however,
that the work he did in the day was always undone at night, so that he
made no progress. This, though he did not know it, was the work of the
devil; who, in the form of a huge dragon, had hidden himself in a cave
with the express purpose of thwarting Haimon's pious intentions.
At last the latter realized that he must watch and discover what
happened. This he did, and after a little time one evening the dragon
emerged from his cave, lashing the ground with his tail in his fury,
and filling the air with the sulphurous smoke and flame which he
breathed out. Great as was his strength, Haimon at once realized that
he could not overcome so terrible an enemy easily; so commending his
soul to God he waited with a brave heart. Soon dawn began to break
over the mountains, and at the first glimpse of light the dragon
turned and fled back to his lair. Haimon, taking courage at the sight,
set off in pursuit, and by-and-by they both arrived at the cave in
which the dragon was accustomed to hide during the day. The entrance
was so narrow that when the monster had got partly in it was
impossible for him to turn, and so Haimon, seeing his opportunity,
raised his sword, and calling on God to strengthen him, cut off the
dragon's head with a single blow. Then he cut out the tongue or sting
of the monster as a trophy, and eventually hung it up in the sanctuary
of the church. Nowadays one is shown at Wilten a representation of
this dragon's tongue, which we are told was above two feet in length.
The dragon once dead the building progressed rapidly, and when it was
finished Haimon, no doubt in an ebullition of joy, seized a huge rock,
which he had quarried, but did not need to use for the foundations,
and threw it with all his might into the valley. It was a good throw,
for the rock, after nearly two miles of flight, struck against the
hill of Ambras and fell into the valley, where it may yet be seen!
Haimon endowed the Abbey with all the land which stretched between
its site and the stone at the foot of the hill of Ambras.
Now it only remained to colonize the monastery, and ultimately the
Benedictines came to inhabit it, and here the giant lived amongst them
a life of penance and good works, dying in the year 878. His body, so
tradition states, was buried on the right-hand side of the high altar
in the church. But although many searches have been made for his
remains during the period which elapsed between his death and the
middle of the seventeenth century, they have never been discovered.
But the last search in 1644 was disastrous as well as unsuccessful,
because it undermined a great part of the wall of the church, which
collapsed. The popular belief in the two giants is kept alive by the
huge wooden statues representing them, which are placed at the
entrance of the church. The interior of the building is in the form of
a basilica, and contains not only frescoes by Caspar Waldmann, but
also some good pictures by Grasmayr, Busjäger, Andersag, Egid Schor,
and other artists.
The Abbey of Wilten in those days was one of the three most important
in Tyrol, and was not only the centre of religious, but also of the
artistic life of the country, and it nowadays possesses some very
interesting and valuable pictures.
One of the most famous of the old-time inmates of the Abbey was
Petermann, once a lover of the licentious Margaret of Tyrol, yclept
"Pocket-Mouthed Meg." After her abdication in 1367, Petermann entered
the monastery to expiate the sins and follies of his youth. He endowed
the Abbey with an estate, but he showed his business capacity by
having an agreement drawn up with the Abbot setting forth the terms
upon which he joined the brotherhood. Amongst other things he was,
firstly, to derive benefit from all the masses said by the monks, and
the good works performed by them; secondly, was to have two servants
to wait upon him, who were to share the meals of the brethren;
thirdly, he, himself, was to have food similar to that served to the
Abbot and wines from the monastic cellar. Apparently the arrangement
did not, after all, fit in with the views of Petermann, for we find he
afterwards insisted upon an increase in his food allowance to the
extent of a capon, four fowls, forty eggs, and four pounds of butter,
with sufficient hay for the feeding of his three horses.
[Illustration: A PINE WOOD NEAR INNSBRUCK]
[Sidenote: A LEGEND OF WILTEN]
The other church at Wilten (the Parish Church), which stands on the
opposite side of Leopold-Strasse, dates only from the latter part of
the eighteenth century, and was built as a secular church in
conformity with the decree of the Emperor Joseph II., by Franz Penz of
Telfs, in the Rococo style of architecture. On the high altar of the
church is a very ancient and quaint Madonna known as "Mutter Gottes
unter den vier Saülen" carved in sandstone, the legend relating to
which is as follows: The "Thundering Legion" of Marcus Aurelius, when
stationed at Veldidena about the year 137, brought this image with
them, which they are stated to have worshipped, and on one occasion,
when departing for an expedition to a distant part of the country,
they buried it under four trees, and as they did not return had no
opportunity of resurrecting it. There it lay for many years, until
one, Rathold Von Aiblingen, after making a pilgrimage to Rome, where
he heard the story of its burying and the place of its concealment,
dug it up and set it upon the altar in a _baldachino_, which was
supported by four pillars, where it has always been an object of much
veneration. Amongst its many famous devotees was Frederick of the
Empty Purse, who, during his wanderings through Tyrol with his trusty
Hans Von Müllinen, when under the ban of the church, came and knelt
before the shrine and prayed for a blessing. Afterwards, when he had
regained his possessions, he attributed his success to the
intervention of the Madonna at Wilten and caused a picture to be
painted of himself and his esquire, in which they are shown kneeling
at the shrine under the protective mantle of the Virgin. This quaint
picture is now hung in the church amongst many other curious and often
pathetic votive offerings.
In the mortuary chapel is a rudely carved and painted wooden statue of
Haimon holding the dragon's tongue in his hand. There are also some of
Grasmayr's paintings to be seen in the church, and in the adjoining
churchyard, from which one can obtain a most beautiful view of the
valley and surrounding mountains, is the modern Calvary by the
Tyrolean sculptor, Professor Fuss. In this quiet spot, crowded with
memories of the dead past, one is able in a measure to conjure up
pictures of the times when the Etruscan, Roman, and Gothic invaders
poured into the valley by the Brenner Pass and overran Tyrol, and left
upon the country and the people enduring traces of their occupation.
The Wilten Churches are both of simple architectural style, but
nevertheless are effective and even impressive when seen amidst the
environment of a beautiful landscape, with their picturesque,
red-capped towers lit by the Alpine sunlight, and with their
buff-coloured walls beautified by the stains of weather and of time.
[Sidenote: WINTER SPORTS]
Numerous as are the undoubted attractions of Innsbruck in early
spring, summer, and autumn, when the encircling fields and mountain
slopes are gay with Alpine flowers, and beautiful with the varied
tints of the foliage of trees and shrubs, the town is yearly becoming
more widely known and more largely frequented as a winter holiday
resort, where what are generally known as "winter sports" can be
indulged in to one's heart's content. Indeed, Innsbruck, which
possesses one of the largest and most beautiful ice rinks in Europe,
takes a very leading part in the Tyrolean winter sports. One of the
town's most remarkable features is its climate, which, notwithstanding
the proximity of huge masses of ice and snow, not only upon the
summits of the towering mountains of the Karwendel, but also on the
lower slopes, and in the valley of the Inn itself, is a mild one, and
the sunny days are many.
One of the most delightful Alpine experiences possible, for those who
do not take part in the more active sports of ski running, skating, or
tobogganing, is a sleigh ride on the Brenner Road to Matrei or even
further, returning on the other side of the gorge of the Sill by way
of Igls and Patsch. Expert ski runners find many opportunities for
exercising their skill, the more adventurous and hardy making
excursions far afield in the valley of the Inn. A very favourite
ground for this pastime of ski-ing is on the farther side of the Sill
near Natters and Mutters, where are to be found those immense plateaux
of smooth-surfaced snow beloved of good runners, and a beautiful
landscape forming a charming background. Expert runners, however,
frequently extend their field of operations into the Karwendel
mountains, or as far as the Kalkkogel in the beautiful Stubai valley.
Tobogganing has become not only a fashionable pastime amongst
visitors, but also with the better class inhabitants of Innsbruck. And
thus every evening when the snow is sufficient and in good condition,
hundreds of tobogganers make their way of the heights of Igls and
Mutters, where the best tracks are prepared.
Sunday is, however, the great day; and then the long runs near Hall
and Oberperfutz are crowded with hundreds of bob-sleighs and
tobogganers. The Hall run is famous throughout Tyrol. A road extends
from Salzberg far into the Karwendel mountains, passing through
beautiful Alpine scenery to Hall itself, forming a natural run or
track some five kilometres (just over three miles) in length, with a
drop of nearly 3000 feet in that distance. The Innsbruck Club, by
means of a snow plough, keeps a run about fifteen feet wide clear.
This track is to be soon further lengthened to the extent of two
kilometres by carrying it as far as Lafatscherjoch, where several
important races are arranged and held every year.
Winter sports are indulged in on all sides. Along the valley of the
swiftly flowing Inn from Schwaz, past Jenbach and Brixlegg on to
Kufstein, one finds facilities for those most invigorating of pastimes
tobogganing, ski-ing, and skating. Even the children have their little
home-made and often ornamented toboggans, and on the mountain roads
and by-paths one meets with scores of youngsters emulating their
elders and foreign visitors; whilst the frozen tributary streams which
fall into the Inn provide fine skating grounds and curling links
without stint set amid the delightful scenery, which had so much to do
with the popularity of the valley of the Inn and Innsbruck as winter
holiday resorts.
It is not without reason that many who come to the capital of Tyrol
return again and again, finding in its life and movement, its historic
buildings, associations, and art treasures material for study; in its
climate renewed health and vigour.
The circle of snow-capped environing hills, upon which effects of
cloud and sunlight ceaselessly pass, never palls; and in the ancient
byways and secluded courtyards ears and minds attuned to the historic
past seem to catch the echoes and see visions of stirring scenes, and
the pageantry of long ago when knights and ladies and serving-men, and
burghers in quaint old-time costumes trod the rough-paved streets.
FOOTNOTES:
[10] See Zoller's "Geschichte der Stadt Innsbruck."
[11] By some authorities the work is stated to have been carried out
by Andrea Crivelli of Trent.
[12] See Klöppel's "Maximilian."
[13] This is as stated in Baedeker, and is the view of several
authorities, though by no means certain.-C. H.
CHAPTER V
THE ENVIRONS OF INNSBRUCK--CASTLE AMBRAS AND ITS
TREASURES--IGLS: A QUAINT LEGEND CONCERNING ITS CHURCH--THE
STUBAI VALLEY, AND SOME VILLAGES--HALL AND ITS SALT
MINES--SPECKBACHER'S OLD HOME--ST. MICHAEL
Distant from Innsbruck about three miles by a shady road running
eastward from Berg Isel, which forms a charming walk of a summer
afternoon, stands the famous Castle Ambras on a well-wooded spur of
the Mittelgebirge overlooking the wide Inn Valley, and with a fine
view of the slopes and peaked summits of the limestone mountains which
shut in the valley. It is a conspicuous and commanding feature of the
landscape when seen from the latter, its yellow-grey walls pierced
with many windows showing up against a background of dark-green
forest. But on a fine summer day Castle Ambras is too bare-looking and
insistent in colour to be entirely picturesque.
Long back, when the Romans held sway in Tyrol, on the site where the
castle now stands was placed a fort--one of those outposts of
civilization which that world-conquering power dotted so plentifully
amid the hills and valleys of Tyrol. Ancient as this fortress was, it
is considered by many authorities that even it replaced, or was
erected upon the foundations of, a far earlier building dating from
Etruscan times. The first castle, as is generally understood by the
term, was that built by the Andechs, who towards the end of the tenth
century were one of the three chief ruling families in Tyrol. Indeed,
until the Terriolis became Counts of Tyrol they were the most powerful
of the three great temporal territorial lords, and previous to their
extinction in the male line in the middle half of the thirteenth
century had acquired vast possessions. They were a typical mediæval
and feudal family, distinguished alike in the council and upon the
stricken field. In turn it provided officers of the Roman Empire,
pilgrims to sacred shrines, and to Rome itself, crusaders and
religious enthusiasts who founded important and wealthy monastical
institutions.
The history of the builders of the Castle of Ambras would fill many
volumes with incidents of brave and noble (and sometimes cruel and
ignoble) deeds; romantic episodes, which supplied the travelling
minnesingers with themes for their songs; and records of stirring
events, in which national as well as family history became entwined.
Of them one historian has written, "they were esteemed upon earth,
more particularly by the wandering minstrels who were always and at
all times welcome to their hospitable roof and table, and beloved in
Heaven to which they contributed several saintly souls."
On the death of the last of the male line of the Andechs, Duke Otto
II., in 1248, the castle and the family estates passed into the
possession of the Counts of Tyrol. Ultimately the former was purchased
from the then owners by the Emperor Ferdinand I., and was given to his
son, afterwards Ferdinand II., when the latter was appointed Regent of
Tyrol. It always remained his favourite home, even when he became
Emperor, and it was to this castle that he brought his beautiful bride
Philippine Welser in 1567.
[Sidenote: AN ARCHDUCAL ROMANCE]
The true story of the love of the Archduke Ferdinand, son of the
German Emperor Ferdinand I., will probably never be accurately known.
But the event is indissolubly bound up with Tyrolese history. Not
unnaturally the idyllic and romantic circumstances surrounding the
marriage have been much overlaid by tradition and the possible desire
of historians to make this Royal mésalliance yet more astonishing.
Therefore it is impossible to vouch for the entire accuracy of the
story that has come down to us, which we give as it may be gathered
from contemporary and more modern writers.
[Sidenote: STORY OF PHILIPPINE WELSER]
The meeting of the Archduke Ferdinand and his future wife--who was the
daughter of one Franz Welser, a wealthy merchant prince of Augsburg in
the middle of the sixteenth century--took place when the Archduke
accompanied his father on the occasion of the latter's state entry
into the city. It was whilst passing along the principal street that
the former noticed at a window of one of the larger and more important
houses the face of a most beautiful young girl, who, after having
thrown flowers down in the street, on seeing that she had attracted
his attention, blushingly disappeared within the house. It was
apparently, so far as Ferdinand was concerned, a case of love at first
sight; for, charmed by her beautiful face, he lost no time in
discovering who she was, and, according to some authorities, saw her
on several occasions whilst in the city. Afterwards he paid court to
her whilst she was at Bresnic, in Bohemia, on a visit to an aunt.
Philippine was already betrothed by her father to the heir of the
great and wealthy Fugger family; but fortunately for her and the young
prince, Philippine's mother was a woman of much influence with her
husband as well as the confidante and friend of her daughter. However,
it was not an easy task to win his consent to the betrothal to Prince
Ferdinand or for the proposed alliance with the Fuggers to be broken
off.
Both the fathers were anxious for it, and Welser had never been known
to go back upon his word or a bargain. But whilst the older men were
engaged in counting their wealth, and congratulating themselves upon
the marriage which had been arranged with little or no thought of
affection between those most concerned, Ferdinand had evolved a plan
by which, with the assistance and connivance of Frau Welser, he was
able to accomplish his design of carrying off her daughter.
On a day arranged, and at the hour agreed upon, the young prince, who
was two years Philippine's junior, appeared beneath the turret from
which he had first seen her leaning. A little distance down the street
his horse was waiting. Philippine, after receiving her mother's
blessing, and comforted by her approval, joined her lover, and fled
with him to the chapel where the latter's own confessor, one Joann
Cavallerus, was waiting to solemnize the marriage, with an old and
trusted servant as witness. Another account states that the ceremony
was performed at Bresnic by the same priest.
Ultimately, Franz Welser, to whom doubtless a properly carried out
marriage with a prince had some attractions, gave his consent and
benediction. It is difficult, perhaps, in these more materialistic
days, to quite sympathize with the attitude which this wealthy and
worthy burgher of Augsburg at first assumed towards his daughter's
marriage. Then, with reputable merchants, not only was their word
their bond, but in them was a strong element of pride which would not
readily brook that they should be looked down upon even by princes.
And doubtless it was this pride which was principally at the back of
old Welser's opposition to Prince Ferdinand's suit. But the
magnificent dowry that Philippine's father was rich enough to give her
was one of which no prince need have been ashamed.
At the time of his marriage the Archduke was twenty-eight and
Philippine two years older. The Emperor, of course, refused to
acknowledge the marriage when he ultimately, some years after its
celebration, became aware of it. And although we are bound to admit
the story of Philippine's personal appeal to him to forgive his son
and her rests on a very shadowy basis, and is, indeed, rather
traditional than historical, we give it for what it is worth.
The story goes that Philippine, distressed not only for her own
position but for the trouble she had brought upon her husband by
estranging him from his father the Emperor, journeyed to Vienna with
her little children to gain an audience with her royal father-in-law
in person. To do this was a matter of great difficulty, and though she
ultimately succeeded, it was only by reason of her great beauty and
her gentleness, and the fact that she had assumed another name. Then,
after entering the audience chamber, she fell upon her knees and told
the Emperor her own story in the guise of an allegory, saying that she
was the happy and beloved wife of a gallant nobleman of great position
whose father would not recognize her because she was herself not nobly
born; adding that, hearing how just and good the Emperor was, she had
come to him to implore him to intercede for her and her sons with her
obdurate father-in-law. Having listened to her tale the Emperor,
delighted with the grace, eloquence, and beauty of Philippine and with
her two sons, told her that he would grant her request and would
appeal to her father-in-law to not only forgive his son, but to
recognize the marriage, adding that it passed his comprehension how
any one could refuse to receive so charming and beautiful a woman into
his family. Then, as was to be expected, he asked the name of her
husband's father. And she, throwing herself once more upon her knees,
told the Emperor that it was he himself to whom she had referred, and
that she was the wife of his son Ferdinand.
The Emperor could scarcely go back upon his word nor could he stultify
himself by denying the charm and beauty of Philippine now that he
discovered who she really was; and won over by the courage and
persistency which had inspired her journey to Vienna to seek to
approach him in person, he not only forgave his son but also
recognized her as a daughter-in-law. Some accounts, although this is
probably not so, state that he wished the marriage still to remain a
secret, and appointed Ferdinand Regent of Tyrol, sending him and his
wife to reside at Innsbruck.[14]
The Emperor's wishes were carried out, and it is said that it was not
until her death generally known that Philippine was actually married
to the Archduke. After her decease, however, the circumstance was made
public and the Archduke was always accustomed to refer to Philippine
as his wife. Of course the marriage was a morganatic one, and
therefore neither of her two surviving children, Andreas and Charles,
inherited the Archducal titles.
Four years previous to the Archduke Ferdinand's coming to take up his
residence at Innsbruck as Regent of Tyrol he had acquired the
picturesque and finely situated Castle of Ambras, and by many
alterations and additions to the then existing building soon made it
one of the most noted as well as one of the most beautiful residences
in the whole country. He furnished it with great magnificence, and
when all was completed presented it to his wife Philippine. Here they
usually spent the summer months in a happiness which was not only
proverbial but undoubted.
As have been several other rulers of Tyrol, the Archduke Ferdinand was
not only greatly interested himself in art, science, and literature,
but he sought as the patron of these to gather around his person and
to attach to his Court learned professors, artists, and scientists
from all parts of Europe. As a result the court of Ferdinand and
Philippine grew from an artistic, musical, and intellectual standpoint
to be a particularly brilliant one.
[Sidenote: CHARACTER OF PHILIPPINE]
The character of Philippine seems to have been as pleasing as was her
physical appearance. She is said to have had a fine, clear, though
somewhat pale, complexion, blue eyes, and golden hair, although it
must be added that existing portraits of her do not do her justice in
the latter regard, unless her beauty was greatly exaggerated. In most
of them she appears with a slightly oval, and more Italian than
Teutonic type of face, with well-marked and well-bowed eyebrows, soft,
but intelligent eyes, a straight nose, and a very sweet, and even in
some portraits "roguish," mouth; but as a whole her face is not one of
striking beauty, judging it by the standards of more modern times.
Philippine, when settled at Ambras, greatly interested herself in good
works of all kinds, but more especially in the visiting and care of
the sick, and the memory of her good deeds in this respect is still
cherished in Tyrol. Her chief physician has set down the large number
of sick who were at various times under her immediate care, and in the
record one finds mention of ailing folk of many nationalities, showing
her Catholic spirit in the relief of suffering. She even had her own
dispensary at Ambras in the charge of one Guranta, who was a
celebrated chemist of that time. Concerning her one of her biographers
says, "She, herself delicate in health from early life, had a strong
and ever ready sympathy for sufferers, especially those who were
distressed in mind or circumstance as well as in body."
During the years she lived at Ambras she gained such a knowledge of
disease and the remedies usually employed in those days that she wrote
a book of prescriptions herself, which is now to be seen in the Court
Library, Vienna. It is a most interesting volume, as it contains a
considerable record of the effects of the remedies used; sometimes
written by Philippine's own hand with remarks added as comments upon
the success or failure of the treatment.
Philippine was in other ways also of a philanthropic and kindly
disposition, and on many occasions girls in her service, or who were
known to her, received the pleasant surprise on their marriage of a
wedding dress from her; and there is still to be seen at Innsbruck a
dressmaker's bill, the total amount of which is largely comprised of
wedding dresses given in the way we have mentioned.
Although the burgomaster's daughter, according to her own confession,
would rather have led a less exalted and more retiring life than that
incumbent upon her by reason of her marriage with the Archduke
Ferdinand, all writers are agreed that she ably and well adorned the
position to which she had been called. Of her husband's great
affection for her there can be little doubt. Indeed, it was so
notorious that the Venetian Ambassador Michiele, when on a visit to
the Archduke, reported to his Government that Ferdinand was never so
happy as when with his wife, and in fact was never an hour away from
her.
Philippine, in spite of her many social duties and exalted position,
was an excellent and even an ideal German _haus-frau_. She was a
clever needlewoman, skilled especially in embroidery; and quite an
expert and practical cook. She might, indeed, be said to have rivalled
the famous Mrs. Glass, as she wrote an exhaustive cookery book which
displays a great and practical knowledge of the culinary art, and is,
happily for the curious, preserved with her book of prescriptions in
the Court Library at Vienna.
Nothing was too good for Philippine in the estimation of the Archduke.
Not only did he give her the magnificent Schloss Ambras, Stubai
Valley, and all it contained, several villages, and vast sums of
money, but also the estates of Königsberg, Salurn, and Hörtenberg.
[Sidenote: COURT AT CASTLE AMBRAS]
The Court at Innsbruck and at Castle Ambras was a gay one, and
numerous brilliant entertainments were given during the married life
of Ferdinand and Philippine. Amongst the many _fêtes_ which took place
at various times one finds a record of one in the diary of James von
Payersberg bearing the date of July 13, 1570, in which there is a
record of Philippine having won the first prize, which was a silver
gilt cup of great value, for shooting with a crossbow; whilst her
aunt, Madame De Loxan, who on Philippine's marriage had been appointed
as her Mistress of the Robes, won the second. An interesting
circumstance in connection with this _fête_ is that the gentlemen and
ladies competed together in the shooting match, with the result that
the former were defeated in the manner we have stated.
At Castle Ambras not only were there collected together scientists,
artists, musicians, and many learned men, but also, as was the custom
of those days, jesters, and "freaks" of various types, whose curious
divergences from the normal have many of them been preserved in
portraits hung in the Castle. Of ordinary servants, retainers, pages,
etc., there was always a huge retinue entailing an enormous
expenditure and a commissariat department of considerable magnitude.
Philippine, although her natural tastes were so divergent from those
of her husband who loved gaiety, sport, and the pomp of circumstance,
by her gentleness, affectionate study of his wishes and great
tactfulness, succeeded in not only gaining but keeping his affection
throughout their married life. It is said that Philippine, whether the
story of her captivation of her royal father-in-law's heart be true or
not, was gladly and very generally received by the Tyrol nobles, who
were distinguished not only by their chivalrous but also by their
generally haughty disposition. Very friendly relations also appear to
have existed with neighbouring courts, whilst Pope Gregory XIII. had
so high an opinion of Philippine's religious sincerity and virtues
that he sent her by special ambassador a beautiful and very valuable
rosary.
Philippine died in 1580, surrounded by members of her family, and in
the presence of the Archduke Ferdinand and the Dukes Ferdinand of
Bavaria and Henry of Brunswick, after a married life lasting
twenty-three years, and an illness of only a few days' duration. So
beloved was she throughout Tyrol that general mourning was observed
for some months, and masses were said in all the churches of the land
for the repose of her soul. How great the affection borne her by the
people amongst whom she came to live really was, is well shown by the
fact that in many a cottage home in Tyrol portraits of her even
nowadays are found.
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.
On the ground floor of the Hoch Schloss or "upper castle" is an
interesting and well-restored fifteenth-century Gothic chapel, with
some frescoes by Wörndle; and a bathroom, said to be that of
Philippine, is on the same floor. It was around this little room that
tradition wove the tragic story (since disproved and altogether
discredited) of Philippine having committed suicide by opening one of
her veins in order that her husband might re-marry with some one whose
rank was more in conformity with his own. For many years, for several
generations, in fact, this tale was given credence, and was accepted
by at least the common folk as exemplifying the domestic virtues for
which Philippine was justly famed. But although Ferdinand's mother
appears never to have accepted the position or to have become
reconciled to Philippine, the rest of the members of his family appear
to have treated her well, and, so far as history can show, there never
was any reason for the sacrifice of her life she was for so long
supposed to have made, in the interests of her husband's happiness and
position.
The fame of Philippine Welser has outlived the centuries which have
elapsed since she died; and the burgher of Augsburg's daughter was
destined to become one of the most popular of Tyrolese heroines; and
there is in consequence many a peasant home in Tyrol to-day where her
portrait in some form of reproduction or other has a place with that
of some favourite saint or even the Virgin herself.
There are several other traditions connected with this beautifully
situated Castle of Ambras. One is that Wallenstein, whilst a lad and a
page in Ferdinand's service, fell out of the window in the corridor
which leads to the dining-hall and received no hurt, owing to the fact
that during the terrible moment when he lost his balance he vowed to
the Virgin Mary if spared he would lead a more serious and better
life.
The castle, as did so many historic fortress-dwellings in Tyrol,
gradually fell into decay; but when the Archduke Karl Ludwig, who was
Governor of Tyrol during a short period in the middle of the last
century, decided to take up his residence here it was thoroughly
repaired and restored. The Art treasures, which remained after the
removal of the main collections to Vienna, have been supplemented from
time to time by contributions from the Imperial collections in Vienna,
and in 1882 the Emperor threw open the castle to the public as a
Museum.
Of the many interesting rooms at Ambras two never fail to arouse the
admiration and curiosity of visitors. The first is the Waffensaal, in
which there is a collection of armour and arms, which has a
sixteenth-century ceiling painted by G. B. Fontana, of Meran, with
astronomical and mythological designs; the second, the famous and
magnificently proportioned Spanish salon, with its exquisitely
panelled wood ceiling and walls adorned with frescoes of the rulers of
Tyrol, from 1221-1600.
The view from the terrace, with its trellis of passion flowers and
vines, across the Inn valley on a clear summer's day is one of great
charm and beauty, and as one gazes across the fertile valley to the
wonderful range of mountains that towers above it, the colours of
which seem to change with every passing cloud, one can realize
something of the affection Ferdinand, art lover and artist as he
undoubtedly was, always had for Castle Ambras.
[Sidenote: THE TOURNEY GROUND]
None who come to the castle should fail to visit the picturesque and
secluded Tummel-platz or Tourney ground, which overhangs as it were
the village of Ambras, with its ancient church and quaint frescoes of
the Last Judgment. On this spot during Ferdinand and Philippine's
occupation of the Castle many jousts and knightly encounters are said
to have taken place. From the gay and chivalrous use of those and
previous times the Tummel-platz has passed to a melancholy one as the
burial-ground of patriots and heroes. It was first put to this purpose
when the Castle was turned into a military hospital--which for a short
time it remained--and afterwards as the burial-place of some seven or
eight thousand of Hofer's soldiers who fell in the wars with France
and Bavaria, from 1809 to 1810. Indeed, it actually formed part of the
battle-ground of 1809.
As is perfectly natural, and in accord with the patriotic and
religious spirit of the people, they have adorned the quiet and
beautiful burial-ground with chapels, shrines, votive pictures, and
memorials which confer upon it a distinctive and impressive interest,
and sentiment which few such places can show. As a poet sings--
"Near Ambras, on the upland,
In fair Tyrolean land,
Within a cool green forest
Full thick the crosses stand.
"There gallant knights in armour
Once met with spear and shield,
And from those olden combats
'Tis called the 'Tourney Field.'
"Long rusted are the lances,
But, as the breezes blow,
Old, half-forgotten stories
Like spirits come and go."
From Castle Ambras it is but a short journey by tramway to Igls, which
is situated nearly a thousand feet above Innsbruck, but cannot be seen
from the town. There are also two roads by which one may reach this
little mountain village; one leading past Ambras, which is favoured by
the less energetic of walkers, and the other, by which we ascended,
much steeper, more picturesque and shorter. From Wilten it passes over
the Sill Bridge and then ascends the Paschberg and winds along the
edge of the fine Sill Gorge. When the little village of Vill is
reached one seems suddenly to step into a fresh region of experience;
one singularly different from that of Innsbruck, which, after all,
lies but a mile or two away in the valley down below. Here as one
comes in sight of the elegantly tapering red spire of the church one
obtains an insight into the life of the upper valleys, and soon
notices the Tyrolese custom of adorning the outside walls of the house
with paintings, which, generally religious in subject, are many of
them of a striking and even meritorious character as regards
execution. In Vill none should fail to notice the painting of the
Angel of Peace, which is over the doorway of a house in the main
street.
[Sidenote: BEAUTIFUL IGLS]
One of the most beautiful walks hereabouts is that by the path which
leads down through the woods to Gärberbach inn on the great Brenner
High Road, from which point Berg Isel can be reached on foot in less
than half an hour.
Still climbing upwards from Vill and leaving the sights and sounds of
the valley behind us we gradually approach Igls. Innsbruck and every
trace of the wide valley and environing hills across it have suddenly
vanished, and one finds one's self in the midst of wide extending and
restfully green upland pastures, with a vista of the charmingly
situated little villages of Natters and Mutters, across the Sill Gorge
(which here is almost imperceptible) with their church steeples, green
tinged and red turreted, shining in the clear Alpine air, and giving
to the scene just that touch of colour which an artist loves.
It is possible in Alpine valleys such as that in which Igls nestles to
more truly estimate the factors which make the Tyrolese such a
home-loving and patriotic people; and to realize how the chief human
as well as religious associations even nowadays--as they did in the
past--cluster round the village churches which rear their slender
spires Heavenwards almost wherever half a dozen houses are grouped
together.
There are many splendid peaks towering above the picturesque valley in
which Igls lies; amongst them the Habicht, more than 10,700 feet,
Saile-Spitze, and the rugged Waldraster-Spitze, 8920 feet; and the
lower slopes are well-wooded and beautiful at all seasons in their
varied tints of green.
Igls has altered considerably since we first visited it, and it now
has the aspect of a mountain health "resort" of a modest and
unassuming type, with some good hotels, a post office, telephone and
telegraph. It is little wonder, then, that this favoured spot should
have lately attracted to it many visitors in search of quietude and
fresh air. The clean air and pure breezes off the glaciers and
snow-fields above, which, filtering down across the pine woods of the
lower slopes, come to one in the open valley not less fresh and
invigorating but somewhat softened and perfumed, give it one of its
chief charms.
The little church is of considerable interest, not only from its
picturesque situation, but also by reason of the pastoral scenes which
are painted upon its organ loft, and the many quaint relics and votive
offerings to be seen in it, which are a feature of so many Tyrolese
village churches. The mural paintings on the houses in the village are
numerous and curious, some of the most interesting relating to the
legendary story of the Heilig Wasser. In connection with this there is
a pilgrimage chapel picturesquely situated, in almost absolute
solitude save for the Inn, on the mountain side more than two thousand
feet above the valley.
[Sidenote: A MIRACULOUS TALE]
The church is built upon the site of the alleged miracle, the story
concerning which is as follows:--Three centuries ago two cowherds were
tending their flocks upon the upper pasture above Igls, when they were
unfortunate enough to lose two young calves; and although they sought
for them far and wide along the paths and amid the woods they failed
to find them. At length, quite wearied out, and frightened lest they
should be severely punished for their carelessness by their father,
they fell on their knees and supplicated the Virgin and Saints to help
them. Almost as soon as they commenced to pray a bright light fell
upon them and round about, and the Virgin appearing beside them bade
them be of good cheer, and told them to trouble no more as the lost
cattle had gone home to their byre. Then she bade them drink, for
their throats were parched with their wanderings. But the two lads,
knowing there was no water near, exclaimed, "You tell us to drink, but
where shall we find water? There is none here."
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN POOL ON THE RITTEN]
The Virgin made no reply but vanished; and as she disappeared from
their vision there welled up, where she had stood, a spring of clear
water from out the rocks, which has never ceased to flow since.
On their return home the boys refrained from saying anything about the
vision or the miraculous spring, perhaps lest, notwithstanding the
calves had been found in the cowshed as the Virgin had promised, they
should be blamed for careless herding. But they never failed, when
passing by the spring, to offer up a prayer of gratitude.
Many years passed and the two cowherds not only grew to man's estate
but became old and infirm, needing the assistance of others to look
after their flocks. One of the two was aided by the deaf and dumb son
of a neighbour, and one day, as the old man and boy were passing the
spring, the former knelt down and prayed and drank of the water. The
boy seeing him do this did likewise, and lo and behold he found his
tongue miraculously loosened, and afterwards spoke as clearly as any
other.
The fame of the miracle spread abroad, and was readily believed by the
people of the valley. Then the two old men told their own experience,
and soon a chapel was built on the spot to which through the centuries
many devout pilgrims as well as many curious visitors have journeyed.
Amid the woods by which Igls is surrounded, and along the fertile
valley in which the village stands, are many charming walks, and
yearly the place is becoming more resorted to by those who appreciate
the lovely and bracing mountain air, and a very pleasant form of what
has become known as the "simple life."
To the south-west of Igls and south of Innsbruck across the Sill is
the lovely Stubai Valley, the beauty of which almost challenges that
of the Oetzthal. Like the latter this valley is also verily the gate
to the land of snow-fields and glaciers, of which there are upwards of
eighty within its confines and hard by. The Stubai Thal is a
combination of scenery of widely different character. Within a radius
of a few miles, towering above its green and peaceful pastures, at
least two score of magnificent peaks rear their heads skyward, none of
which fall far short of (whilst many exceed) 10,000 feet in altitude.
The lower portion of the valley is reminiscent of the far-famed,
music-loving Zillerthal, with its dark-green pine forests, fertile
meadows, and villages perched here and there on the slopes of the
mountains, or nestling in the valley itself around the white-walled
churches. This kind of scenery extends some little way beyond the
village of Neustift, which is the last in the valley having a church,
and then one seems to at once pass into a mysterious, wonderful, and
fascinating region, where the legendary gnomes and ice-maidens of
Tyrolean folk-tales and lore must surely dwell in caverns and
habitations of perpetual ice and snow.
Though there is a good mountain road winding up the hillside above
Wilten, which in former times served the picturesque villages Natters,
Mutters, Kreith, and Telfes, most travellers nowadays use the electric
railway (the first made in Tyrol) for the journey to Fulpmes, which
lies about half-way to Neustift and is rapidly becoming a favourite
excursion resort for Innsbruck people.
The railway (although it has been called a "toy" one) presents
considerable features of interest to the engineer, and elements of
apparent--but not actual--danger to the timorous. At least, one lady
we know who had made the upward journey, had been across the slender
viaduct supported on tapering piers, and had been whirled round curves
of astonishing "sharpness," refused--until the distance by road had
been pointed out to her--to return the same way. But there is in
reality no risk on the Stubai Bahn, only an element of pleasant
excitement, and the charm of wonderful scenery; and the latter is so
beautiful and the little saloon cars so well adapted for viewing that
few will, after all, we think, regret travelling to Fulpmes by
train instead of a-foot or by carriage. The place was formerly
celebrated for its iron and steel works; the articles made finding
their way not only to Austria, but also to Germany and Italy; and
although of late years the trade appears to have somewhat declined, it
is still considerable and of interest to the curious who can watch the
skilful artisans at work. The village is most picturesquely situated,
and in the church there are some paintings by a local peasant girl
quite worth seeing. Fulpmes forms an excellent centre from which to
make excursions in the upper portions of the lovely valley, and amid
the wooded slopes of the environing mountains. In summer there is the
additional charm of the wealth of beautiful wild flowers which gem the
fields, and spread like a many-coloured carpet of glowing tints
beneath the shadow-casting and sombre pines.
[Illustration: VIADUCT ON STUBAI RAILWAY]
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE GROSSGLOCKNER]
[Sidenote: FULPMES AND SCHONBERG]
At Schonberg, south of Igls, and on the opposite bank of the Sill,
standing nearly 3500 feet above sea level, one obtains a most
widely-extended and panoramic view of the Stubai Valley and its
villages. And as one stands in the Alpine observatory near the
"Jagerhof," one is able to realize the full beauty of the valley, and
the wonder of the mountain summits, including the Serles Spitz (also
known in Innsbruck as the Waldraster Spitz), whose rugged peaks remind
one of those giants in the Dolomites.
But perhaps one of the most strange and interesting natural phenomena
in all Tyrol is to be seen from Schonberg when the snow-fields, which
in winter completely cover the mountain tops on every hand, begin to
melt. Then gradually there appear in different parts of the upper
slopes of the mountain ranges dark spots which, framed in unmelted
snow, at last assume the appearance of silhouettes of gigantic size.
On the peaks away above Innsbruck are slowly formed the figures of two
women who appear to be fighting, and whose noses as the snow melts
become more hooked and longer each day; on the Solstein a priest is
seen carrying an _aspergillus_ in his hand, whilst on the
Arzletscharte appears the most complete "picture" of them all, known
as the "Falconer." This, a silhouette of remarkable vividness, depicts
a youth dressed in a page's costume, adorned with a hat and plumes,
and carrying on his left arm a falcon unhooded for flight. As the snow
melts the figure loses its pristine slimness and assumes the form of a
corpulent man, until at last it entirely disappears. On the side of
the Patscherkofel is seen the figure of an old hunter with his dog;
which, however, owing to the rapid melting of the snow when once a
thaw commences, is only visible for a short time. Indeed, a few hours
after we first saw it, for the reason we have given, the change was so
great that the outline was almost destroyed.
Hall, from time immemorial famous for its salt mines, is well worth a
visit. Lying on the north or opposite side of the Inn to Igls, and to
the east of Innsbruck, it can be reached either by the prosaic
post-road which traverses the Valley, or from Igls by the beautiful
Ellbögen road--a branch of the Brenner road dating from Roman
times--passing over the Mittelgebirge and through Igls, Lans, Aldrans,
Ampass, across the bridge over the Inn to Hall, which is somewhat
longer. Equally picturesque, perhaps one might say even more so, is
yet another road (the one we preferred) which skirts the lower slopes
of the towering peaks of the Bavarian Alps, and passes through the
villages of Arzl, Rum, and Thaur. There are also the alternatives of
the Brenner railway, and the tramway for those who are poor walkers or
are pressed for time.
[Sidenote: SOME PRETTY VILLAGES]
From Mühlau onwards one has most exquisite views of the broad and
fertile valley, and the magnificent mountains which tower above the
wooded slopes, swelling gently upward from the Inn, in wild and craggy
peaks of rugged beauty. This walk is rendered additionally attractive
and picturesque for all who are interested in folk-lore, or who are
able to enter into the legend and religion of the people, by the
pilgrimage chapels which are found along the route. One of the most
charming of these in all Tyrol is that of Arzl, which, standing on a
wooded knoll, is brilliant with colour, a gem of its kind in a
charming setting of dark green. The little church of Maria Loreto
built by the religiously inclined Anna Katharina Gonzaga, second wife
of Ferdinand II., was once a famous pilgrimage place, but of late
years has been much less resorted to than formerly. The interior is,
however, well worth inspection. The wood carvings and iron work are
both interesting, as are also the old engravings which hang upon the
walls, and the curious black Virgin and Child upon the Altar.
Arzl, Rum, and Thaur are all picturesquely situated, nestling as they
do on the lower slopes of the great limestone peaks, the first named
standing at the foot of the Burgstall which rises majestically to a
height of nearly three thousand five hundred feet. Many of the houses
in these three villages are most elaborately decorated with mural
paintings; in some instances the whole of the fronts are so adorned,
and often masses of corn hang on trellis work on the walls. The effect
of the brilliant tints of the paintings and the coloured window frames
gives an additionally picturesque air to the little villages. Seen in
summer the gay effect is perhaps a little neutralized, but in winter,
when the landscape is more cheerless and there is a background of snow
and grey-green rocks, the picture formed is a unique and wonderfully
cheering one.
Concerning Thaur, where so many houses have either a painting or an
image of a man with a bear upon their fronts, there is a legend of St.
Romedius, who centuries ago came riding into the village blessed with
a keen appetite gained by exercise in the invigorating mountain air.
Whilst the saint was engaged in satisfying his hunger, a wandering
bear, so the legend goes, was so impressed with the holy man's
accomplishment in this respect that he promptly (for want of other
food) emulated it by eating Romedius' horse. On coming out to renew
his journey the Saint was astounded at the disappearance of his steed.
He, however, seems to have guessed what had happened, and forthwith
preached the bear such a sermon upon his iniquitous conduct that he
was not only moved to penitence, but also sought to make amends by
offering himself as a substitute for the Saint's former steed.
Although the proposal might appear to us as accompanied with some
considerable risk when the bear once more became hungry, the Saint
accepted it, and ultimately set forth on his strange steed to a cave
in the mountains north of Thaur, where they lived for some
considerable time without mishap. One day, however, as the holy man
slept, a troublesome fly came buzzing round his head, and the sleeper
failed to drive it away, with the result that the bear (who we are
told had all this time watched over his master with great solicitude)
came to the rescue and sought to get rid of it; however, without
success. The fly returned again and again to the charge, and the bear
in desperation aiming a blow at the fly, alas! struck and killed the
Saint. This time the grief of the bear was, of course, of no avail, so
he would eat nothing and gradually pined away, ultimately dying of
hunger.
This story, though it has its comical side, is not, however, held to
be disrespectful to the life and character of Romedius, who is one of
the best esteemed Tyrolese saints. It appears more than probable,
however, that Romedius (whether killed by his companion the bear or
not) actually died in the Nonsthal, South Tyrol, where there are,
strange to say, villages of somewhat similar names to those we have
mentioned, namely, Torro, Rumo, and Arz.
[Illustration: THE MARKET PLACE, HALL]
[Sidenote: HALL AND ITS MÜNSTERTURM]
Hall, which is one of the most picturesque, busy, and interesting
little towns in the neighbourhood of Innsbruck, with some 6000
inhabitants, dates from the time of the Roman occupation of Tyrol. By
the well-known historian, Beda Weber, the name is stated to have been
derived from the Greek word [Greek: halos], salt; the reason for such
derivation from an unlikely language he does not, however, in any way
seek to explain. As one enters the town one is at once struck by the
strange and quaint mingling of the picturesque with the utilitarian,
the rural with the mediæval. Long before one reaches the town one sees
in the distance the greenish copper cupolas of the Pfaarkirche or
Parish Church which has so fine a Gothic portal and interesting
relics, around whose walls shops are grouped; and rising above the
other less lofty and less time-mellowed buildings, the massive Gothic
tower known as the Münsterturm with its red "pepper-box" roof of Roman
origin, although the present tower was built by Duke Sigismund, the
famous son of Frederick of the Empty Purse. A steeply ascending street
leads to the market square, in which the Pfaarkirche and Rathaus stand
opposite each other. And in this and contiguous streets there are many
quaint balconies, gabled roofs, and old-time architectural features to
interest and charm the artist and antiquarian visitor.
Although Hall has somewhat declined as a commercial centre with the
rise of its big neighbour, Innsbruck, it is still a place of
considerable activity on account, chiefly, of the famous salt mines.
In former times these and its position on the banks of the Inn (then
much more navigable) gave the place importance under the rule of the
Counts of Tyrol, and the earlier of the Austrian princes; many barges
and boats from the Danube itself in former times making their way into
the Inn and thence to the flourishing town of Hall. The salt works
still remain its principal industry. Hall is, as things go in Tyrol, a
distinctly smoky town; but it is seldom that the smoke hangs in the
clear and fresh Alpine air which sweeps along the Inn valley down
from the environing hills.
The Münsterturm, mint tower, which, as we have said, is so prominent
an object on approaching the town, is of historical interest from the
fact that it was built to enable Duke Sigismund, known as the Rich, to
turn into coin his great store of silver taken from the Tyrol
mountains. It was from this tower, too, that Andreas Hofer issued his
Kreuzer and twenty Kreuzer pieces during the period of his brief
dictatorship.
As was the case with many another Tyrolean town, Hall suffered in the
past from the calamities which afflicted so many similar places in the
Middle Ages. It was swept in turn by fire, sword, and pestilence, and
shaken to its foundations by the earthquake which occurred in 1670. So
severe was the shock, we are told, that the watchman on the parapet of
the church tower was thrown off and killed by falling to the ground,
and the people fled out of their houses to the open fields where their
priests exhorted them to prepare for the Day of Judgment. That the
alarm created was very great is borne out by the fact that, although
the loss of life would appear from contemporary sources of information
to have been slight, for some time afterwards the services of the
church were all performed in the open air. Hall, however, chiefly on
account of its salt mine resources, recovered, and these and the many
privileges the burghers enjoyed enabled them in time to regain their
former prosperity.
The town played an important part in the various wars which had Tyrol
for their battleground during the Middle Ages; and during the
Patriotic War the people of Hall were not less brave and
self-sacrificing than those of other places. One gallant deed in
especial of that long struggle for freedom is directly connected with
the town. In May, 1809, Joseph Speckbacher (who was born on a
Gnadenwald farm near Hall in 1767) and his troops attacked the
Bavarians at Volders, near Hall, and after blowing up the bridge
behind him he marched to the relief of the latter town, which was held
by the Bavarian troops. These had artillery, and were also numerically
stronger and better armed, so that the task set before the patriot
force was no slight one. Happily, Speckbacher became aware that the
Bavarians were short of ammunition, and therefore when a truce was
proposed he refused to agree to it. The Bavarians after, as they
thought, completely destroying the Hall bridge, which they held as
well as the town, retreated. Calling upon his men to follow him,
Speckbacher led them boldly on to the then dangerous and tottering
structure, entered the town and pursued the Bavarians.
[Sidenote: AN INTERESTING CHURCH]
In the churchyard is an interesting wooden crucifix carved by Joseph
Stocker in 1691, as well as some monuments of the principal Hall
families of former times. The church itself should be visited, if only
for the "Salvator Mundi" by Albrecht Durer painted on a panel, and the
high altar-piece by a pupil of the master Reubens, named Erasmus
Quillinus. One of the chapels, the Waldaufische, was built in 1493 by
Florian von Waldauf, who, originally a peasant boy, entered the
Imperial Army and ultimately became one of the confidential advisers
of the Emperor Frederick and his son, afterwards Maximilian I. He was
also ennobled and given considerable estates. He met with many
adventures on his journeys into foreign lands, and on one of his
expeditions was in so terrible a storm as to be threatened with
shipwreck, and he vowed if his life was spared that he would found a
chapel in his native land. As events turned out, he lived to reach
Tyrol once more, and in accordance with his vow founded the chapel in
the church at Hall, which was also the parish church of Rettenburg
Castle and estates which Maximilian had granted to him. Upon this
chapel he bestowed numerous relics which he had acquired during his
various travels, and nearly 50,000 pilgrims came from all parts of
Tyrol to the consecration service.
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]
On the way one passes the quaint village of Absam, at which Jakob
Stainer, known as the "German father of the violin," was born in 1621.
As a maker of these instruments he stands high, though it is unknown
where or how he acquired his knowledge of the craft. It seems
possible, however, as Absam is but a short distance from Innsbruck,
where at the period at which Stainer lived musicians--Italians and
others--were warmly welcomed to the Court of the Archduke Ferdinand
Karl, he may have made the acquaintance of some of these, or even of a
maker of distinction. Be it as it may, ere Stainer reached his
majority he had embarked upon the trade of a violin maker, and was
often to be seen in the streets of Hall and in the market-place
selling his productions at a price which we are told did not often
exceed six florins.
His original model was probably an Amati, but he departed considerably
from it as he himself acquired skill and knowledge. Stories are still
told of the great care he took in selecting the wood from which his
instruments were to be fashioned, and how he would sometimes spend
days wandering in the backwoods around Hall and Absam in search of a
good tree, which he would tap with a hammer and note its "tone" ere
felling. Unfortunately, as has been the case with many another genius,
he seems to have died in poverty in or about 1683. At one time he was
violin maker to the Imperial Court, but this appointment, which
ultimately he lost through inability to pay his way, and owing to
consequent financial embarrassment, was not sufficiently lucrative to
ensure him comfort in his declining years, let alone prosperity.
His instruments, of which there are still a number in existence, are
generally distinguished by having their tops more highly curved than
those of the chief Italian makers, whilst they possess a more
flute-like note, which is often more "singing" and sympathetic than
that of the latter. But none of his make probably equalled, or at all
events excelled, the works of the Italian masters for brilliance and
sustained tone, although by some connoisseurs this opinion has been
disputed. It is said that one of Mozart's favourite instruments was
the work of Jakob Stainer.
At the present time the chief industry of the Mittenwald, which is
just over the Bavarian border, is the production of violins and
guitars, which are exported in considerable numbers to both England
and the United States as well as to other European countries. This
flourishing industry owes its origin to a pupil of Stainer's, named
Klotz, who after his master's death enjoyed a considerable reputation
as a maker of violins of good quality.
Many of the houses of Absam are gaily painted, and in the numerous
niches, which are often vine-wreathed, one finds the images of saints,
and on the bargeboards roughly carved dragons. The villagers tell a
curious story to account for the presence of these dragons. It tells
how centuries ago there was in the village a marvellous hen that never
laid an egg until seven years old, and when this was hatched instead
of the anticipated chicken there crawled out a dragon, which
remarkable event the villagers have commemorated ever since by carving
dragons on the eaves of their houses. But it has been pointed out by
several writers upon legends and folk-lore that the dragon was an
animal sacred to the god Wodin, representations of which were
frequently placed on houses, over the town gates, and on belfries as a
kind of talisman against evil influences and spirits; and similar
statements are to be found in several well-known works dealing with
mythology.
[Sidenote: A WONDERFUL WINDOW]
In connection with this little Tyrol village are several other stories
and legendary tales of a highly romantic and interesting character.
Space, however, can only be found for one other. The story of the
event or circumstance which caused Absam to become a popular
pilgrimage place at the end of the eighteenth century runs as follows.
About the middle of January, in the year 1797, the daughter of one of
the villagers was one evening looking out of a window in her father's
house to watch for his return from work across the fields, when
suddenly the light from the fire which played upon the window-pane
disclosed a figure of the Virgin Mary quite distinctly. The girl was
so astonished that she fell upon her knees before the miraculous
picture. The story was not long in spreading throughout the village,
and the neighbours all came running to see the "miracle." Then the
news of the marvellous image spread through the district round about,
and at last created so great a stir that the Dean of Innsbruck himself
heard of it, and resolved to investigate the story. After he had
visited the place a committee of inquiry was formed, amongst the
members of which were two learned professors of chemistry and the
well-known artist, Joseph Schöpf.
After considerable investigation and the examination of witnesses the
committee declared that the glass had originally formed part of a
"picture" window, and that the image had been undoubtedly painted upon
it. The colours had, however, faded as the years went by (as
sometimes, indeed, happens), and it was the peculiar character of the
atmosphere of Absam which had restored them to the extent that the
image of the Holy Virgin had become once more visible.
It is not to be much wondered at, however, that the simple-minded
villagers failed to appreciate the arguments of the commissioners and
refused to accept the explanation. To them it remained a miraculous
image still, and pilgrims came in crowds to see it. As history tells
us, it was a period of "Sturm und Drang" in Tyrol. A plague raged
which afflicted both men and cattle; and the French invaders had
penetrated right into the heart of the country, had occupied
Innsbruck, and had brought fire and sword to the hearths of the
people. The superstitious peasantry, with their natural leaning
towards belief in the miraculous, and faith in the benefits to be
derived from the supernatural, accepted the image which had so
strangely appeared on the window-pane as a token of Divine favour, and
insisted on its removal and installation upon one of the altars in the
church. This was promptly done, and the "Gnadenmutter von Absam," or
"Miraculous Madonna of Absam," became an object of veneration by all
who were distressed. This feeling was doubtless immensely increased by
the circumstance that soon after the discovery of the picture and its
removal to the church the pestilence died down, and the French were
compelled to withdraw their forces. Both of which events were
attributed to the virtue of the painting of the Virgin on the
window-pane which had been discovered in so strange a manner.
The salt mines a little distance beyond Absam, with their crystalline
grottoes and the subterranean salt lake, provide an interesting and
unique experience for the enterprising traveller who comes to the
Salzberg. There is not much difficulty in obtaining admission to the
mines, a small fee being charged each visitor for guides, torches, and
the rowers of the boat on the lake. The circumstance that the mines
were known and worked in the eighth century is not the least
interesting fact connected with them; but it appears probable that the
early workers confined their attention chiefly if not entirely to the
extracting of the salt from a spring that issued from the mountain, by
means of evaporating pans.
[Illustration: THE HALL VALLEY, WINTER]
[Sidenote: DISCOVERY OF SALT MINES]
One Nikolas von Rohrbach, who is known by the sobriquet of "the
pious knight," appears to have been the first discoverer of the salt
mines. He noticed on his frequent hunting expeditions that the cattle
and horses were very fond of licking certain rocks in the valley, and
applied tests which showed that the rocks were strongly saline in
character. Following up this clue, he discovered the Salzberg itself
with its practically inexhaustible supply. Ever since Rohrbach's time
the mountain has been worked for its salt, and until recent years,
when blasting came into common use, much in the same way as in
mediæval times, viz. by hewing huge caverns in the rock, which are
then filled with water and sealed up. After a considerable period has
elapsed this water is run off into conduits leading down to Hall,
where it is evaporated in pans. How heavily charged with salt the
brine is may be judged from the fact that as a general rule it yields
no less than one-third of its weight in solid salt.
The caverns one is able to enter, when lighted up by the flickering
torches, present a truly wonderful and beautiful sight.
Those who visit Hall are indeed unfortunate whose time does not permit
them to put up for a day or two at either of the chief Inns (the "Bar"
or "Stern"), so that the beautiful Gnadenwald, which lies to the
north-east of the town on the Bettelwulf, may be visited. That lovely
Alpine lake, the Achen See, in which the towering snow-capped
mountains glass themselves, can be easily reached by the little
railway which runs up to it through the steeply climbing Zillerthal.
The highest and largest of Tyrolese lakes, the Achen See, lies at an
altitude of 3000 feet, with its deep-blue, crystal-clear waters
stretching northwards for a distance of nearly six miles towards
Bavaria. It is surrounded by the most exquisite mountain scenery,
craggy precipices and dark-green forests, and has many features of
interest in addition to providing excellent fishing, boating, and
numerous pleasant walks and excursions.
In the Gnadenwald, which was a grant of forest land made by Tyrolese
rulers to their household servants in olden times, there are several
villages of great picturesqueness. The road from Hall is a truly
delightful one through pine forests, sweet with aromatic perfume in
the warm air of summer, and upland fields, which seem to almost hang
on the sides of the grey, craggy peaks of the Bavarian Alps. And if
one but turns and gazes back occasionally there are charming vistas to
be had of the Inn Valley far below, and the great chain of the
southern mountain range on the further side.
The two picturesquely situated villages of St. Michael and St. Martin
are to be ranked amongst the chief places of interest in the
Gnadenwald. As one approaches the former its white church and tower
with a red-roofed cupola with gilded finial standing out clearly
defined against a background of dark green at once arrests attention.
Over the door is a fresco depicting the incident in the life of Saint
Martin where he bestowed his coat upon a beggar. The visitor whose
time permits or inclination leads him to enter the church will be
amply repaid by the beauty of the frescoes, more especially those
adorning the pulpit, which were painted by one of the priests attached
to the Augustinian monastery formerly connected with the church, but
afterwards suppressed by Joseph II. towards the end of the eighteenth
century.
At a little distance from the church stands the old home of Joseph
Speckbacher, where once, when pursued by his enemies, he took refuge
in a pit only deep enough for him to sit upright, whilst the Bavarian
soldiers in search of him were actually quartered in the house. He was
only able to leave his place of concealment under the floor when the
soldiers were absent drilling in the market-place. After a time he was
able to come out and hide in a more commodious cow-shed, and finally
to flee (after many narrow escapes) over the border into Austria,
where he was well received and safe from capture.
The village of St. Michael is also picturesque and well worth seeing.
Just beyond it is the famous Gungl Inn, a favourite resort with
excursionists from Innsbruck, Kufstein, Hall and other places, as well
as with the peasants of the Gnadenwald. Here, on Sundays especially,
one meets with some of the most interesting and picturesque types, gay
costumes and rustic scenes of gaiety and amusements which give one a
far better idea of the Tyrolese peasants as they are than days spent
in towns, and weeks spent reading books.
[Sidenote: A PILGRIMAGE CHURCH]
But a short distance further on, by a charming road, one reaches the
famous pilgrimage chapel of Maria Larch, built in honour of a
mysterious image of the Madonna which was discovered under a larch
tree. The church, perhaps on account of its poetic legend and secluded
and beautiful situation, has long been a favourite pilgrimage resort
with the impressionable and religious peasantry of the upper valleys.
There are many other picturesque places in the neighbourhood of Hall,
enticing the wanderer from valley to valley and height to height; but
a small volume would be required in which to adequately describe them
alone; and almost a lifetime to become thoroughly acquainted with
their romantic legends, story and beauty. Some weeks of exploration
leaves one with a keen desire for closer acquaintance with not merely
the lovely scenery but with the simple-hearted, hospitable people who
dwell in the more secluded valleys, with whom the great outer world
with its storm and stress has indeed little to do and for whom even
has little interest.
"You should return to Innsbruck from Hall in the late afternoon,
starting just before sunset," was the advice of an artist friend. "You
will then see what you will not easily forget."
The present writer passes on the advice.
No one who has waited till day's decline to make the return journey at
any period of the year will have reason to regret it, though in the
winter months the effects of light and shadow are, of course, far more
transient--far too much so--than during the spring, summer, and even
early autumn. Then the snow on the towering peaks of the environing
mountains glows with at first a golden light, which passes through
pearly tones to bright rose pink as the sun sinks behind the soaring
crags. The last gleams of the sun linger upon the highest peak as
though loth to fade through rose to pale purple, and in turn to change
to steely blue, and finally to that blue-black which challenges the
deeper indigo of the Alpine sky. Through the pine woods as one passes
along the mountain road the golden light filters and slowly dies,
throwing long shadows, and at last making the tree trunks loom
enormous and fantastical in the fading light. And then from the tiny
churches of the mountain side and valley one hears the Angelus ringing
forth with a peaceful sound; or if one be approaching Innsbruck
itself, then the mellow tones of the greater bell of Wilten float
upward from the valley and come to one borne on the still evening air.
Under such circumstances of beauty and in the impressive solitude of
the forest ways one must be, indeed, unimpressionable if one fails to
feel something of the spirit and love of Tyrol, and of restful peace
which has enslaved so many hearts throughout the country's history.
FOOTNOTE:
[14] By some authorities it is stated that the Emperor was never made
aware of Ferdinand's marriage.--C. H.
CHAPTER VI
SALZBURG, ITS HISTORY AND ROMANCE
[Sidenote: BEAUTIFUL OLD SALZBURG]
Salzburg, though lying some little distance beyond the north-eastern
borders of Tyrol, is so historic and delightful a city that many who
visit the "Land of the Mountains" make a point of visiting it. They
are wise to do so; for of all ancient towns in the Austrian empire few
are more picturesque or pleasantly situated, and scarcely any more
historically interesting. We have never known any one disappointed in
Salzburg who was capable of appreciating beauty and romantic
associations.
Many who have roved the world over have yielded to the charm of this
old-time city, which even with its touch of modernity seems to
preserve the quaint and the beautiful of long ago, and the atmosphere
of the days when knights and armed men were the chief passers through
its streets, and history was in the making.
It lies at the foot of the northern Alps, in an open and fertile
valley somewhat reminding one of Innsbruck, save for its wonderful
rock fortress Hohen-Salzburg situated nearly eighteen hundred feet
above sea-level and completely dominating the town. There is the
Kapuzingerberg in place of the Innsbruck Weiherberg, and its Rainberg
in place of Berg Isel. It is by many considered the most interesting
of all the ancient towns amid the German Alps.
Its beauty has been compared in turn by several well-known travellers
with that of Venice, Naples, and even Constantinople. But to our
thinking the parallel is not as exact as it should be to make it of
value. There is no sea at Salzburg, and from that fact alone its
approach is of necessity less picturesque. Indeed, the immediate
approach from Tyrol by way of Innsbruck is somewhat unimpressive and
gives little or no indication of the beauty and charm of the old town,
though the line on its way passes some pretty scenery and affords some
fine peeps of the Bavarian Alps.
Yet Salzburg, through the centre of which flows the silver-hued
Salzach, is in a way as beautifully situated and as charming as any of
the towns to which it has from time to time been likened. It lies in a
delightfully well-watered and fertile plain dotted over with villages,
ancient castles, and country seats of the Salzburg nobility, and
encircled by wooded hills, which as they open out in a wider sweep to
the south become higher and higher until deserving the description of
mountains. Here they become a magnificent range of towering limestone
peaks, through which are cleft fertile and delightful valleys leading
into the neighbouring kingdom of Bavaria. In the valley of the Salzach
there is no lack of variety as regards scenery. One has widespread
meadows, almost throughout the year starred and gemmed with many
coloured and sweet scented flowers, melting away into the woods which
clothe the lower slopes of the environing hills, where the sombre hued
pines give a darker note of green to the landscape; whilst yet above
these in the distance are crags of grey and slate-coloured limestone,
and crowning the whole vast snow-fields glistering white at noonday
and taking on a tint of delicate rose colour at sundown.
In the town itself rise two considerable hills which serve to confer
upon it a distinction of its own. One, the Kapuzingerberg, on the
eastern side of the river, rises to the height of 800 feet, and the
second, on the western side, to a height of nearly 450 feet above the
city. It is between these two that the greater part of the old town
lies. The steep sides of the Mönchsberg and the Gibraltar-like rock on
which the old, grey fortress of Hohen-Salzburg stands are ivy-clad,
and in the crevices and fissures wall-flowers, valerian, stone-crop,
houseleek, and other flowering and lichen-like plants have taken root,
whilst from the greater crevices and ledges wave feathery birches, and
the lower slopes are made beautiful and shady by spreading beeches and
odorous limes.
After several visits to this delightful city, which has an atmosphere
entirely its own, and a charm difficult to describe, one is at a loss
to set down in what it exactly differs from other similar towns. Part
of the attraction it possesses is doubtless owing to its situation
amid a stretch of lovely valley, and its romantic and historic past.
But there yet remains that elusive quality which may be described as
"the personality of the town," in addition to its geographical and
historical claims upon one's interest and imagination.
Salzburg is not, however, merely the name of a town, but also of a
province or "department" of Austria, to which empire it is the last
added territory.[15] Lying between Tyrol (of which by many it is
erroneously supposed to form a part) and the Salzkammergut or the lake
region of Upper Austria, which commences in the near neighbourhood of
the city, it was an independent episcopal principality until after the
fall of Napoleon, not having been incorporated with the
Austro-Hungarian Empire until the year 1816.
[Sidenote: THE SALZACH VALLEY]
The province consists chiefly of the mountainous district of the
Salzach and its numerous tributaries, which wend their way from their
sources amid the glaciers and snow-fields of the great peaks of the
Hohen Tauern and lesser ranges to the plain where the Salzach itself
ultimately flows into the Inn.
It is the great Hohen Tauern range with its gigantic snow-crowned
peaks of the Gross Glockner, 12,460 feet; Wiesbachhorn, 11,710 feet;
and Gross Venediger, 12,010 feet; Hohe Furlegg, 10,750 feet;
Habachkopf, 9945 feet; and many other almost equally stupendous
heights, which forms the southern boundary of the ancient
Principality. The whole range is one of impressive grandeur, and
possesses a picturesque beauty upon its lower slopes unrivalled by any
other Alpine district. The foot of the Hohen Tauern is almost
invariably clad with pine forests, which melt away into the higher
slopes where blooms the bright pink "alpen rosen," whilst yet higher,
and just below the line of perpetual snow, on rocky ledges and on
slopes of coarse grass appear the silver-white, star-like flowers of
the edelweiss. Above this zone of fresh green patches amid the grey
and weather-stained rocks one passes into that exhilarating region of
eternal snow and ice where dwells also eternal silence unbroken by the
sound of birds, the hum of insects, or murmur of other living things.
Not only is the Hohen Tauern the region of Alpine giants, vast
glaciers, and untrodden snow-fields, but as a natural consequence of
these things it is that of many rushing torrents, stupendous
waterfalls, and tinkling streamlets, all of which contribute to make
the province it borders one of the best-watered in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire. Upwards of half a score of large streams flow
into the Salzach; whilst of fertile valleys there are so many that to
number them is difficult. Most are beautiful in the extreme; many are
almost unknown to the ordinary tourist, who usually sticks to the
well-worn paths and more frequented highways. In the famous Krimml
Falls the Province of Salzburg possesses by common consent the finest
waterfalls in the German Alps. They issue from the vast Krimml Glacier
and descend over the edge of a pine-clad precipice in a cloud of
drifting spray into the valley beneath, a distance of nearly 1500
feet, in three stupendous leaps, the highest fall in two leaps from a
height of more than 450 feet.
Although, as we have before said, almost every valley of the Hohen
Tauern range is notably beautiful, none excel in interest either
pictorially or geologically the longest and widest, the Gastein
Valley, with the fine falls some 500 feet in height near Bockstein,
where the Gasteiner Ache, after passing through narrow gorges, plunges
down into the valley, and thence flows through the broad, flat plain
of Hof-Gastein to join the Salzach, passing on its way delightful
Bad-Gastein, with its old town of interesting and picturesque wooden
houses nestling on the eastern slopes of the valley, and the newer,
with its hotels, churches, villas and other handsome buildings,
peeping out from amid the pine-clad slopes or lying in the valley
itself. It is a delightful though nowadays fashionable health resort,
at which many tastes, both gay and quiet, are consulted.
From Lend at the foot of the Gastein Thal to pretty little St. Johann,
where the Salzach flows northward, the river has passed without
opposition quietly onward. But at St. Johann are some towering and
remarkable limestone peaks, including those of the Tennen and Hagen
Ranges, some of them attaining an altitude of 8000 feet; with the
desolate-looking Steinerne Meer, 8800 feet on the western flank, and
the Dachstein more than a thousand feet higher on the eastern. The
river flows onward to a point where the two ranges we have mentioned
coalesce. Here the great ravine known as the Lueg Pass, six miles in
length and possessing fine scenery, forms a very fitting entrance to
the beautiful valley of Golling, which gradually opens out from
Hallein onwards till Salzburg itself is reached.
The valley of the Salzach on its eastern side is bordered by a range
of pleasant green-clad heights and gentle slopes, with the Gaisberg,
4290 feet, a short distance to the north-east of Salzburg itself,
dominating them, from which point the mountains gradually decrease in
height. From Golling onwards, however, the western side of the valley
is shut in by great peaks, some of which spread out their lower and
rounded emerald green slopes towards the river. Of these impressive
and beautiful mountains the Hohe Göll, 8275 feet, the majestic
Watzmann, 9050 feet, the chief of the Berchtesgaden group, are the
most noticeable. The cave-pierced and lofty, dome-shaped Untersberg,
the highest point of which is the Berchtesgadener Hochtron of 6480
feet, standing isolated like a sentinel in the plain near the city.
[Sidenote: SALZBURG IN ROMAN TIMES]
Salzburg, beautiful and on occasion even radiant city of the plain as
it is, ancient though many of its buildings are, is yet of greater
antiquity than any of them. The town stands upon truly classic ground,
and is associated with many events which have taken their places in
European and even world-wide history. Here the Romans came in their
all-conquering march of empire, and recognizing its fine position and
the strategic importance of the hills which command the river along
most of its course, they in due time built upon the plain Juvavum, on
the road which linked up the Augusta Vindelicorum, modern Augsburg
with Aquileia near Trieste.
There is little doubt nowadays, from the remains which have been
discovered from time to time in the shape of implements of stone and
bronze, weapons, household utensils, and ornaments, that the mines
near Salzburg, which have since very early days down till
comparatively recent times been of great commercial importance, were
not only worked in the days of the Roman occupation, but also even in
pre-historic times. There is little reason for doubt, indeed, that the
Celts knew of, and used, the famous salt mines of the Dürnberg and the
copper mines of the Mitterberg; whilst there is abundant evidence of
various kinds of the working of the gold and silver mines of the
Tauern district by the Romans during their occupation of the country.
[Illustration: MOZART'S HOUSE IN THE MAKART PLATZ]
The exact date when Salzburg as a town or settlement first came
into existence has not been determined; but it would seem probable
that there was a settlement existing by the banks of the Salzach
during, or just prior to, the first century of the Christian Era. The
Celtic inhabitants of this settlement were not, however, able
successfully to resist the north-eastern advance which had been made
across Tyrol by the Roman legions, and thus it was that the Roman
military station Juvavum was founded on a site which was of great
convenience owing to its being at the entrance to the mountain passes
and placed at the junction of the roads which led by various routes to
all parts of Noricum. Here it was the Roman invader, having driven the
Celtic owners of the soil after a brave but ineffectual resistance
into mountain fastnesses of the surrounding country, established a
military post with a fort which soon became a colony, and grew
ultimately into the important town of Juvavum.
Of this occupation by the Romans, and of the establishment of the town
by the banks of the Salzach, there are considerable relics surviving
in the shape of excavated buildings and foundations, coins, ornaments,
pottery, tesselated pavements, and portions of the roads which the
Romans made.
The introduction of Christianity took place at a very early date,
which would in part account for the ecclesiastical prominence which
the province had in the Middle Ages, and even in later times. We are
told that even as early as the year A.D. 472 St. Severinus, whilst
journeying through Noricum, with which country Salzburg had been
incorporated by the Romans, found numerous Christian churches and
minsters established. A relic of these times still exists set in the
perpendicular walls of the Mönchsberg, where high up, with some of its
windows overshadowed by creepers and trees, is a very small church
built into the mountain itself; reached by a dark, steep flight of
steps cut in the rock, worn by the feet of countless generations, and
leading to a cavern where stands an altar and a small cross.
According, at least, to tradition this was the hiding-place to which
the early Christians amongst the Roman inhabitants retired for
security when celebrating the offices of the new faith. And it is here
that St. Maximus is said to have suffered martyrdom.
From the effects of the troublous days which at last came to most
outposts of Roman civilization Salzburg did not escape. Soon the
hordes of Huns and Goths and others belonging to various Germanic
tribes swept across and over the province as they did the land of
Tyrol, and the town was sacked and burned, and the inhabitants put to
the sword or led away into captivity. Thus in 477 the flourishing
Roman settlement was literally wiped out by the Keruli under their
leader, Odoaker, and of it few traces remained save some tesselated
pavements, household utensils, and ornaments which ages afterwards
from time to time have been uncovered.
[Sidenote: THE RISE OF SALZBURG]
The history of the town is obscure for many centuries after its
destruction by the Teutonic barbarians; and for more than a hundred
years the place remained waste and deserted, with the ruined buildings
gradually becoming overgrown by trees and shrubs. Then, at the
beginning of the sixth century, Theodo I., Duke of the Bojovarii, the
founder of the Kingdom afterwards known as Bavaria, took possession of
Salzburg and joined it to his own possessions. One account tells us
that it was this Duke Theodo of Bavaria who, having become a
Christian, summoned St. Rupert, after the latter had been driven from
Worms, to Ratisbon with a view to his introducing Christianity into
the Duchy. Tradition states that St. Rupert came to Juvavum about the
year 582, or at the beginning of the seventh century, with the
determination to make the spot his headquarters for the spread of the
Christian faith. Duke Theodo appears to have made him a present of the
ruined and deserted town and the country round about to the extent of
an area of two miles square. Other estates and property were given
him, including among many others those of Itzling, Oping (Upper
Innsbruck), and a third part of the famous Hall Salt Spring. The
Bishop set to work, and on the ruins of the old Roman settlement he
soon established a town, building a convent and a church under the
steep rocks of the Mönchsberg, where now the large Benedictine Convent
and St. Peter's Church stand, in the latter of which the bones of the
saint are said to lie buried.
The Convent of Nonnberg had many estates granted to it, and became
rich. Bishop Rupert appears to have also begun to build new dwellings
and to have cultivated the land; not neglecting in the meantime the
object for which he had come, viz. the spread of Christianity. He
built many churches, and was the means of forming a large number of
Christian communities throughout the Duchy. He also extended the
influence of the town of Salzburg over the surrounding district, and
when he died in 623 he left behind him, where he had found ruins, a
flourishing town with religious institutions of considerable
importance. It was from this settlement that the most powerful and
wealthiest ecclesiastical principality in Southern Germany was
destined to spring, which, though possessed in turn by various
nations, lasted as a spiritual Principality until 1802, when it was
secularized and re-established as a temporal electorate.
After the coming of St. Rupert Salzburg gradually grew to be the chief
centre of religious life and culture in the eastern region of the
Alps. By the foundation of the Archbishopric of Bavaria by Charles the
Great in 788, after the latter territory had been annexed and
incorporated with his possessions, the city's importance steadily
increased. But with an increase of status there came a corresponding
extension and consolidation of the ecclesiastical dominion by which
the political influence of the Archbishops of Salzburg grew until it
finally justified them in assuming the title of Primates of Germany.
Almost without exception during the Middle Ages the archbishops were
militant priests. "They knew," we are told, "as well how to handle a
sword as to say a Mass," and they often fought with distinction
against the many enemies that the German Empire had in those troublous
times when the various kingdoms of Eastern Europe were being evolved
out of chaos, and were ever at war one with another. These prelates
were also distinguished as skilled and astute diplomatists, capable of
holding their own and adding to the power and privileges of their
Church whenever an opportunity for so doing presented itself.
Under Bishop Virgil (747 to 784) the power of Salzburg was
considerably extended eastward. The new Cathedral was built, and
several other districts were brought under the subjection of the
bishopric. It was Bishop Virgil's successor, Arno (785 to 821), a
personal friend of Charlemagne, who, in the last year of the eighth
century, was invested by Pope Leo III. with the Pallium and installed
first Archbishop of Salzburg.
To Arno's labours the town and the country owe much, for under his
skilful and wise guidance not only did the former flourish and grow,
with the other settlements which had come into existence, but by his
great power of initiative the life of the principality itself was
directed into prosperous and progressive channels. His immediate
successors greatly increased the power and influence of the Church;
whilst at the same time they did not omit to extend their
non-spiritual power by the acquisition of other territory, and by
means of the mining industries they became very rich and powerful.
[Sidenote: EARLY RULERS]
The Archbishops of Salzburg soon by this means gained a great and
distinguished place amongst the German princes, which they retained
until the power of the Emperors began to wane in consequence of
differences with the Popes, to the latter of whom the Archbishops, as
a rule, gave their support in the disputes that arose. Into these
matters it is not necessary to enter deeply, but it was in consequence
of them that Conrad I., Count of Abinberg, took the part of the Pope
and caused the country to be greatly disturbed. During his reign the
Abbey of St. Peter was granted as a residence to the Archbishop of
Salzburg, and a new building was soon afterwards erected close by for
the purpose. It was in the reign of this same Conrad I. that the
Cathedral of Salzburg was destroyed by fire on May 4, 828, as was also
a very large portion of the city. Both the Cathedral and the portion
of the town which had been burnt down were rebuilt with even greater
magnificence than before. But they were destined to once more be
destroyed. Three centuries later, in the year 1167, a quarrel arose
between Conrad II. and Frederick Barbarossa, because the latter
refused to invest the former with the temporal power, and pronounced
against him the ban of the Empire. Barbarossa ordered Salzburg and the
country round about to be over-run and laid waste by the Counts
Plain-Mittersill. For some time the city and its strong fortress
resisted successfully; but on April 5, 1167, it was captured and once
more burnt to the ground.
The successor of Conrad, Albert III., a son of King Ladislav of
Bohemia, also came into conflict with the Emperor, and shared a
similar fate to his predecessors; but during the reigns of the
immediately succeeding archbishops peace and prosperity were
established, and under Eberhard II., who was distinguished as a most
able and brilliant administrator as well as a great churchman, peace
and tranquillity once more reigned.
During the next century Salzburg was involved in political disputes
and took part in the Battle of Muhldorf, on September 28, 1322,
fighting on the side of Frederick the Schöne, Duke of Austria, who was
taken prisoner. In consequence of which the principality not only
lost large numbers of its chief nobles and knights, but also was
involved in heavy monetary loss in the payment of its share of a war
indemnity.
Immediately following this period of unrest came another distinguished
by the erection of new and handsome buildings and the enlargement of
the bounds of the city, and also strengthening of the Castle on the
Mönchsberg. To Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495 to 1519) must
be given the credit of attaining absolute supremacy, and with his
occupation of the See may be said to have commenced the most
distinguished period in the history of the city. Leonhard did not
attain to this position, however, entirely without guile, for to tell
the truth the Salzburg citizens, who seemed even in those mediæval
times to have possessed a love of freedom and spirit of independence
which did them credit, having become restive under the ecclesiastical
domination and tyranny wished to make the town a free imperial city.
Leonhard, however, had determined otherwise, and so under pretence of
inviting the burgomaster and twenty town councillors to his palace to
give them a state banquet, he promptly arrested them on their arrival
and threw them into the castle dungeons. He then succeeded in taking
away the ancient rights of the town, upon the annulment of which he
had set his mind. But although Archbishop Leonhard ruled his secular
as well as his ecclesiastical subjects with a rod of iron, he did much
to improve and beautify the city, adding greatly to the strength and
size of Hohen-Salzburg, and also improving the method of working the
mines, particularly those in Gastein and Rauris. This was, of course,
more directly to his benefit than that of the miners, yet in the end
was pleasing to the country in general in that the Archbishop drew
from the mines a revenue sufficient to permit him to erect many
handsome buildings, to improve the roads, and to encourage art and
agriculture.
[Sidenote: THE REFORMATION]
During the Archiepiscopate of his successor Mathäus Lang von
Wellenburg, from 1519 to 1540, many stirring events took place, not
only in the city of Salzburg but throughout the length and breadth of
the principality as well. The faith of Luther had been introduced into
Salzburg and had met with great success among all classes of the
population, especially that of the miners. Even some of the priests
and officials of the Cathedral itself were suspected of being
favourable to, and even of extending, the new doctrines. At first the
Archbishop tried to combat the heretical tendencies of his subjects by
kindness and indulgence; but finding these methods fruitless, he
called in the aid of foreign mercenaries, chiefly from Tyrol,
garrisoned Hohen-Salzburg strongly with them and with followers upon
whose loyalty he could depend, and taking the town unawares, forced
the inhabitants to submit and to surrender their privileges.
This event was followed by various acts of violence directed against
the adherents of the reformed faith, which so exasperated the
population that in May, 1525, a rebellion broke out in all parts of
the principality. The Archbishop seeing that the situation was taking
a serious turn, addressed an urgent appeal for help to Duke William at
Munich, which, however, was not answered. Shortly after, thousands of
miners and peasants, having won several skirmishes in the country
districts, advanced to Salzburg, where they were joined by many of the
inhabitants, and promptly set to work to besiege the Archbishop in the
fortress, which they continued to do (failing to gain an entrance)
until August 15th, when Ludwig of Bavaria arrived with a strong force,
and a truce favourable to the peasants was agreed upon. This
arrangement, however, was not held to, and in consequence a fierce
rebellion broke out again in the following year, but was successfully
and cruelly suppressed by forces under the command of the Archduke
Ferdinand, supplemented by those of the Suabian League.
Although the doctrines of Luther continued to make headway, and
religious disturbances still occurred, the latter were not of a
serious character; but some half a century later the famous Archbishop
Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, also known for brevity as Wolf Dietrich,
on returning from Rome, where he had been to receive the pallium, or
ornamental band of white wool worn around the shoulders, which all
archbishops at that time had to receive on their appointment before
they were empowered to carry out the duties of their office, issued
his famous edict on July 9, 1588, for the extermination of the
heretics. In consequence of which there was a severe persecution of
those who had adopted the Lutheran faith, with great confiscations of
their lands and other property. Other acts of this famous Archbishop,
including an imposition on salt, the obtaining and making of which
formed a very important and remunerative industry, brought about
serious friction between him and some of his subjects, and ultimately
led on two occasions to his military occupation of the salt district
by means of mercenaries. On the first these forces were defeated and
driven out by those of Duke William of Bavaria; and on the second the
Archbishop's action led to the conquest and occupation of Salzburg by
the Duke Maximilian himself, and the ultimate imprisonment and
dethroning of Wolf Dietrich on March 7, 1612. He was never released,
although efforts were made to obtain freedom and pardon for him, and
died in his cell in Hohen-Salzburg five years later.
[Sidenote: CATHOLIC PERSECUTIONS]
After the Peace of Westphalia, October 24th, Salzburg was made an
independent and sovereign principality, and the archbishops, the
Chapter, and various other authorities, set to work to bring about
improvements in the Civil and Ecclesiastical offices and organizations
of the country, and to improve the condition of the inhabitants by
better regulations of taxes, the criminal law, etc., and to complete
the building of the city and improvement of the existing portions of
it by the repaving of the streets and instituting better sanitary
arrangements. But notwithstanding the undoubted benefits conferred in
the way we have mentioned upon the inhabitants, the clerical party
maintained a rigorous persecution of the Protestants, and in
consequence the years 1684-85 witnessed large emigrations of
Lutherans, including great numbers of the Hallein miners.
These persecutions were followed half a century later by those of the
Archbishop Leopold Anton Freiherr von Fermian, who summoned the
Jesuits into the country to aid in extirpating the Protestants. These
priests succeeded in stirring up further dissensions between the
Catholics and the Lutherans, and cruel persecutions, accompanied by
torture and imprisonment, followed. The Archbishop, finding the
Jesuits had not succeeded in reducing the country to uniformity of
religion or a more peaceful state, issued on the last day of October,
1731, the famous emigration edict by which the Protestants were to be
deprived of all their property and their rights as citizens, and to be
driven from the principality. The result was the forming of the
celebrated Salzbund, by which the followers of the reformed faith
banded themselves together and swore to defend it, and as a token they
licked a block of salt placed for the purpose on a table, which is
still preserved at Schwarzach, where the League was formed.
In the end, in consequence of Archbishop Fermian's edict, upwards of
30,000 people emigrated, and as was the case with the Huguenots of
France they formed by far the most able, industrious, and intelligent
portion of the community, and the consequences of their emigration are
even felt at the present time. By the expulsion of the Protestants,
many of whom were miners, we are told "the mining industry of Salzburg
received its death blow, the prosperity of the country was greatly
diminished, and the free national and civic life was destroyed." The
greater number of these emigrants eventually settled in Prussian
Lithuania, where they were warmly and hospitably received. Others went
to Bavaria, and Suabia, and a few even to England, some of the latter
of whom ultimately crossed the Atlantic and settled in Georgia, where
in the town of Ebenezer there still exists a colony of their
descendants.
The immediate effect of the emigration of these skilled artisans and
workers was felt both in the city of Salzburg and the principality.
Workshops, which had hitherto been busy hives of industry, deserted by
their former occupants, failed to find new tenants, and fell into
gradual decay, or were turned to other less remunerative uses. As had
been the case with the Huguenots so was it with the _émigrés_ of
Salzburg; their places could not be filled nor their loss replaced.
Salzburg during the wars of Frederick the Great against Bavaria and
France was frequently occupied by one or other of the contending
nations, and was reduced to a state of poverty and distress from which
it was a long time recovering. To such a wretched condition were the
inhabitants of the city and principality reduced that there was
serious danger at one time of the latter being secularized. But under
the firmer and more beneficent rule of Hieronymus, Count of
Coloredo-Wallsee, the last reigning Archbishop (1772 to 1803), several
beneficial reforms were brought about in the administration of the
country relating to its finances, police, agriculture, and other
departments. But, notwithstanding these changes, ecclesiastical
domination in Salzburg was destined to come to an end speedily, and at
the Peace of Campo Formio, October 17, 1797, France by a secret treaty
agreed to have the Archbishopric of Salzburg transferred to the
Emperor Francis II.
[Sidenote: NAPOLEONIC WARS]
In the years 1800 to 1802 the principality was once more the scene of
French invasions, and suffered severely not only from the ravages
consequent upon the battles fought between the French and the
Imperialists, but also from the heavy contributions of money and
stores levied upon the people. The whole country soon became in a
chaotic condition, and the Archbishop at last fled with his portable
property and the most valuable treasures, leaving his See to its fate.
The Imperial forces entered Salzburg under the command of Count
Meerveldt on August 19, 1802, the General proclaiming that he took
possession of the country in the name of the Archduke Ferdinand of
Tuscany.
Thus Salzburg ceased to be an independent spiritual principality and
became the secular electorate, which it has remained ever since.
On March 11th of the following year the fugitive archbishop resigned
the secular power. Although there is no doubt that this change was
welcomed by the people at large, who looked forward to reforms and
greater stability of government, it was not found possible to effect
the former at once. The still unsettled and warlike period in which
Ferdinand I. came to rule over Salzburg was very detrimental to any
radical reform or change of administration. By the Peace of Pressberg,
December 26, 1805, Salzburg was transferred to Austria, and four years
later passed into the possession of Bavaria by the Treaty of Vienna,
and so remained until 1816.
It was during the Napoleonic Wars that the Salzburgers, like the
Tyrolese under Andreas Hofer, rose and fought for their country and
for the Emperor of Austria. Quite a number of serious engagements took
place, in the Lueg Pass, and the Mendling, and near Unken and Melleck,
leading naturally enough to great poverty and devastation. Ultimately
by the Treaty of April 14, 1816, Salzburg passed into the possession
of Austria, and on May 1, 1816, the Imperial Commissioners entered
into possession amidst the enthusiastic rejoicing of the whole
population.
This state of affairs lasted till 1850, when once more Salzburg became
an independent Austrian Crown land, and eleven years later it was
granted a separate government and a Diet. Since then the city as well
as the province has prospered under the wise and enterprising rule of
its present administration, and has become thoroughly incorporated in
spirit as well as upon paper with the great Empire of which it forms
an independent part.
To its Archbishops of the sixteenth century Salzburg owed and still
owes much. They were nearly all of them great and interesting
personalities who not only influenced the civil as well as the
religious life and evolution of the town, but had, in addition, not a
little to do with the appearance it gradually assumed during the
period we have mentioned. Under their rule Salzburg was to a large
extent modernized. Many thirteenth- and fourteenth-century buildings
were pulled down, to be replaced by much more magnificent if not more
picturesque and interesting structures. It was then that the spirit of
the Renaissance swept over the Alps from Italy, and in its train came
the desire for magnificence in architecture, in entertainments, and in
the dress and life of the Salzburg nobility.
The Archbishops and ecclesiastical inhabitants also fell willing
victims to the desire for extravagance and ostentatious display.
Indeed, the former were, as one authority says, "the true Renaissance
Sovereigns of the Italian school, who were selfish as regards their
politics, and not at all particular regarding the means by which they
attained their ends." It must, however, be allowed that though by no
means unwilling for worldly enjoyments and pageantry, notwithstanding
the fact that they professed in their religion the severer doctrines
of Ignatius Loyola, they were worthy patrons and encouragers of art,
science, and literature, and were animated by the desire to leave a
lasting memorial of themselves and their beliefs in splendid
ecclesiastical buildings. In Salzburg one finds their records on all
hands, in coats-of-arms and tablets on which are recorded their
names and deeds, for the benefit and instruction of those who
succeeded them.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE FINEST DOORS OF THE STATE APARTMENTS IN THE
FORTRESS, SALZBURG]
[Sidenote: REBUILDING THE CITY]
During the period of which we speak the character and appearance of
the city was almost entirely changed. The ancient mediæval buildings
were pulled down, and replaced by magnificent palaces in which the
nobility and ecclesiastical dignitaries dwelt in splendour and ease.
Churches were erected in such numbers as to be almost unequalled in
any other city of similar size. Most of these still remain, making
Salzburg a place of spires and domes and handsome churches strangely
picturesque and deeply interesting.
Seen either from the ridge of the Mönchsberg, the Kapuzingerberg, or
from the castle walls, especially at sundown on a summer's evening,
Salzburg presents a picture of great beauty and colour, and one which
is not easily forgotten.
As was not unnatural with the secularization of the power ruling the
Province the capital suffered heavily. For a time both its prosperity
and its intellectual life underwent eclipse. For almost half a century
its energies seemed to lie dormant, and it was only when the line
connecting Munich with Vienna by way of Salzburg was constructed in
1860 that it woke once more to take an important place amongst the
towns of north-western Austria. From that period till to-day the place
has made steady progress.
Till the middle of the last century the city occupied a comparatively
restricted area within the old walls. And as a direct consequence of
the numerous churches, convents, and other ecclesiastical buildings
occupying a great deal of the space available the townsfolk were
compelled to crowd their dwellings together, and to build the many
storied houses which one finds in the older portion of the town in the
neighbourhood of the Herrngasse, Sigmund-Haffnergasse, and
Getreidegasse. It is in these narrow and gloomy--though undoubtedly
picturesque--streets, in the architecture of which one can in many
instances trace Italian influence, that the great part of the
population dwelt, and much of the trade of the town was done.
With more modern ideas the distaste for such confinement among the
more ambitious and well-to-do of the commercial and artisan classes
became manifest, and when at length the old walls were in places
pulled down a new suburb arose on the other side of the river--as it
did at Innsbruck--in the neighbourhood of the railway station,
possessing wide modern streets, finer shops, and palatial villa
residences, and also smaller houses for the occupation of the
working-class community.
In this portion of the town one finds not only some of the best
hotels, but the Kurhaus with its pleasant gardens (closely adjoining
the Mirabell Garden), the fine Theatre, and the imposing church of St.
Andreas in the Gothic style. Opposite the railway station, set in a
recess of foliage in the garden adjoining the Hôtel de l'Europe, is
the famous statue of the Kaiserin Elizabeth, a pilgrimage shrine for
most visitors to the town. The statue itself has been described as
"simple but beautiful." To us it has always seemed by no means an
adequate or even very skilful representation of a beautiful and
queenly personality. The pose is not particularly happy, and the whole
has to our mind a "doll-like" effect.
[Illustration: A QUIET PASTURE]
As time went by Salzburg reclaimed much ground from the rocky bed of
the swiftly flowing river by confining the stream within more
restricted limits. In former times, when the town was enclosed with
walls, there was no such necessity, and the Salzach took its own
course, encroaching much upon the lower-lying land along its banks.
But nowadays on this reclaimed ground shady avenues of trees have been
planted, which give a charming and distinctive character to this part
of the city. Here, too, are some fine villas, where not so very many
years ago was waste or wooded land, set amid trees and made
pleasant by beautiful gardens, in which there seems to bloom a
profusion of flowers all the year round.
The position and future prosperity of the town as a tourist resort was
assured when Salzburg became the starting-point of a second main line
of railway leading to Innsbruck via Kitzbühel, and the picturesque
Unter-Inn Thal, and the centre of a number of branch lines.
It is through these modern developments that the life of Salzburg has
so materially changed even within the memory of those who first
visited it but, comparatively speaking, a few years ago. From a town
of ecclesiastical and almost mediæval aloofness from the outside
world, and from one which had for a considerable period seen its
growth arrested and its life stagnant, it has sprung into being as a
favourite summer and winter resort not merely for tourists, but also
for those to whom the older portion of the town, its many historic
buildings, castle, and fine churches, proves attractive.
[Sidenote: SALZBURG'S ANCIENT FORTRESS]
The most prominent of all buildings in Salzburg, and the one which has
for most visitors the greatest attraction, is the fine old fortress of
Hohen-Salzburg set high above the older town upon a tree-enshrouded
and rocky spur of the Mönchsberg.
The ancient fortress, which has witnessed so many stirring events
within its walls, and from which past generations of inhabitants have
looked down upon almost equally dramatic and stirring doings in the
town below, that throughout the ages defied capture, and at last came
to be looked upon as impregnable, was founded nearly eight and a half
centuries ago by Archbishop Gebhard.
As the centuries went by many additions were made to the original
buildings, and the present castle dates in its chief portions from the
last few years of the fifteenth and the first few years of the
sixteenth centuries. These additions were principally the work of
Leonard von Keutschach, Archbishop of Salzburg at the close of the
Middle Ages. He was one of the great "building" archbishops to whose
energies and enterprise the town at various periods owed so much. Of
peasant origin he was not ashamed of his humble birth, and, being
gifted with a sense of humour, chose a turnip as his armorial
bearings. So frequently, indeed, are representations of this vegetable
met with on escutcheons in various parts of the town, that the remark
of one traveller who observed that "the Salzburgers appear to have
sprung out of the earth" may be held excused.
Severe looking as is the fine old fortress (now given over to the uses
of barracks), in whose courtyards princes, archbishops, nobles, and
many famous men of the past centuries have walked, it was, however,
not merely a strong bulwark of defence, truly "ein feste burg"
dominating the town and plain, but also a palace. Although the castle
has been stripped of much of its magnificence there happily still
remain traces of it in the so-called Fürstenzimmer (state apartments),
which formerly occupied by the rulers of the Province were furnished
and decorated with all the splendour which marked the most lavish
period of Renaissance influence. Chief amongst the relics of the
latter are the beautiful and delicately carved panelling, the gilt
work, and the richly carved and moulded ceilings of the principal
apartments. In wandering through these now almost deserted rooms one
is tempted to conjure up the scenes of magnificence they must have
witnessed. Tragedy, comedy, chivalry, hate, joy, sorrow, success, and
failure, all, the often lurid though magnificent gamut of life in the
Middle Ages, must have been welded into the very fabric and atmosphere
of this impressive and deeply interesting building. Among the chief
relics of bygone splendour and pomp of circumstance there remains the
beautiful and it is said unique Majolica stove, a truly wonderful
example of Gothic ceramic art.
There are many interesting and quaint corners within the triple line
of walls, which shut off access to the castle and proved so useful on
many an occasion in former times, united with the fortifications of
the Mönchsberg known as the _Burgerwehr_; but few excel in
picturesqueness the old courtyard with its shady and famous Linden
tree, ancient well, and time-worn walls. Here, as one lingers, towards
sundown one sometimes hears the sweet-toned though halting notes of
the organ within the tower playing some familiar hymn tune. The
trembling notes, like those of an old singer whose voice has become
feeble but has retained much of its sweetness, float out upon the
still evening air with a mystic appeal which few that have heard them
can, we think, have failed to have felt. For ourselves it is one of
the lasting and unforgettable memories of Salzburg as well as of its
castle.
Nowadays the cable railway takes one to the summit in a few minutes,
and one is spared the fatigue of the long climb up by the Nonnberg.
The old Reckturm, in the dungeons of which unlucky prisoners were
confined, and in the tower itself the terrible instruments of torture
were kept and the torture chamber was situated, nowadays has a much
more pleasant office to fulfil as an excellent "look out" place from
which to view the widely extended prospect of the town and Salzach
valley towards the north.
[Sidenote: HOHEN-SALZBURG'S SIEGES]
Many an assault was made during the Middle Ages and succeeding eras
upon the old grey fortress, seldom resulting in anything save disaster
or disappointment for the attacking force. Even the peasants, who,
during the terrible rebellion of 1525, made repeated attacks upon the
castle with the utmost fury and determination, failed to accomplish
their object of capturing the stronghold, Matthew Land, the then
Archbishop, and the high ecclesiastics who had taken refuge within its
unscalable walls, to whom short shrift would have been given by the
peasant leaders. For ages the Church had trodden the peasantry under
foot, and in the Peasants' Rebellion there were terrible reprisals.
But although the insurgents came near capturing Hohen-Salzburg they
did not succeed. Their appliances were too primitive for successful
assault, and their shots did little or no damage to the strong thick
walls or buildings. On a marble column in the castle are to be seen
the marks left by a cannon ball, which was one of the few that
succeeded in entering the castle, and in this case it was through a
window! A century later, during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648
which devastated the whole of the then German Empire, waged between
the Evangelic Union under the Elector Palatine and the Catholics led
by Maximilian the Great Duke of Bavaria, Salzburg, doubtless on
account of the fact that its fortress was esteemed impregnable, was
one of the few places left at peace and unmolested. We have already
mentioned the fact that the Archbishops were not only exceedingly
powerful ecclesiastics but also great diplomatists, and there is
little doubt but that to their clever policy must also be attributed
the town's immunity from attack during that troublous and universally
disturbed period.
Of the many distinguished ecclesiastics who have occupied the See of
Salzburg as its Archbishops, the most interesting and perhaps the most
important were two, separated one from the other by but a few years.
One was Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587-1611?) and the other Paris
von Lodron.
[Sidenote: BUILDERS OF RENOWN]
Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, from having received his
education in Rome, then the centre of Art and culture, came to
Salzburg steeped not alone in the traditions of Italian Art but
anxious to impress upon the town his knowledge and taste. He found an
old Roman and neither handsome nor picturesque Cathedral, dating from
the eighth century, in place of churches such as he had been
accustomed to in Italy, ornate and beautiful. He is reputed to have
been at no pains to conceal his distaste for the building, and when a
few years before his death it was destroyed during one of the
destructive fires, there were those who even accused the Archbishop of
having himself set the church on fire, or at least of having
instigated others to do so. But there is little truth in this story,
though the Archbishop's satisfaction at the destruction of the
ancient, inconvenient, and unornamental structure seems beyond
question. That he fully intended to erect upon the site one of the
finest churches north of the Italian frontier there is little doubt,
but, alas! for human aims, he was not destined even to see the
foundations laid.
To him, notwithstanding his despotic character, his restless
disposition, his shameful intrigue with the beautiful Salome Alt, the
city of Salzburg owes a great deal, for he did much to transform an
unpicturesque and dirty town with narrow mediæval streets into one of
the finest cities of Germany. Many of the beautiful buildings,
including the Gabriel Chapel, the Chapter House, the Neubau, and the
arcades of the Sebastian Cemetery, owed their existence to his
artistic taste and desire for improvement.
It was to Paris von Lodron, the founder of the University which was
dissolved in 1810 during the Bavarian occupation, his second
successor, fell the task as well as the honour of giving to Salzburg a
Cathedral worthy of it and of its long line of famous Archbishops and
many historical memories. The original plan, which historians tell us
would have resulted in a church of such magnificence that it would
have been almost unrivalled by that of any in Europe, had to be
considerably modified for several reasons, chief amongst which were
considerations of cost and space. The former was rendered obligatory
from the heavy expense entailed in keeping up the fortifications of
the city during the time (the Thirty Years' War) the Cathedral was in
course of construction. However, notwithstanding these circumstances,
Paris von Lodron's work, which occupies a splendid position in the
midst of three large squares, was designed chiefly by an Italian
architect named Santino Solari (possibly from plans by Scamozzi of
Florence), assisted by others in the late Renaissance style, is one of
the most magnificent churches in Austria, although the stucco
ornamentation is of a rather florid character. From the exterior,
which is rather plain and severe, although it possesses a fine façade
built of Unterberg marble, it is impossible to gain any conception of
the charm and even splendour of the building. But immediately upon
entering it, one is impressed with its beautiful proportions, and the
resemblance to a marked degree in the general plan to that of St.
Peter's, Rome. Indeed, there is little doubt as to the source from
which Solari drew much of his inspiration, although due credit must be
given to him for original details, the proportions, and general beauty
of effect.
The treasury of the church is worth seeing, as it is rich in relics of
bygone ages, including an exquisite seventeenth-century monstrance
encrusted with 1800 precious stones, rich vestments, and a fine
crozier set with gems; and none should miss the interesting
fourteenth-century bronze Romanesque font which stands in one of the
side chapels to the left of the entrance.
In its Cathedral Salzburg possesses a gem of architectural beauty
which has been the admiration of generations of architects and
students, and (as one authority says) "has probably provided more
inspiration for the artist and the student of architecture than any
other church north of the Italian Alps."
On the Residenz-Platz, the centre of which is adorned by a beautiful
fountain nearly fifty feet in height dating from the latter part of
the seventeenth century, consisting of a colossal figure of Atlas
surrounded by equally colossal hippopotami, the work of Anton Dario,
is situated the ancient palace of the Archbishops, formerly known as
the Residenz, now the Imperial Residence. This fine palace which was
erected at various dates from the end of the sixteenth down to the
first two decades of the eighteenth century contains many traces of
the splendour which characterized the larger buildings which were
erected by ecclesiastics at the time the influence of the Renaissance
was at its height. The ceilings and wall of the principal salons and
halls are especially notable, and in some cases are most elaborately
decorated. The Government Offices which are opposite the Residenz
although known as the Neugebäude (possibly because they included the
Post and Telegraph office), in reality date, at any rate in part, from
the reign of Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, although they have
been modernized, altered, and added to from time to time. In the
octagonal tower was placed, in the beginning of the eighteenth
century, a beautiful _carillon_, the work of a watchmaker named Sauter
at the commencement of the seventeenth century, known as the
Glockenspiel, which chimes thrice daily at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 6 p.m.
The Archbishops of Salzburg were not only in past ages ecclesiastics
and diplomatists but also sportsmen. Most, indeed, seem to have been
great lovers of horses. Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Salzburg, built
some magnificent stables adorned with marble on the slopes of the
Mönchsberg; attached to them were a covered riding school for use in
winter, and another open-air one for summer use. Though the stables
themselves are now barracks, the open-air school is still one of the
sights of the town. In the side of the Mönchsberg were hewn in 1693
three great galleries for the accommodation of spectators of the
sports in the summer riding school; they have long ago been overgrown
with ivy and creepers which add greatly to their picturesqueness, but
are still occasionally used for the purpose for which they were
originally constructed.
In the winter riding school there is an interesting ceiling fresco
depicting a joust or tournament dating from the last decade of the
seventeenth century.
Several of the Archbishops of Salzburg appear to have had a liking
for rock excavations, and the Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach
was one of the number. In the latter half of the eighteenth century,
in 1767 to be precise, he constructed the Neuthor, a tunnel through
the solid rock some four hundred and fifty feet in length, which it
took two years to make. It pierced through the Mönchsberg and thus
united the suburb of Riedenberg with the rest of the town. At the
Riedenberg end is a statue to St. Sigismund in commemoration of the
Archbishop, who placed his own medallion at the town end of the tunnel
with the Latin inscription "Te saxa loquntur" (The very stones praise
thee) above it.
[Sidenote: THE SCHLOSS MIRABELL]
To the Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, or rather to his passion
for the beautiful daughter of a Salzburg merchant whose name was
perhaps not inappropriately Salome, the charming Schloss Mirabell
chiefly owes its existence. Here (so the story goes) the beautiful
Salome Alt was installed as mistress, amid splendour and lavish
expenditure befitting a King's favourite. For her were constructed and
laid out delightful gardens, with fine terraces, shady walks, wide
lawns of exquisitely "velvety" turf, the like of which we have seldom
seen even in the "grass" counties of England; quaintly shaped
flower-beds, fountains and ponds, mazes and avenues of fine trees. For
her, too, were numerous groups of statuary, and single figures of a
mythological and artistic character installed. Some of these are of
considerable merit; and few are without distinctive decorative value
in the surroundings amid which they have been placed.
In the gardens themselves there is a constant succession of delightful
flowers all the year round. On the occasion of our last visit the
sweetly scented linden avenue was in full bloom, whilst roses were in
profusion--we were told they bloom almost all the year round in this
favoured and beautiful spot--and the jasmine, orange trees, and many
other beautiful and homely flowers perfumed the summer air, and spread
out in a riot of colour on every hand. Aloes, palms, Portugal
laurels, daphne, and other shrubs afford relief to the eye, and in the
background, towering high above the quietude of this old-fashioned
garden, looms the vast and commanding Hohen-Salzburg, with its roofs
and pinnacles shimmering and glancing in the sunshine of the upper
air.
In the gardens are also the interesting aviary of the Salzburg Society
for the Protection of Birds, and the former Summer Theatre near the
French Garden with the grassy stage and wings formed of "trimly"
clipped hedges.
The mansion itself suffered severely from a fire in 1818, but the
Marble Hall and staircase which escaped are well worth seeing, as are
also the decorations of several of the older rooms.
FOOTNOTE:
[15] Bosnia and Herzegovina have been recently annexed.
CHAPTER VII
THE ENVIRONS OF SALZBURG--HELLBRUNN, ITS UNIQUE FOUNTAINS
AND GARDENS--THE CASTLE OF ANIF--THE GAISBERG--THE
KAPUZINGERBERG--THE MOZART-HÄUSCHEN--THE
MÖNCHSBERG--SALZBURG CHURCHES
In the neighbourhood of Salzburg there are several beautiful castles
erected by various holders of the See. Amongst them the charmingly
situated Leopoldskron, lying to the south of the Mönchsberg,
overlooking a lake covered in early summer with a profusion of water
lilies and other water plants, and embracing a magnificent prospect of
the environing mountains. The drive to Leopoldskron is one not to be
missed. As one passes along the magnificent avenue, or _allée_, of
trees, through flower-bedecked fields, and with the fresh air from off
the river and mountains perfumed by the carpet of blossoms which lies
stretched on either side of the road, one is able to realize to the
full the rural charm which surrounds the historic and busy town just
left behind.
[Sidenote: HELLBRUNN AND ITS FOUNTAINS]
But a little distance further, on the other side of the Salzach, is
Hellbrunn, once an Archiepiscopal and now an Imperial possession. It
is surrounded by a large deer park, and owes its origin to the
Archbishop Marcus Sittich in 1613. It is pleasantly situated, and was,
according to tradition, the retreat and pleasure palace of its
founder, who was of a far more social and lively disposition than
Archbishops, even in that somewhat lax age, were supposed to be, and
here he installed his favourites. In the chateau itself there are some
fine state apartments, in one of which are some interesting frescoes
by Mascagni, Franz von Sienna, and Solari the younger.
But the gardens and unique fountains and "waterworks," which are laid
out and planned in the style so popular during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, are the great attractions of Hellbrunn, not only
to the foreign visitors, but on Sundays especially to the Salzburg
folk, and those of the neighbouring villages who flock in thousands to
the chateau. In the gardens of Hellbrunn one finds the same velvety
turf that so generally distinguishes those of other castles in this
fertile valley of the Salzach; whilst in the ponds, lakes, fountains,
and "trick" waterworks--invented by the Archbishop, so it is said, to
amuse his favourites during his enforced absences upon his
ecclesiastical duties and affairs of State--one has something quite
out of the ordinary.
Indeed, probably in no other garden in the world do unsuspecting
visitors run such risks of a soaking or impromptu shower baths as at
Hellbrunn. Jets start suddenly (at the turn of secret taps by the
custodian, who seems to take a cynical delight, bred of many
experiences, in the visitor's discomfiture) from rockeries, from the
corners of plaster columns, from the mouths, finger-tips and eyes of
statues, from the foliage of trees, from roofs of grottoes, from the
edges of the very paths along which one is unsuspectingly walking,
from, it appears, the very ground beneath one's feet. One is lured
into a grotto to admire a statue or to "see something" which may or
may not actually exist, only a moment later to find one's exit blocked
by a curtain of water, which pours down from the outside rocks above
the entrance. This lifts and one makes a dash for liberty, only to be
assailed by jets of water converging or spurting across the path one
has to follow. Visitors seat themselves upon a marble bench a few
moments later, and a whole battery of jets plays upon the unfortunate
sitters, or are so arranged that, whilst not actually playing upon
them, to escape without "running the gauntlet," for the amusement of
the more discreet or knowing onlookers, is impossible. On fine Sundays
when there is usually a great crowd of visitors at this favourite
out-of-town resort, which boasts of an excellent restaurant, there is,
of course, plenty of fun when the jets begin to play for the lucky
folk who have "been there before."
Along one path leading from the chateau to the lawns and fish-ponds,
the latter of which are crowded with huge carp and other fish, some of
which are reputed to be as old as Hellbrunn itself, there are set in
niches a number of figures, blacksmiths, armourers, millers, and the
like with their anvils, forges, and mills worked by a tiny runlet of
water. And not far from these is the famous mechanical Theatre, also
worked by water power, with its organ, and some hundred and fifty
figures in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century costumes, which give
quaint performances, depicting a busy town, dancers (these latter very
amusing with their pirouettes and posturings), soldiers, fighting,
jousts, etc. Of the water grottoes that known as the Neptune--with, it
is said, five thousand jets--is the largest, and there are also the
Rainbow, Fairy, and Orpheus grottoes, each one bringing into play some
fresh piece of mechanical or other ingenuity.
In the deer park is situated the famous Monatsschlösschen upon a
wooded knoll, from which a fine view is obtainable. This building was
erected (some say for a bet) within a month's time by Archbishop
Marcus Sittich. There was at the time a popular belief that he was
assisted in the accomplishment of what was, at all events in those
days, a wonderful feat by Satan himself.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN PASTURES]
The Stone Theatre near by is also worth seeing. It has a naturally
formed stage and auditorium, upon the former of which in ancient times
pastoral and other plays were performed for the amusement of the
Archbishops and their friends.
[Sidenote: ANIF AND THE GAISBERG]
The Castle of Anif, which is reached by a pleasant road from Hellbrunn
in about twenty minutes, is well worth a visit. It is a most charming
chateau dating originally from the second decade of the thirteenth
century, of late years restored in Gothic style by the owner, one of
the Counts Arco-Steppberg. It is built in the centre of a lake, and is
surrounded by a well-wooded and beautiful park, and is of great
interest as a well-preserved survival of the fortified domestic
architecture of other days. It is beautifully furnished, and contains
many finely decorated rooms, and a valuable art collection.
The return to Salzburg through the fields at sunset is a delightful
experience. To the back and to the left of one are the towering
mountain summits tinged with the Alpine glow which turns their rocky
peaks almost blood red, and their snow-fields a deep rose pink. And
right ahead stands up, mystic-looking as some fairy fortress in the
waning light, Hohen-Salzburg, its roofs and walls reddened and given
the tints of nacre, and its windows shining like the open doors of
furnaces. A never-to-be-forgotten picture.
Both the Gaisberg, up which there is now a funicular railway, and at
whose foot Aigen, with its interesting Church and Castle acquired by
the family of Prince Schwarzenberg in 1804, lies, and the
Kapuzingerberg should be visited by all who have the time, and for
whom a wide and pleasant prospect of mountain ranges, valleys, and the
Salzach, threading its silvery way dividing the city and flowing
northward and southward through the valley, has attractions.
The Gaisberg is ascended from the little village of Parsch, reached by
tram from the city. The railway takes one through beautiful scenery in
about an hour to the summit of the mountain, which is so favourite an
excursion with the well-to-do Salzburgers, and from which such a
beautiful prospect is spread out at one's feet. To the north one can
catch glimpses of the undulating foreground of the Alps and shining
lakes; whilst Salzburg now more than 4000 feet below looks almost
insignificant, and like a toy town set in the midst of a green plain
through which winds a thin, silver line, the Salzach. In the far
distance is the magnificent range of the Alps, in which stand the
Watzmann, 9050 feet; the Dachstein, 9990 feet, with its rocky
pinnacles catching the sunshine, and its glaciers and snow-fields
gleaming white, whilst in the further distance through the deep-cut
gap formed by the Lueg Pass one sees the fields of eternal snow on the
Hohen Tauern glinting at one, and on a quite clear day one can catch
glimpses of the white peaks of the Grossglockner, 12,660 feet and the
Wiesbachhorn, 11,900 feet, across the desolate-looking Steinerne Meer.
The prospect has been compared, but somewhat loosely we think, to that
from the Rigi. But, whether we think it finer or less fine, we can
agree that in one respect the view and interest of the scene is not
exceeded by its Swiss rival--the wonderful changes of light and shade
which come and go over the landscape between the hours of sunrise and
sunset, during which Nature seems to work with a brush full of the
most delicate colours and uses them as no human artist could hope to
do.
From the Kapuzingerberg, which is only half the height of the
Gaisberg, the view is not so extensive, but it is well worth climbing
to see. On the way up one obtains most beautiful peeps of the city
from two distinct points; whilst from the summit one gets a panorama
which will satisfy all save those who have made the Gaisberg ascent
first. The way up is, after a long flight of steps about two hundred
in number, through a most delightful beech wood, where one is tempted
often to stop to rest or to admire some vista of the valley or town
seen through a framework of feathery, green branches. There are, too,
on the Kapuzingerberg several interesting buildings. The first to be
reached is the Church of the Capuchin Monastery built in the last year
of the sixteenth century by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich. A beautiful old
garden is attached to the Monastery, from which one has a fine
prospect of the town and surroundings. Alas! it is only open to men,
and thus by monkish custom women are shut out of one more "earthly
paradise."
[Sidenote: THE MOZART MEMORIAL]
But to music lovers and many others who ascend the Kapuzingerberg the
Mozart-Häuschen, situated in a charming little garden near the
Monastery, will be the chief object of interest. This memorial to the
master was presented to the city by Prince Camillo zu Starhemberg, and
was completed in June, 1877, being thrown open to the public six weeks
later, on July 18th, on the occasion of the first musical festival.
This cottage, which formerly stood in the courtyard of the so-called
old "Freihaus" in Vienna, has an added interest from the fact that in
it was composed the opera "Die Zauberflöte."
The furniture, it should be noted, is not the original but a clever
and exact copy of the articles comprising it. The former is in the
collection of Prince Starhemberg. The top step of the cottage is,
however, said to be "veritable." In the cottage are kept a great
number of wreaths with ribbon streamers, embroideries, etc., which
have been sent by admirers of Mozart's genius. Also some beautiful
tablets of embossed metal commemorating the first musical festival
held in 1877. There is also hung in the cottage the picture "Mozart at
the Spinet" by the Italian artist Romaco, a photograph of the only
portrait of the composer painted from life which is known to exist,
which was the work of Doris Stock of Dresden in 1787; and the pictures
of the various performers in the operas given at Cassel. The bust,
which stands outside the cottage, is the work of the well-known
sculptor Edmund Hellmer, of Vienna, and was the gift of Baron Schwarz.
As one stands in the garden, with its pleasant prospect, quietude, and
beautiful flowers, one cannot but feel that few more suitable spots
could have been selected for a memorial to a musical genius of
Mozart's nature. Far better is it, indeed, than some more pretentious
place nearer the haunts of men.
[Sidenote: ON THE MÖNCHSBERG]
The Mönchsberg and a walk along its ridge should not be missed by any
one who has a little time to spare whilst at Salzburg. The explorer
will be well rewarded for his toil. One is apt to estimate the
Mönchsberg by its Hohen-Salzburg end, which so dominates the city. It
is difficult, indeed, from down below in the narrow streets to believe
that some 300 feet above one lie not only woods and tree-shaded walks,
but even green, flower-bedecked fields. The most direct and
interesting way up the Mönchsberg is by the Sigmund Haffnergasse and
Hofstallgasse bearing to the left of the Fischbrunnen, and thence over
the Mönchsbergstiege. On reaching the top of the flight of steps the
way lies in the direction of Hohen-Salzburg as far as the passage
leading into the Nonnthal and to Leopoldskron, then one climbs to the
left, and after a little distance reaches the beautiful view point
known as Konig Ludwig-Fernsicht, or King Ludvig's Lookout.
The prospect from here is wonderfully wide and beautiful, embracing as
it does the villas on the other side of the town, and the villages and
farms of the valley with their picturesque background of mountain
ranges, including nearer in the Göll and Untersberg.
[Illustration: HOHEN-SALZBURG AND THE NONNBERG]
To the left and on the way along the ridge to the fortress is situated
the beautiful villa of the famous singer Bianca Bianchi, and from the
projecting bastion in the same direction one obtains a fine view of
the town below, and valley of the Salzach. Both in the direction of
Mülln to the right, and of Hohen-Salzburg to the left, there are
many fine views as one takes one's way either by shaded paths or
through the fields which lead to the Bürgerwehrsöller, where there is
an ancient watch-tower on the slope of the hill from whence one has a
wonderful panoramic view of the city and its environs. From the
opposite end of the rampart one obtains a widely extended prospect
towards Reichenhall, Marzoll, Maxglan, and the Bavarian plain, which
is not easily surpassed from the neighbourhood of any other town of
the size in western Austria.
One can then either descend to the Marketenderschlössl through the
beautiful woods by one of the well-kept paths, and thence reach Mülln,
or retrace one's steps, and walk right along to the Hohen-Salzburg end
of the Mönchsberg, from whence by entering the fortress and descending
by way of the Nonnberg one obtains a fine view of the other portion of
the Salzach valley in the direction of the Gaisberg, Hellbrunn, and
Anif.
On the Nonnberg, so called from the Benedictine Convent built upon it,
stands the fine Gothic Chapel founded in the first year of the
eleventh century and beautifully restored in the fifteenth. In it is
much fine stained glass, a winged altar piece of great interest; and
there are also some interesting frescoes in the old tower.
Unfortunately the cloisters are seldom if ever shown to visitors; they
are the oldest now existent in the principality, and it is said even
in the Austrian empire, dating as they do from the commencement of the
eleventh century. They are charming and picturesque, and well worth
the trouble which it is generally necessary to take in order to obtain
permission to see them.
In Salzburg there is such a wealth of interesting buildings and places
that to describe all one has seen or can see there is no space.
Perhaps of those remaining to which reference has not yet been made,
most people visit the house in which Mozart was born, situated in the
narrow, picturesque old Getreidegasse; the Franciscan, formerly the
Parish Church; the Church of St. Peter, with its ancient and
picturesque burial-ground beneath the shadow of the towering fern- and
flower-clothed Mönchsberg, and the Caroline Augustus Museum. There
are, of course, also the Dreifaltigkeits Kirche, with fine frescoes
and carvings, and the University Church, both worth a visit.
To Mozart's birthplace, along the quaint and narrow Getreidegasse with
its beautiful old signs of wrought-iron work projecting from the shop
fronts on either hand, come hundreds of English and American visitors
annually. Now the house is also a Mozart Museum, with much of interest
for admirers of the composer, antiquarians and students. In the
birth-chamber itself one finds a most valuable series of family
portraits, including some of Mozart's wife, Constance Weber; also
those of his landlord and his wife, Lorenz Johann and Maria Theresa
Hagenauer. There are also the "scores" of many of his operas, and
other compositions, records of the Mozart family; and perhaps most
interesting of all the small clavichord or spinet, and the grand piano
or reiseclavier, which was a present from his brother Karl, on which
he used to play.
In the family sitting-room there are many interesting relics of the
composer's father, mother, and other relatives, including Mozart's own
pocket-book-diary, a large number of fragments of compositions, which
from one cause or another were destined never to be completed, many
letters of the family, copies of Mozart's three first published pieces
printed in Paris, and several pictures of the house in the
Rauhensteingasse, Vienna, where the composer for some years lived and
ultimately, on January 5, 1791, died. Salzburg has well-honoured her
famous son's memory by the several memorials of him within her gates,
including the fine though simply conceived bronze statue in the
Mozart-Platz which cost nearly £2000, and was erected by voluntary
subscriptions in 1842. By the foundation of the Mozarteum or "Society
for the Cultivation of Mozart," not only is the memory of the great
composer kept green, but the support of the School of Music of the
same name is ensured. Thus the city of his birth, which did him (as is
so frequently the case) but little honour during his lifetime, has
nowadays become the centre of enthusiasm for his works. Festivals of
his music take place during the summer months, at which not only the
famous and beautiful Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra takes part, but
also the most celebrated conductors and artistes.
Although Salzburg had been the residence of other famous musicians and
composers, it is Mozart and his genius which dominates the ancient
city's musical life, and proves so attractive an element to musicians
and music lovers who visit it.
[Sidenote: SALZBURG MUSICIANS]
Michael Haydn, too, composer of much fine church music, was a resident
in Salzburg and has a rather commonplace monument erected to his
memory in St. Peter's Church. The latter is in the Romanesque style,
founded in the middle of the twelfth century, and badly restored in
the middle of the eighteenth, and is of great interest to the
antiquarian and student of architecture. The portal consists of seven
arches which gradually diminish in size, and are inlaid with strips of
white and red marble. The very remarkable archings which strike one
directly one has entered the building are portions of the original
church. On a small altar near the vestry is a well-carved statue of
the Virgin, said to be the work of one of the Archbishops, of about
the end of the twelfth century, although there appears little real
evidence in support of the suggestion.
The frescoes in the nave, representing scenes from the Crucifixion,
painted in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, are worth study.
In Salzburg considerable store is set upon the monuments in the
church, but few rank high as works of art, although marking the graves
or being memorials of distinguished and historic persons connected
with the city's life in the past.
The beautiful though ruinous cemetery of St. Peter, which, with its
crumbling tombs of the great dead, interesting and quaint mural
tablets, and arcaded vaults belonging to some of the most important
and famous Salzburg families, lies at the foot of the Mönchsberg, is,
as well as the most picturesque, the oldest cemetery in Salzburg. It
is difficult to exaggerate the interest and charm of the spot; always
still, although set in the midst of a city, and within a few hundred
yards of the principal and busiest thoroughfares. That it possesses a
wonderful and mysterious attraction for tourists we can testify; and,
indeed, we would almost go as far as to say that one meets more
English and American visitors in this peaceful corner of the city than
in any other spot on the southern side of the Salzach.
The celebrated Monastery of St. Peter, founded by St. Rupertus in
(about) 582, was, until the first decade of the twelfth century, the
residence of the bishops and archbishops of the diocese. The present
building was erected during the reign of Archbishop Max Gandolph
during the period covered by the years 1661-1674. It can be visited,
and the library is full of the most interesting and valuable MSS.,
early copper plate engravings, and consists of about 45,000 volumes
and some 250 illuminated and other MSS., chiefly upon parchment.
Several of the latter and some of the early printed books are
practically priceless. The Librarian is always delighted to exhibit
the treasures under his charge, and in him we found (as doubtless will
all intelligent bibliophiles) a kindred spirit, and a most interesting
cicerone.
[Sidenote: THE MUSEUM]
It is almost impossible in Salzburg, especially if one would really
know something of the past life of the principality, and the city, to
follow that excellent rule of avoiding museums. In the Salzburg
Carolino-Augusteum Museum one finds so much that brings vividly before
one other times and other customs. Although started but three-quarters
of a century ago the Museum has already become a repository of the
deepest interest, much frequented by students of all types, the
antiquarian and the man of science. It was due to the initiative of
Vicenza Maria Süss, one of the leading town officials at the period of
its foundation in 1834. The work which he began was well continued and
supplemented by that of Jost Schiffmann, the well-known Swiss painter,
and an enthusiastic committee, largely to whose credit must be placed
the excellent arrangement of the art and other sections of the
collection.
One of the most interesting and unique features of the Museum is the
suite of rooms furnished accurately and entirely in the style of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; of these one of the most charming
is the "Hunting Room" with its fine oak presses, pretty recessed
window, and trophies of the chase. In the Hall of Antiquities are many
interesting relics of the Roman occupation of the country, and also in
the Lapidarium. A most excellent idea took shape in the Hall of
Industry, where are collected together many excellent specimens of
various "masterworks" of iron, woodcarving, etc.
The Music Room contains some of the most valuable musical instruments
of the last three centuries, including spinets, violins, and others,
some of these priceless. In the Armoury are relics of deep interest of
the terrible Peasants' War, including wooden cannon, crude swords
beaten from scythes, executioners' swords, curious and cumbersome
firearms, and some of the lances used by the Landsknechte.
The Costume Room has many attractions for lady visitors, who linger
not only to admire the fashions of the past, but to inspect the
embroideries which came from the industrious and skilful fingers of
past generations of women, "old" with the dignity, grace, and charm
which the "new" woman so sadly lacks.
On the same floor are the interesting Mediæval Kitchen, with its
ancient and carefully kept copper and other utensils glinting at one
from their hooks in the half-gloom of the recesses; the Ladies'
Chamber, with its charming oriel, stained-glass window, colour of life
of the period, and air of repose; the study, to show one the
environment old-time students loved; a fine state-room; and a
beautiful Renaissance Hall.
After these vivid reconstructions of the past one passes somewhat
regretfully to the higher floor and prehistoric things. The priceless
Celtic helmet, found in the Pass of Lueg, interesting though it is,
seems "lifeless" in comparison with what one has just seen; as do
somehow Roman statues and arms, and similar objects. And one needs the
beautiful and richly ornamented panelling, oriels, and similar objects
of the final room to bring back colour into things.
To visit and study this deeply interesting collection leaves one with
a very good idea of the evolution of culture, science, and art during
the last five centuries of the principality's history, one's knowledge
of native art being easily further extended by a visit to the
Kunstlerhaus near the Karolinenbrucke. Salzburg has produced at least
one great artist in Hans Makart, who by common consent is esteemed one
of the most vivid and brilliant colourists of his day.
In some of the villages near Salzburg, as also during "fair" times and
festival times in the city itself, one is able to witness some of the
quaint, picturesque, and dramatic peasant dances for which the valley
of the Salzach has some reputation.
[Sidenote: A PEASANTS' BALL]
We were especially fortunate whilst recently there in witnessing not
only peasant dances such as we have referred to, but also a peasant
ball.
Amongst the dances specially notable was a variety of "Gaillarde," and
"Allemande," a type of the dance known as "Siebensprung," where the
male performers make a series of seven different movements with
hands, elbows, knees, feet; and then almost touch the floor with
their foreheads whilst their female companions pirouette around them.
The "Allemande," with its graceful twirling and twisting, and
interlacing of the arms, and graceful bending of the bodies of the
dancers, showing off the lines of the women's figures, is especially
picturesque.
Then came types of other and more local dances, in one of which the
women pirouetted round and round the room until scarcely able to
stand, their short skirts gradually seeming to become inflated like
balloons, and ascending inch by inch until knee high, when suddenly
the dancers paused, their skirts fell, and with a sharp twirl and
swish the latter were wound around their lower limbs in plastic folds.
Then there was a pretty dance commencing with a figure of the
"Allemande," and proceeding to a courtship in pantomime, in which the
women peered shyly at their partners between the circle formed by the
interlaced arms, and ending by the men stooping, and whilst continuing
a waltz step, suddenly seizing their companions round the knees and
lifting them breast high, all the while continuing to circle the room
in a "springy" rather than a gliding waltz.
Then followed a still more dramatic dance-play, in which the whole
story of a peasant courtship from early days until the wedding was
depicted in pantomime, with half a dozen characters beside the happy
pair. Most of the performers were not only graceful and finished
dancers, but were possessed of distinct dramatic gifts. The folk
songs, accompanied upon rather weird instruments consisting of
shepherds' pipes, guitars, fiddles, horns, and what, until it was put
together, appeared to be a collection of short pieces of gas pipe of
various lengths or strips of metal, were intensely interesting and
musical.
What struck us perhaps more than anything else, save the actual
dancing and singing, was the charming manners of the women, and the
perfect manners of the men. Peasants though they were, there was a
complete absence of coarseness or roughness in general behaviour, in
place of which one had perhaps a rather grave courtesy. And when at
last it occurred to some of the men that perhaps the "foreigners"
might like to dance, they approached the ladies of the party with a
striking grace and courtesy of manner. The Salzburg girls, too, in
their pretty costumes were just as gracious and charming as English
girls of the upper middle class, when asked to favour some of the
English men of the party with a dance. The scene was made even more
kaleidoscopic in effect when at last the sombre evening dress of the
latter mingled with and formed a foil to gay kerchiefs, snowy white
bodices worn under a type of bolero jacket of the women, and the green
and bright brown waistcoats and short knee breeches of the men. Across
some of the waistcoats, which were many of them fastened with silver
buttons, jangled quite a collection of coins, exhibiting (so we were
told) the financial position of the wearer, so that any girl might
know what a suitor or possible suitor was worth! We hope that no young
man ever puts upon his waistcoat a single silver krone piece more than
he is entitled to. But if very much in love to what deception of this
kind might he not stoop? And mercenary indeed must be the maiden who
would not in the end pardon his offence, which was so warm a tribute
to the power of her charms.
[Illustration: SALZBURG MARKETWOMEN]
[Sidenote: IN THE MARKET]
Even nowadays a good deal of "costume" can at times be found in the
Market, which, surrounded by old-time building and dominated by
Hohen-Salzburg, is very picturesque with its tiny stalls--some shaded
by huge umbrellas--and buxom market women in short skirts, gay
kerchiefs, and sometimes in types of the peasant costumes prevailing
in the immediate district. As a general rule the market folk are good
models both for artists and amateur photographers, though some of
the younger women coquettishly pretend that they object to be
photographed, whilst all the while they are desperately anxious to
come into the picture.
To leave this fascinating old-world town, where so much of the most
beautiful in modern ideas stands side by side with ancient things,
without a visit to some of the charming and interesting places in the
immediate district--lovely lakes rivalling the deep-blue sky above
them in the tint of their waters; peaceful valleys, where pure air
invigorates scented by passage through pinewoods and across
flower-decked Alpine pastures; wonderful peaks covered with that
eternal weight of glorious snow, and bound about in some cases by the
immemorial fastnesses of environing glaciers--should be impossible.
Our only regret is that neither space nor the scope of the present
volume permits of some description of the beauties which we have
visited and which lie so close at hand; indeed, almost within call of
the beautiful city set in a valley, and surrounded with majestic and
lofty mountains, the lower slopes of whose wilder peaks are softened
by pine forests, and fertile upper pastures.
CHAPTER VIII
SOME TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF SOUTH TYROL--MERAN, BOZEN,
KLAUSEN, BRIXEN, SPINGES, STERZING, MATREI
[Sidenote: MERAN]
So many pens have described and praised Meran, the ancient capital of
Tyrol, that there must be few adjectives of appreciation left
unapplied to it. Many poets have also sung of this beautifully
situated little town of some 8000 inhabitants which once played so
important a part in Tyrolese history, and nowadays has developed into
a fashionable health resort.
It has by turns been called "the Jewel of South Tyrol," "Tyrol's sweet
Paradise," and in one of the visitor's books "A Paradise of God's
making and man's improving"! Artists love it, and therefore it goes
without saying that Meran is both beautiful and picturesque. From
whatever side one approaches the town, whether by the more usual route
from the West via Innsbruck, and then by the little branch line of the
Brenner railway from Bozen; from the south through Verona; from the
north by way of Munich and Innsbruck,--one is at once struck by its
wonderfully favoured situation amid vineyards, orchards and rich
pasture land, set in a wide valley surrounded by beautiful mountain
ranges, and watered by the Passer River.
It is, indeed, a charming spot in which to either rest--as so many
do--or from which to make excursions so varied in character, that they
may suit all tastes.
[Illustration: WINTER NEAR MERAN]
The first view of the town, with its spires, huge hotels,
white-walled houses and villas, and the ruins of Castle Tyrol set high
on the north-western and vine-clad slope of the Kuchelberg, is one of
great beauty. On the lower hillsides are chestnut groves and pine
woods; and many of the villas and houses of the town itself appear
amid them as though embowered in green.
The railway from Bozen traverses the picturesque Etsch Valley, which
is dotted with orchards, and follows the course of the Etsch to where
it joins the Passer about three-quarters of a mile from Meran.
The architecture of the town, as is the case with most places of any
size in South Tyrol, is distinctly Italian in general characteristics.
In fact, one of the things which makes Tyrol, as a whole, of unusual
interest to students and artists is the variety of the domestic
architecture found within its borders. Although there are many quaint
corners and delightful byways in Meran, there is really only one
important business thoroughfare, running almost due east and west and
of considerable length, with arcaded shops known as "Unter den Lauben"
(in the shade). It is probably because it has this aspect that one of
the sunniest streets we have ever been in has been so amply provided
with shady arcades; and in summer the latter can be appreciated to the
full. In the season the long street is at times crowded with
foreigners from England, Germany, Italy, and America, and has a busy
and cosmopolitan air somewhat out of character with its general
old-world look.
Just off this interesting thoroughfare stands the Burg, or, to give it
its fuller and ancient name, the Landesfürstliche Burg, in ancient
times the town residence of the Counts of Tyrol. Retired as it is in
the courtyard of the Magistrats Gebäude it is often overlooked by the
passing tourist, although of great antiquarian and historical
interest. Dating from the fifteenth century, the building has been
admirably and sympathetically restored, and is a treasure-house of
fine old furniture and _bric-a-brac_. There are also some interesting
frescoes and coats-of-arms of former owners and inhabitants. It is,
perhaps, difficult to realize that amongst the latter in the middle of
the fifteenth century was a Scottish princess. But it was to the Burg
that Sigismund, son of Duke Frederick of the Empty Purse, brought his
bride Eleonora, daughter of James I. of Scotland, over the Brenner and
via Bozen, to the house and home he had prepared for her reception.
From Bozen onwards, we are told, the young couple's progress was
marked by rejoicings and enthusiasm as they passed from castle to
castle, until at last they came, in due time, to the then capital of
Tyrol. Eleonora's ultimate popularity with the Tyrolese was, perhaps,
even more owing to her skill in the chase than to her intellectual
gifts, although the latter were very remarkable for a woman of that
period. The translator of "The Book of Celebrated Women," by
Boccaccio, waxes very enthusiastic over her, and he is by no means the
only writer of the period who has left on record a tribute to the
Archduchess' high mental and physical qualities. That Eleonora was of
a scholarly disposition and gifted with "tongues" is proved by her
translation of a French Romance of the period, "Pontus and Sidoni,"
into German. It is now a rare book, although copies are occasionally
found, and it would appear to have had a considerable vogue at the
time it was published. It was printed at Augsburg. In the preface one
gathers that the translation was done by the noble authoress to
"please his Serene Highness and Lord Sigismund, Archduke of Austria,
her lawful husband."
In this charming old palace, set back from the hum and bustle of the
street, Sigismund and Eleonora dwelt for some years, happy in the
pursuit of learning, the enjoyment of sport, and in the affection of
the townsfolk.
In the Burg it is possible to obtain a very good conception of what a
mediæval nobleman's house really was like, for not only have many
interesting specimens of furniture, presses, chairs and other fittings
been preserved, but also household utensils, and other articles of
common use.
There are, in the byways and courtyards of the main street, several
other most interesting houses dating from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries, which will repay the attention of students of
architecture. And may we add the ubiquitous "Kodaker"?
One of the most enduring impressions Meran leaves upon the mind is
that of being in the true sense "a garden city." No other place of the
size in Tyrol possesses so many beautiful and tree-shaded promenades,
walks and gardens. But the notice "smoking strictly prohibited" which
stares one in the face in the charming Gisela Promenade with its old
and feathery poplar trees fringing the bank of the Passer, and in
other similar resorts, is probably a regulation distasteful to many.
Of "gartens" and cafés there is no lack. On the left bank of the river
is the pleasant Maria-Valerie Garten, where--as is the case with other
similar places--an excellent band frequently plays. Of the cafés at
least the Café Gilf should be visited, on account of its beautiful
vegetation and fine view of the Passer gorge and surrounding mountain
slopes which one obtains from the "look out."
[Sidenote: MERAN HERO PLAYS]
To many visitors the Hero Plays, which, for the last fifteen years,
have been performed annually, in the spring and generally in the
autumn, with scenes from the lives of the famous son of the Passer
Valley, Andreas Hofer, and his companions for the chief incidents,
will prove of great interest. The plays, which include"Tiroler-helden"
and one produced for the first time in August, 1901, entitled
"Frederick of the Empty Purse," are acted entirely by peasants.
Many are acquainted with the fine dramatic gifts of the Bavarian
peasantry which have found expression in the plays at Ober-Ammergau;
but those of the Tyrolese are less well-known and less widely
recognized. Any one, however, who has seen one of the Meran "Hofer"
dramas will probably agree with us that it was well worth seeing, and
that the dramatic art displayed was not less praiseworthy than that of
the more famous performances at Ober-Ammergau.
The plays are given outdoors in a large meadow on a huge stage, and
with natural scenery formed by a large chalet (with a bell turret
above the central gable) and other smaller buildings on either side,
with the hill slopes in the background, the stage being the street in
front of the chalet, and the "wings" the side streets. The field is
generally--especially for the autumn performances--boarded, and there
are a limited number of covered-in boxes facing the stage for the use
of those who prefer to be sheltered from the sun, which on fine days
is somewhat trying in its intensity, as, of course, no sunshades or
umbrellas are permitted. The natural beauties of the valley behind
form an appropriate and altogether charming "back-cloth" for the
scenery, which represents a portion of a Tyrol village with real
buildings. The most popular of the plays with the inhabitants of Meran
and the Tyrolese generally are undoubtedly those dealing with the
period of national history when their country was engaged in its
desperate struggle to free itself from the French and Bavarian
invaders.
The acting is always excellent, and distinguished by that spontaneity
which seems so frequently to characterize outdoor representations. The
naturalness which also distinguishes the performances is probably
largely attributable to the fact that the actors have most of them
been not only well acquainted with the incidents they pourtray since
childhood, but are also in the main representing scenes and using
language of everyday life; and are not engaged in attempting to
interpret scenes and incidents in which they have no personal
interest, or of which they have only gained a knowledge by close and
tiresome study.
[Sidenote: OLD-TIME COSTUMES]
To the artist the stage management, which is remarkably good, and the
delightful blending of the ancient costumes in charming tableaux and
schemes of colour will make a special appeal.
The plays not only add an undoubted and additional attraction to the
quaint and charming town, but also are deserving of the highest praise
from an artistic and dramatic point of view.
Naturally Meran is over-full at the times of representation, so the
wise traveller books his rooms in advance, unless he wishes (as many
have done before now) to "sleep at the hotel of the beautiful star,"
which in plain English means in the open air, and on the ground.
We have just mentioned the costumes which appear in the plays. At
Meran the old costumes (though alas! they are being slowly but surely
superseded) have been preserved to a larger extent than in almost any
other place we know in Tyrol. The women's dress is undeniably
picturesque, just as it is markedly German in general character. Hats
are seldom worn, the hair is plainly and extremely neatly dressed,
brushed back off the brow, and secured in a simple knot behind by
means of a silver or silver-headed pin. The bodices are of velvet or
cloth, of the "corselet" type seen in Switzerland and many parts of
Germany as well as in Tyrol; and they are worn over a white chemisette
with puffed sleeves, which end just above the elbow and are generally
there confined by "ties" of coloured ribbon.
The men's costume is scarcely less picturesque, consisting as it does
of a high-crowned hat of felt or cloth, bound round with numerous
bands of thin red or green cord, the first colour denoting a man is
married (a useful danger signal for unwary spinsters!), and the second
denoting a bachelor, eligible or otherwise. The jacket is usually of
brown or blackish brown cloth; cloth knee breeches (we have seen
buckskin on some of the "granfers") with wide red or green braces, and
sometimes an embroidered waistcoat, completes the costume. One other
feature is almost sure to strike the observer, the white aprons which
so many of the men wear when engaged in work. On festive occasions
silver belts are worn by some of the men in the surrounding valleys,
though we fancy these are considerably less common now than they were
even ten years ago.
The variations of dress in the different valleys of Tyrol have been
ascribed by a well-known writer upon the subject as rising from the
circumstance that peasant costumes are very largely belated fashions
of the town; which, obtained perhaps three or even four generations or
longer ago, have in time come, by all save students of the subject, to
be looked upon erroneously as a mode of dress evolved by the peasant
wearers themselves. What in all probability really happened in many
cases was, some visitors to the towns when in need of fresh clothes
bought town-made and then fashionable garments which were copied by
neighbours (as do villagers in England at the present time), and thus
perpetuated from generation to generation, and not discarded until
some fresh sartorial idea percolated its way slowly and in much the
same manner to the often remote regions of these Tyrolese valleys and
upper pastures.
On the occasion of the "Hofer" celebrations or "Hero" plays one even
nowadays sees a most interesting variety of costumes in Meran,
although the differences are not so marked as in former times, and
appear rather in small details than in immediately apparent
variations.
[Illustration: MERAN]
[Sidenote: IN THE VINEYARDS]
Amongst the many "Cures" of the Continental Spas and invalid resorts
Meran possesses a unique one in the "Grape Cure." Nowhere in Tyrol can
the interesting harvesting of the grapes be better seen than at Meran.
The vineyards, for one thing, are more picturesque than in many
places, by reason of the practice of largely training the vines over
trellis work or rustic pergolas. In some vineyards these form perfect
covered walks or arcades of delightful green, through which the sun
filters to glint upon the purple and green-gold bunches of grapes
hanging in profusion on either hand and above one's head. But, as may
be imagined, the casual visitor does not have the freedom of the
vineyards on the hillsides when once the grapes are ripening off. Then
the gates, some of them adorned with rows of formidable-looking spikes
and hooks with a great and persistent affinity for clothing, are
closely shut against all intruders, and, in addition, that curious
individual the Saltner, whose name is probably derived from the Latin
word meaning forester, and hence guardian of lands of all kinds, is
placed on guard. His costume is such as to bring alarm not only to the
birds but even to human beings. Tyrolese children we believe have been
brought up to regard the Saltner as a type of "Bogey Man" of a very
efficient character. Usually he wears buckskin breeches or leggings, a
broad belt in which there shines a whole armoury of weapons of a
miscellaneous character comprising old pattern pistols, knives, and
sometimes a "horse" pistol of dimensions almost entitling it to be
spoken of as a gun. In his cap, which is of an uncommon shape, are
such a collection of feathers, martens' tails, plumes, and odds and
ends of ribbon as to cause it to resemble nothing so much as the
head-dress of a Sioux Indian.
Notwithstanding this "terrific" personage, it is not very difficult
with the expenditure of a few kreutzers to obtain permission to enter
a vineyard in process of harvesting. The labour employed is chiefly
that of women and girls, who, armed with sharp sickles or large knives
with heavy and curved blades, stand beneath the trellises and hold a
wooden tray in one hand beneath the bunch to be severed. One skilled
sweep of the sickle and the latter falls into the tray with a minimum
of damage to the luscious fruit.
Here and there along the paths are wooden tubs into which the trays
are emptied from time to time. And these tubs again are borne away by
men to the huge vats or tubs bound with iron, which are slung to a
framework or trolley on wheels to which oxen are harnessed, and by
them brought to the nearest convenient point in the vineyard. Then
when the vats are full almost to the brim, two men take up their
positions beside them, and proceed to crush and pound the grapes,
stems and all, into a dark-red, uninviting-looking mess with
long-handled, heavy wooden hammers. In many Italian vineyards it is
still the custom to "tread" the juice out, a practice which is far
less cleanly and hygienic (though it is said more thorough and
economical) than the Meran method. After the juice is all expressed it
is set aside to ferment, and the other processes of wine making are
afterwards gone through.
The famous grape cure consists apparently of eating as much of the
fruit as one possibly can. Many doctors affirm that no particular
benefit is derived or can be hoped for unless upwards of two pounds of
fruit is consumed daily, the maximum quantity desirable being nine
pounds! Immense as this may seem, we have been assured that some
"patients" have considerably exceeded this amount.
Perhaps the grape cure is so popular because, for one thing, to eat a
reasonable quantity of fully ripe and freshly gathered fruit is by no
means a disagreeable task for most people, and because it can be taken
anywhere.
In the cafés one sees crowds undergoing the cure; on the numerous and
shady seats of the Gisela Promenade one sees folks eating grapes. And
practically in every street and alley, and along the mountain paths in
the vicinity of Meran one meets people with brown-paper bags, or if
taking the cure very seriously with little baskets, all eating grapes
as though their future well-being depended upon the quantity they
could consume in a given time. The "old stagers" generally divide
their daily quantity into two or three portions; taking one early in
the morning before "Halbmittag," the second about mid-day, and the
third at sundown.
To its many other attractions Meran has added for the holiday maker
that of a good band, which performs during the season really most
excellent music in front of the Kurhaus, or in one or other of the
public gardens at Obermais. The Kurhaus, with its sheltered
Wandelhalle or promenade, naturally forms the pivot upon which the
more social side of the daily life of Meran turns. Here one meets not
only the invalid, but the traveller from all parts of the Continent;
and in the Kurhaus gardens one finds also those "birds of passage,"
who alight for a time on their way further north or south.
[Sidenote: SPORTS AND PASTIMES]
The Sports Platz is one of the best in Tyrol. On it are held tennis
tournaments, cycle races (less than formerly), trotting events, and
horse races; whilst in the winter months the centre is converted into
an excellent skating lake. The races are largely attended by Italians
as well as natives, and at the larger meetings there is generally some
event of interest and importance from a sportsman's point of view.
A big race day at Meran has many of the social and picturesque
elements of the smaller events at Chantilly. The ladies don their best
toilettes, and the beautiful surroundings and brilliant sunshine all
go to make a picture of great charm and animation.
On the outskirts and in the immediate neighbourhood of Meran are so
many ancient castles that the town might well be called the "city of
castles." Just outside the Papist Gate is the half-ruined Schloss
Zenoburg, standing on a precipitous rock; whilst prettily situated at
Obermais stands Schloss Rubein with a famous avenue of cypresses.
Along the picturesque Bozen road is Schloss Katzenstein; which, seen
across the fields from the hillside, looks like a grim outpost
guarding the valley.
Then there are also the Schloss Gojen, with its environment of shady
and odorous pine forests, and background of snow-capped mountains;
Schloss Vorst, but half an hour's drive from Meran, and finely
situated upon a rocky eminence overlooking the valley, and several
others of which could be told stories of romantic and historic
interest.
And last, but greatest of them all, there is Schloss Tyrol which was
destined to give its name to the whole of the country. As it is one of
the most famous it is probably also the best known of all castles to
the average tourist and traveller in Tyrol. So ancient is it that
historians have been able to discover a mention of it at so early a
period as the last decade of the fourth century A.D. But,
notwithstanding this fact, the records relating to its earlier days
are neither full nor reliable. Of the life that went on within it and
the fate that possibly overtook it during the period covered by the
years (about) A.D. 400 to A.D. 1000 little, indeed, is discoverable.
Its present ruinous condition arose partly from neglect during the
troublous period of the wars at the end of the eighteenth and
commencement of the nineteenth century, and partly from the fact that
during the Bavarian occupation of the country in 1808-9, the then
Government sold the castle for the ridiculous sum of a couple of
hundred pounds for the purpose of destruction so that the stones could
be used as building material![16]
[Illustration: SCHLOSS TYROL, NEAR MERAN]
[Sidenote: ANCIENT CASTLES]
Castle Tyrol stands a relic of past glories, feats of arms, strenuous
living, and chivalry on a rocky ridge or spur of the mountains above
the vineyards, which climb upwards towards the white and imposing
castle walls. Behind and above rise the pine forests running upwards
to meet the rocky slopes of the Kückelberg and Vintschgau range.
The most ancient portions of the present building are some of the
walls, a porch, and two marble doorways dating from about the twelfth
century, and the chapel. In the latter there is a fine representation
of the Fall of Man, and interesting carvings. From its commanding
position it is only to be expected that a magnificent prospect is to
be had of the Adige Valley, the chain of the Ulten-Thal and Mendel
mountains, and the vineyards upon the slopes which swell upwards from
the valley. Seen either soon after sunrise (which few people, we
imagine, do) or just at sunset, the views from the castle, more
especially that from the Kaisersaal, are of wonderful pictorial beauty
and charm.
Though we have too little space to devote to the many delightful
places in the Meran valley which invite exploration, or to mention the
numerous walks which tempt the pedestrian, we must give a passing word
or two to the Château or Castle of Schönna, which lies nearly two
thousand feet above sea-level like a hoary and time-worn sentinel at
the entrance to the Passeier Valley. It is easily reached from
Obermais by an excellent road suitable even for cyclists, and is well
worth a visit owing to the representative collection of old weapons
gathered within it, and its picturesque situation. Dating from the
early years of the twelfth century, it is an excellent example of the
ancient feudal fortress-residence of those far-off times. A mention of
the Château Lebenberg, distant about an hour and a half's walk from
Meran, is justified--although it is now a pension--by reason of its
excellent state of preservation, and the historical paintings in
several of the most interesting rooms. The walk, too, along the side
of the mountains by way of Marling and picturesque St. Anton is one to
be enjoyed and remembered.
Some ten miles northward in the Passeier Valley, just a little
distance beyond the village of St. Martin, where one sees many
examples of the wall paintings which are more especially numerous in
the towns and villages of Southern Tyrol, stands the most famous
national pilgrimage place and historic shrine, Hofer's Inn, called
_Wirth am Sand_ or the "Sandy Inn," literally the "Inn by the Sand."
It is quite an unpretentious building standing by the roadside, and
would scarcely attract the notice of passing travellers. It is entered
by a gallery reached up a short flight of steps. The interior is
scrupulously clean, and although it is plainly furnished one is rather
the more impressed by this circumstance which leaves the famous Inn,
where Hofer was born on November 22, 1767, much as we are told it was
in his time. From the pleasant dining-room on the first floor, with
curtains of spotless muslin to keep out the almost blinding sunshine
of the valley, there are fine views towards Meran, and of the towering
mountains across the stony bed of the Passer.
At the Inn there are some interesting relics of the patriot, and
pictures of him. One shows him as a big, strongly built man of not
much above average height, with a short nose, a fine and lofty
forehead, dark eyes, and a rather ruddy face, well-marked eyebrows,
and the famous long beard.
At one time Hofer wore no beard, and the story goes that his growing
one--which ultimately was declared to be the longest in the
valley--arose from the chaff of his companions, who asserted that his
wife forbade him to wear one. Whether the tale be true or not it has
very general acceptance, and we all know that Hofer's beard was
ultimately one of his distinguishing features during the campaigns in
which he was engaged. There is a very pleasant balcony on the outside
of the house which, tradition asserts, was often used by Hofer and his
companions when holding their meetings or councils of war to devise
some scheme by which their beloved country could be freed from a
foreign yoke.
[Sidenote: HOFER RELICS]
Hofer's last letter, which is one of the most treasured of the
relics, even exceeding in interest the clothes which he wore when shot
at Mantua, is a splendid testimony to the dignity and greatness of the
man, which surmounted all troubles and disasters and was not lessened
or alloyed by triumphs. In it he speaks of his old home, of the
rushing Passer, of the beautiful mountains he would see never again,
and then goes on to say, "It is the great God's good will that I die
at Mantua," and then, "Farewell, beautiful world," adding, "but at the
thought of quitting it my eyes scarcely even moisten." Then follow the
words, "I am writing this at five in the morning; at nine I shall pass
into the presence of God," with the date "20th February, 1810."
Far up the mountain side above his old home is the spot where Hofer
hid with his wife from November, 1809, till five o'clock on the
morning of January 18, 1810, when he was captured and taken under
strong escort first to Meran, and ultimately to Mantua. He had refused
to fly to Vienna or take refuge on Austrian territory. He wished to
remain amongst his people, perhaps with a vain hope of once more
attempting to accomplish Tyrol's freedom.
It is with regret that most travellers leave Hofer's old dwelling. The
whole Passeier Valley is, of course, teeming with historic memories,
of the gallant doings of the patriot and his companions. Near Schloss
Tyrol itself was fought one of the most notable engagements, and a
victory won when the French, driven from their position on the
Küchelberg, were surrounded by the peasant forces; whilst just outside
Meran another skirmish took place, as a result of which the French
troops were forced to evacuate the town.
[Sidenote: SUNNY BOZEN]
From Meran to Bozen by rail is rather less than twenty miles, and
about the same distance by the road, which runs through the valley of
the Etsch, or Adige, and in places along the lower slopes of the
hills. It is a picturesque journey by either, and for cycling quite
delightful. One crosses the Talfer just before reaching Bozen, which
lies in a wide basin at the junction of the valley of the Etsch, with
the smaller but picturesque Sarnthal, surrounded by great reddish
brown crags and precipices of the porphyry mountains on which the
semi-tropical cactus grows, and one gets sombre groups of cypresses,
and here and there vineyards, and pine-clad crags. The town is a
strange mixture of the German elements of Tyrol and the Italian. Its
architecture, too, is "an admixture of that of north Italy and South
Germany, here and there transfused so that it preserves
characteristics of both." It is perhaps for this very reason a town of
great charm, and one of considerable beauty. Its surroundings, which
include the famous Rosengarten, and many beautiful little valleys and
gorges present attractions for a longer stay than one at first
contemplates.
It is, moreover, one of the busiest (Bozen people claim that it is
_the_ busiest) towns in Tyrol, with a population going on towards
20,000, including its outskirts, yet it possesses some most delightful
gardens.
Seen from almost any point of the lower slopes of the surrounding
hills, cactus, and vine-clad, and resembling in general luxuriance of
vegetation Italy rather than the Tyrol of but a little further north,
Bozen is charming. Below one is spread out a garden-like city, which
with all its bustling life yet looks more like a holiday resort than a
commercial town, with numbers of white-walled villas dotted amidst
green fields, vineyards and gardens, in the latter of which blossom
all the flowers one knows and loves, and many less common in England.
[Illustration: A STREET IN BOZEN]
One of the oldest towns in Tyrol, it stands practically on the site of
the Pons Drusi of Roman times. It has for "time out of mind" stood at
the cross roads where the Brenner and the Vintsgau routes divide. In
the past, Roman armies have passed through it, have crossed the
Talfer, or have lain encamped in the fields of its basin-like site.
And after them came the Merchants of the Middle Ages, trading
between civilized Italy and barbarian northern lands. Still later came
Emperors and pilgrims travelling to the "Eternal City," Crusaders
outward and homeward bound, roving singers, and hordes of free lances
and mercenaries. In a word, Bozen's past must have been a stirring
one, and the lives led by her citizens full of the colour of life and
gallant deeds.
Anciently, too, the town was fought for and tossed hither and thither
by those powerful civil lords the Terriolis, Counts of Tyrol, and the
militant spiritual lords the Prince Bishops of Trent. For this reason,
and on account of many fires and "grievous o'erflowings of the Talfer
in past times," of the most ancient of all Bozens there are
comparatively few traces, though within the old town there are yet
traceable some interesting relics of the Middle Ages.
In those long back times Bozen was a place of even greater commercial
importance than now. To its four annual markets or fairs people from
many lands came, and it became the depôt and centre of the great
transport trade by the two chief passes leading from Italy into Tyrol
and thence to Germany and Austria. As was not unnatural Bozen
merchants had a standing of their own, and were, according to one
authority, "not a little purse proud and exclusive in their dealings,
save when the latter meant that financial advantage would thereby
accrue to them."
Although Bozen does not commend itself to most tourists from higher
latitudes for a lengthy stay, at least not in summer, as the basin in
which it lies, though making it delightfully sheltered in winter,
causes the town in the months of July and August to be decidedly hot
and rather enervating, there are several places in the immediate
neighbourhood to which one can flee for fresher air and cooler days.
The town has somewhat declined commercially from the high position it
once held, when the trade which flowed into Tyrol through it and
northwards out of it was chiefly along the high-roads and over the
passes; and thus through Bozen a very appreciable percentage of the
whole southern and Italian trade passed. But nevertheless it is still
a most flourishing and interesting town.
A native writer says, on this subject, "Bozen ... has during the last
decade largely recovered the ground it had temporarily lost through
the making of railways, and the decline of transport along the
high-roads of the passes owing chiefly to the increased facilities
that have arisen for conveyance of merchandize by sea." Certainly one
is soon able, when in the town, to realize that in two branches of
trade at least Bozen occupies an undoubtedly high position in the
commercial world, those of wine, and fruit growing and exporting. The
hillsides are literally studded with vineyards and orchards, and Bozen
fruit has gained for itself an almost world-wide reputation.
From the artistic side, too, Bozen claims the attention of all who are
interested in legendary lore, architecture, and antiquarian matters.
As one passes along its chief streets, or explores its byways in the
older part of it, one is delighted on almost every hand by vistas of
fine houses, shady and charming courtyards, buildings with strangely
constructed roofs, and fantastic gable ends, quaintly shaped bay
windows, vaulted colonnades, and here and there, stowed away where
least one would expect to find them, smaller courtyards with trellises
covered with vines, and perhaps an ancient well of rust-red marble to
give a finishing touch to the charming picture.
[Illustration: A SOUTH TYROL FARMSTEAD]
Numbers of artists pause at Bozen yearly on their way south into Italy
via Verona to study the rich treasures in the galleries of the cities
of Northern Italy, or to rest awhile on their return journey
northwards. In Bozen is plenty to paint and plenty to admire, and the
townsfolk are noted for the hospitality which still (notwithstanding
the great influx of tourists of late years) distinguishes the frank
and warm-hearted people of Tyrol in general.
[Sidenote: BOZEN PARISH CHURCH]
Chief amongst the buildings which will attract one's attention stands
the Pfarrkirche or Parish Church, which with its elegant tower and
open spire, over two hundred feet in height, forms a monument to the
artistic and constructive skill of its Swabian builder Johann Lutz in
the first years of the sixteenth century. The church is splendidly
situated at one corner of the fine open Waltherplatz, which is planted
with shady horse-chestnut trees, and, its roof of copper-green tiles
set in a pattern, contrasts admirably with its walls and spire of red
sandstone. In ancient times the building possessed two spires, both of
which were destroyed or so injured as to necessitate their pulling
down long before Lutz built his elegant structure. The church itself,
which contains a fine altar-piece by a pupil of Titian, and a
remarkable stone pulpit dating about the first decade of the sixteenth
century, is, in the main, fourteenth-century work, although it was not
actually finished until the third decade of the fifteenth, so some
authorities state.
In the centre of the Johann Platz stands a fine though simply
conceived statue to Walther von der Vogelweide who was born about 1160
at Lajen, near Waidbruck, in which the poet is shown standing clad in
a loose robe, with a biretta-like cap on his head and his hands
crossed whilst holding a lute. The statue is the work of the late
Heinrich Natter, one of the most famous of native sculptors, who was
also the artist of the famous Berg Isel Hofer Monument, of the very
finely conceived and well-executed statue of Ulrich Zwingli at Zurich,
and many other works.
One of the most charming of Bozen streets is undoubtedly the
Laubengasse, which greatly resembles the main street of Meran, with
its shady arcades on either side under which the shops are situated,
and where one can promenade and do one's shopping protected from the
sun in summer and the rain in winter. The Karnergasse and Silbergasse
are interesting streets, as is also the Goethestrasse leading to the
fruit market, where one finds during market hours many interesting
types of peasants from the neighbouring villages as well as of the
townsfolk themselves. We saw some of the most gorgeous of kerchiefs
worn over the shoulders and crossed over the breasts of Bozen or Gries
fruit-sellers, which gave an air of quite southern colour and
brightness to the little Platz, in which oranges, almonds, melons,
figs, and even prickly pears were displayed for sale with all the
other fruits one might expect to find, including magnificent cherries
in the earlier part of the fruit season.
The costumes of the Sarnthal with the big, broad-brimmed felt hats
worn by both men and women, and the gay "Kummerbunds" of the men worn
under short "Eton"-shaped jackets, are also seen in Bozen on festive
occasions.
The Museum, in which there are many interesting exhibits, including
some old peasant costumes well worth the attention of artists, is an
imposing building or "block" in the Königin Elizabethstrasse, with
corner turrets and an imposing central tower.
Of the more picturesque and older buildings none excels in charm the
Franciscan Monastery and Church in the Franziskanergasse. The
courtyard, shaded by trees which throw a diaper of shadow and sunlight
on the paving stones, with the delicately pretty porch leading into
the church, is a spot of sheer delight for the artist and the dreamer
of dreams; who there, amid the quietude of ancient things, can the
better conjure up visions of other days when Bozen streets rang to the
passing of armies, and men at arms, and in them were heard the cries
of mediæval merchants selling their wares drawn from north and south.
In the Franciscan Church there is a fine altar, and belonging to the
Monastery there are some beautiful cloisters. The library, too, should
not be overlooked by those interested in early books and similar
treasures.
On the outskirts of pleasant Bozen, a fine view of which is obtained
from the Calvarienberg, there are many charming excursions. Towards
the west lies the finely situated Castle of Sigmundskron on a hill
between mountains overlooking the river in which there is good
fishing: the Mendel Pass, 4500 feet, ascended either on foot, by
carriage or by the mountain railway; Tisenser Mittelgebirge, studded
with most interesting ruins, and from whence one obtains extensive and
beautiful views of the surrounding mountain chains and of Meran.
[Sidenote: CASTLE OF RUNKELSTEIN]
Towards the north lies the deeply interesting Imperial Castle of
Runkelstein, which, dating from the middle half of the thirteenth
century, was extensively restored in 1884-88, and finally presented by
the Emperor of Austria to the town of Bozen. Situated upon and almost
entirely covering a huge mass of rock, it overlooks a bend of the
swiftly flowing Talfer, and occupies one of those commanding and
almost inaccessible positions beloved of builders in the Middle Ages.
The Castle, irrespective of its interests as an architectural survival
of a long past age, is much visited on account of the famous frescoes
which are contained in a building now known as the Summer House. As
one climbs up the steep and narrow path to the castle drawbridge one
can the better realize how safe the ancient owners (who were not above
raiding the neighbourhood, and of engaging in predatory warfare with
their neighbours) must have felt when they had once heard their
iron-studded door clang behind them, and seen the ancient drawbridge
swung up by its chains.
Till the introduction of artillery, indeed, such a fastness would have
been practically impregnable.
The frescoes to which we have referred are especially interesting from
the fact that they undoubtedly exhibit a very primitive art. At the
time they are supposed to have been painted, that is to say towards
the end of the fourteenth century, art even in its home, Italy, was
in a comparatively elementary and even grotesque stage of evolution.
The figures, which are black with a pea-green background, are, as an
American girl said, "Noah's arkical and too funny for words," though
we are bound to confess that the irreverence of the remark deeply
offended a worshipper of mediæval art who was of the party. The
paintings in the first room depict a German version of the story of
Tristan and Isolde, which would appear to diverge materially from the
one of Sir Thomas Malory, as set out in the "Morte d'Arthur." The main
story can, however, be easily followed.
In the second chamber the frescoes, which were a very common form of
decoration at the period at which they were done and should not be
considered in the light of being of especial significance, depict a
complete version of the legendary story of Garel, following the
version of a Styrian[17] thirteenth century poet named Pleier. It is
generally considered that this Garel was founded upon or was identical
with the character of the Gareth or Beaumains of the "Morte d'Arthur,"
although the evidence is not absolutely conclusive. To English people
the fine fresco of the famous Knights of the Round Table sitting in
company with King Arthur and Queen Guinevere will naturally be of the
greatest interest, although each of the quaint drawings to illustrate
the mediæval legend has an abiding fascination for all to whom the
past is of moment.
Nor are the outside walls of this quaint pavilion left unadorned. On
them are single figures and others in groups of two and three
depicting well-known mediæval personages of historical and legendary
note: Tristan and Isolde; William of Orleans and Amelie; William, Duke
of Austria, and Aglei; pairs of lovers whose fame has outlived the
centuries; the three hero kings of ancient Christendom, Arthur of
England, the Emperor Charlemagne, and Godfrey de Bouillon. Amongst the
large number of figures here depicted may also be seen other groups
of three comprising celebrated knights, dwarfs, giants, and other
real, mythical, or legendary characters; a gallery of portraits which
has probably no equal in any other castle in the world. The story of
the deeds of the characters thus immortalized would fill many volumes,
and provide some of the most romantic and interesting reading
imaginable.
[Illustration: ST. CYPRIAN AND THE PEAKS OF THE ROSENGARTEN]
One quits the historic spot with a sense of the greatness of the past
as well as with a lingering regret that nothing after all can
adequately conjure up for one the stirring scenes, strenuous and
vividly "coloured" life, romance and chivalry, that the walls and
rooms of Runkelstein must have witnessed.
In an easterly direction from Bozen lies the Eggenthal and its famous
waterfall. The road through the former is one of great picturesqueness
and grandeur--along the hillsides, across high bridges, and through
gorge-like rock cuttings, which to be fully appreciated cannot be
travelled better than a-foot. In the same direction, too, lies the
beautiful Karrersee, surrounded by its belt of sombre pines above
whose feathery tops shine the rocky peaks and snow-clad summits of the
Dolomite giants.
[Sidenote: THE ROSENGARTEN]
From Bozen, too, the famous Rosengarten, which lies to the east of the
town, should be visited. But it is not a garden of roses after all,
but a collection of stupendous and rocky peaks which blush red at
sunset. Those who expect flowers other than alpen rosen, gentian, and
the like, will be disappointed, as was the young lady who undertook
the excursion in the hope of seeing roses galore such as one may find
in the "attar" districts of the Balkan Provinces and especially in
Bulgaria.
But if from Bozen one looks merely for the rosy hue to tint the
skyward-piercing pinnacles of rock, which have been poetically called
the "Rosengarten," or rambles in the picturesque and beautiful valleys
and tiny defiles at their feet, one will not be disappointed. And the
"roses," like other similar phenomena, are in a sense a weather glass;
the deeper the red they glow the finer the ensuing day. At first a
plum-hued twilight, such as one gets in the Maloja valley, seems to
fall down out of the sky, and then the mountain peaks commence to
receive their baptism of crimson. Then at last, as the sun sinks
behind the interposing Guntschna Berg, only the highest peaks continue
for a short time longer to glow with increasing, and then fading,
depth of colour, till at length the plum-bloom shadows conquer the
"roses" and the cool twilight comes.
The origin of the descriptive phrase "the Rosengarten" is (so far as
we have been able to discover) lost in the mists of antiquity. But
there is a rather pretty legend concerning the Garden itself. Long ago
(the story tells us), when men were perhaps happier and certainly less
sophisticated and cynical than they are now, and believed in fairies,
gnomes, and magic, there lived a dwarf named Laurin or Laurenz
reigning over the other dwarfs, who inhabited a country in the centre
of the Schlern. By some means or other this dwarf managed to see and
fall in love with the beautiful, golden-haired sister of a retainer of
Dietrich of Bern, in Switzerland. After having seized her he bore her
to his palace of crystal in the interior of the mountains, and there
kept her prisoner. Soon, however, the brave and gallant knight
Dietrich, and his squire, who was named Dietlieb, determined to rescue
the abducted maiden, and for this purpose they came up from Italy
where they were at the time, and finding an opening entered the
Schlern, and after a fierce fight succeeded in conquering the dwarf,
notwithstanding the fact that of course the latter was assisted by a
magician. Laurin was not, however, killed, but spared by Dietrich at
the request of Dietlieb. It was unfortunate clemency, however, as
Laurin, professing himself grateful and offering them refreshment
after their labours and fight, gave them drugged wine, so that when
they awoke they discovered that they had been bound and cast into a
dungeon of the dwarf's castle. From this predicament they were happily
freed by Dietlieb's sister, Simild, and after another fierce encounter
with the dwarfs they defeated them, and trod the famous Rosengarten
roses underfoot, their places being taken by those that bloom at
sunset upon the peaks above the site of Laurin's mythical palace.
That, at all events, is the story we have been told, and though the
Rosengarten and its miniature valleys are beautiful enough for real
roses to have their home there, none grow there now save figurative
ones caused by the sunset light.
The Rosengarten is a fine centre for mountain ascents, and the famous
Vajolett towers and other rocky pinnacles present unfailing
attractions to the adventurous rock climber, even though nowadays
there can be very few "virgin" peaks or pinnacles to scale.
From the Rosengarten itself as well as from Bozen one can witness the
blooming of the roses, and the really wonderful and entrancing play of
colour, light and shadow over the stupendous peaks which forms an
unforgettable experience when seen during the late afternoon of a
summer day and onwards till twilight comes to gradually throw its blue
and mystic mantle over the valleys and the mountain summits.
[Sidenote: KLAUSEN]
North of Bozen, prettily situated by the banks of the Adige, and some
one thousand seven hundred feet above sea-level, stands the little,
though somewhat important, town of Klausen, with its long, narrow
street following the configuration of the gorge in which most of the
houses lie, dominated by the great Benedictine monastery of Säben
perched upon a steep vine-clad promontory overlooking the town and
river, and six hundred feet above it. A castle till the end of the
seventeenth century, the convent was attacked by the French in 1809,
and from all accounts the nuns were not respected, for upon the walls
of one of the towers on the hill is a painted crucifix, which the
people of Klausen say was placed there in memory of one of the nuns
who, pursued by the soldiery, jumped to her death over the
battlements. The first impression of Klausen is that of cleanliness,
for the tall houses strike one in the brilliant sunshine of a summer
day as very white, though most of them are relieved by patches of
vivid green, where window shutters hang upon the walls or keep the
sunshine from the windows. Klausen folk are fond of flowers, too, for
many hang trailing from balconies; pink and red geraniums, a variety
of clematis, and bunches of ruby-coloured valerian, and tufts of
yellow and orange nasturtiums. There are generally many monks about
the streets, too; sombre-looking figures in rough frieze habits, who
look at the stranger with mild curiosity, and then pass on their
silent way up the hillside, or through the one long, narrow street
which runs between the mountain side and the rushing river. Klausen
women bore a brave part in Hofer's struggle against the French and
Bavarians, and dressed in their husbands' and brothers' clothes gave
material aid in driving back the French through the pass in 1797.
There is not much to see in Klausen itself, but as a typical southern
Tyrolese village it is interesting. Picturesque it certainly also is,
set amid crags and rocks of purple porphyry, whose bases and lower
slopes are beautified by the greenery of many vineyards, and half
encircled by the rushing Eisack. Near by is the famous Castle
Trostburg, romantically beautiful with grey walls and red-tiled roof
perched high above the pine forest which clothes the steep sides of
the rocky spur upon which it stands, and with a patch of vineyard
clinging to the wall of its upper square and solid-looking keep. The
climb up to it is a steep one, but the view one obtains into the
Grödener Thal and of the surrounding heights well repays one.
[Sidenote: OSWALD v. WOLKENSTEIN]
The castle is one of the comparatively few still remaining in the
possession of the family with whose history it has for many centuries
been identified. The Counts of Wolkenstein date their occupation from
the twelfth century, and one of the most famous of the line was that
Oswald born at Castle Trostburg in 1367, or about, whose romantic
adventures might form the basis or plot of half a dozen historical
novels. As a Minnesinger he set out early in life upon his travels in
a gallant and adventurous age; devoted, one must imagine, to the
service and adoration of the fair sex, as were supposed to be
Minnesingers in general. Like many another adventure-loving lad, he
ran away from his ancestral home, light of heart and equally light of
purse, to wander through the world singing his way to fame and
fortune, or to failure and poverty, as the case might happen.
He appears in the first instance to have attached himself to the suite
of one of a party of Tyrolese nobles under Duke Albrecht III., of
Austria, who were bent upon a filibustering expedition into Lithuania,
a district then lying between Poland and Courland. Afterwards he
wandered far and wide over the world, visiting in turn Russia,
England, Spain, France, and then sailing for the East, and travelling
through Asia Minor and Persia. He seems, from contemporary and other
accounts, to have been "everything by turns, and nothing long," except
that he probably always kept up his "minnesinging." He certainly was
page, soldier, sailor, and sea-cook; and for all one can tell these
were but the chief occupation of many he followed during his wandering
and adventurous life. At all events he appears to have acted at times
as tutor, turning the half score of languages he had picked up to good
and practical account. Amongst his more knightly adventures were
campaigns against the English in the service of the Earl of
Douglas--he was probably present on August 10, 1388, at the famous
battle of Otterburn (Chevy Chase)--previously against the Swedes in
Denmark in the service of Queen Margaret, who in 1397 united the
kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden together.
Among his more peaceful victories and doings was the favour which he
found in the eyes of the Queen of Aragon, who appears to have not only
admired his poetic gifts, but to have loaded him with personal
favours, caresses, and presents of jewelry.
For several years after his visit to Spain he wandered about, and then
at last (like the prodigal son) set his face towards Tyrol. No one
recognized him, and he appears to have fallen under the spell of the
daughter of a neighbouring knight, who, however, would not consent to
marry him unless he would first obtain his knighthood by becoming a
Crusader.
Deeply in love with the fair Sabina and not doubting her sincerity,
Von Wolkenstein took ship for Palestine, and in due course attained
the coveted distinction by gallant conduct in battle, in consequence
of which he attracted the attention and gained the personal friendship
of Sigismund of Hungary.
Alas! for his hopes. On returning to Tyrol covered with glory, and a
"true knight," he did so only to find the fickle and deceitful Sabina
married to another. In addition to this he was only just in time to
see his father die. As a younger son he inherited the castles of
Castelruth and Hauenstein, Trostburg and its lands descending to his
elder brother.
[Sidenote: A KNIGHT'S ADVENTURES]
His roving disposition was not likely to be stayed now that he had
lost both his intended wife and his father, so he once more set out on
his travels, this time in the retinue of his friend Sigismund, in
whose company he visited several countries. For several years he
wandered through western Europe and as far south-east as Egypt, where
he appears to have been received with much honour. Once more back in
Tyrol in 1405, he became involved in the political upheavals which
were caused by the drastic measures of reform instituted by Duke
Frederick of the Empty Purse, against which the Tyrolese nobles
fiercely rebelled. The ex-Minnesinger took the part of the latter,
and in consequence drew down upon himself Frederick's vengeance. The
latter burned his two castles, and compelled Von Wolkenstein to flee
for his life to the protection of a relative who was the owner of the
castle of Greifenstein, which is situated on an inaccessible pinnacle
of rock between Bozen and Meran. Duke Frederick and his forces hotly
besieged the castle, but failed to reduce it; and although Oswald was
severely wounded and lost the sight of one eye he escaped, and a
little later joined an expedition against the Moors in the train of
John I., King of Portugal. During the severe fighting which took
place, and at the capture of Ceuta in 1415, he appears to have so
greatly distinguished himself that, we are told, "his fame was such
that the troubadours enshrined his deeds in their songs."
Ultimately, he came to his own in Tyrol owing to an act of the Council
of Constance in Baden, which not only condemned John Huss--amongst
many ecclesiastical enactments--to be burned, but also ordered that
Duke Frederick, now an outlaw, who had burned Oswald von Wolkenstein's
castles, should rebuild them, and restore to the knight all the
property that he and his followers had seized. It is not easy,
however, to comprehend how an outlaw who was fleeing from one place to
another in fear of his life was to accomplish these things, nor how
property taken by the soldiery years before, and probably long ago
converted into cash or other uses, could be given up and restored.
We are told, however, that after visiting France in Sigismund's train
Oswald returned to his favourite castle of Hauenstein, the ruins of
which nowadays are so lost in the vast pine forest which surrounds
them as to be almost undiscoverable.
Then Sabina, his old love, once more comes upon the scene, this time
as the claimant of the castle on account, so she alleged, of an
unrepaid loan made by her grandfather to the Wolkensteins. She
invited her old suitor Oswald to join her in a pilgrimage to some
shrine for old acquaintance sake; and when he came to her,
unsuspecting and unarmed, she promptly had him seized, thrown into a
dungeon, and there kept him a prisoner in chains. He lay in
treacherous Sabina's castle until by chance Sigismund, hearing of his
parlous state, intervened on his friend's behalf, and Oswald von
Wolkenstein was set free. He was, however, so maimed by rheumatism and
the fetters which had galled him that he ever afterwards went lame.
Once more he was cast into prison, this time by Duke Frederick's
machinations, and lay in a horrible underground and tunnel-like cell
in Vellenberg not far from Innsbruck. He had married in 1417 Margaret,
a daughter of the house of Schwangau, after a long period of
betrothal, and to her he was deeply attached. On his second release,
after three years' incarceration, he returned to Hauenstein to find
his wife dead, and his home fallen into disrepair from neglect.
A few years later we find him, unconquered in spirit though broken in
body, at Rome to attend the coronation of his friend Sigismund, who
but a year or two later was driven from the throne. In 1435 Oswald
once more, as a man of fifty-eight, returned to forest-enshrouded
Hauenstein, where he died nine years afterwards, never having again
left it.
Of course, the castle is haunted by the spirit of this unhappy and
adventurous knight and Minnesinger, and there is still this belief
amongst the peasantry of Seis and the neighbourhood round about. And
the few who have ever ventured near the ruined pile after sundown aver
that those who do are sure to hear the ancient Minnesinger chanting a
dirge-like lay, accompanying himself upon his lute. But if this be so
Oswald's spirit has wandered far from his body, for his remains repose
at Neustift near Brixen.
He was not only one of the most picturesque and romantic figures of
the band of Minnesingers who were so numerous during the Middle Ages,
but also in a measure an historical figure. By some authorities he is
considered to be the last of these strange wandering minstrel
adventurers. Probably it would be more correct to speak of him as the
last really great Tyrolese "Minnesinger;" but, whichever estimate be
right, his place on the roll of fame relating to the deeds and songs
of these is assured by reason of his gallantries, misfortunes, and
adventurous and knightly doings.
[Sidenote: ST. ULRICH]
On the way to Klausen one is wise to make a diversion down the narrow
but picturesque Grödener Thal to St. Ulrich, which charming village,
situated in a basin and almost surrounded by thickly wooded slopes,
and beyond them stupendous and rocky peaks with the serrated pinnacles
of the Langkofel in the background, is the centre of the Toy industry
of Tyrol and an increasingly popular tourist resort. The road is a
steeply ascending one, and one comes upon the first glimpse of the
village, which stands midway down the valley between Waidbruck and
Wolkenstein, quite suddenly. One's first impression is of a typical
Tyrolese village of considerable size, its white--very white--houses
standing out clear cut and prominently against the background of
dark-green pines, and the lighter green of the valley fields in which
they are, many of them, set. Of late years the clean-looking cottages
of the villagers, the balconies of which are as often as not hung with
delightful flowers, have been supplemented by good and large hotels,
villas, and other modern up-to-date tourist accommodation. But,
nevertheless, St. Ulrich is not yet spoiled, and there are still many
of the almost mahogany-coloured barns and storehouses left, with their
picturesque balconies running right round them, on which the grain and
herbs are placed to dry, wood to season, and other stores are kept,
forming so sharp a contrast to the hotels and white houses.
Although we imagine St. Ulrich's chief attraction is its quaint and
interesting toy-making industry, there are many others including most
beautiful scenery, and the numberless excursions which can be made
from it. In winter time, to quote the quaint phraseology and spelling
of a local guide-book, it has "a very strange charme for the friends
of Tobogganing and Ski-sport has the valley in the always mild and
snowy winter-time." And regarding the accommodation offered, the same
luminous authority goes on to say there are "very comfortable stabled
hotels and land-houses extraordinary fit as a summerset for residence,
likewise for a start place for numerous high-parties to the
Dolomites."
But let us give a brief description of the Toy Industry, which chiefly
serves to differentiate the village from all others in Southern Tyrol.
St. Ulrich's wares are ultimately sent all over the world, and whether
in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or Rome one is almost sure
to find amongst the toys, carved figures of saints, crucifixes,
artists' "lay figures," chalets, and other articles some examples of
work from this famous valley of wood carvers. The fact that nearly
3000, or about three out of every five, of the inhabitants are engaged
more or less directly in the work will give some idea of its
magnitude.
The carving industry at St. Ulrich is supposed to date from about the
commencement of the seventeenth century, and there are some figures of
the Virgin and Saints still extant in churches of the district bearing
dates of that period, and other images of apparently much earlier
date, which show that even in those remote times the carvers of St.
Ulrich and the Grödener Thal possessed considerable skill and
reputation. It was, however, one Johann von Metz who at the
commencement of the eighteenth century appears to not only have raised
the standard of the work of carving to greater perfection, but also to
have organized and extended the sphere of the trade itself.
In the years which immediately followed, the peasants were in the
habit of themselves setting out into other lands with stocks of their
work for sale; and some at least, according to tradition, found their
way to England, and even across the Atlantic, where they abandoned the
active work of carving for that of establishing trading depôts in
connection with St. Ulrich, and thus they distributed the work done in
the far-off and almost then unknown Grödener Thal throughout the
commercial world.
Nowadays to sally forth with their stock-in-trade on their backs or in
a cart is no longer the practice of the workers. The greater number
are employed by firms which act as wholesale distributing agencies for
them, to whom they take their weekly output of work. Most of the
villages of the valley are employed in the carving industry; St.
Christina, for example, making a speciality of "lay figures" and hobby
horses.
Not only are most of the men of the villages in the Grödener Thal thus
employed, but also many of the women and children. And it is no
uncommon sight to see quite mites cutting away at blocks of the softer
kinds of wood by the roadside or on the doorsteps of the cottages; and
sometimes one meets the women on their way down from the woods or
upper pastures with their barrel-like receptacles upon their backs,
roughly shaping some article which will be finished off when they get
home.
[Sidenote: "TOY LAND"]
Some of the carving done is really good, but it cannot be said to be
cheap. One cannot find bargains in St. Ulrich, or, for the matter of
that, in any of the villages of "Toy Land." The demand is too great,
and the means of distribution too well organized for the peasants to
care in the least whether one purchases a "bit" or not. There are
practically no shops where carving is sold by the workers themselves,
as nearly all are employed under contract or otherwise by wholesale
dealers. But the tourist can generally visit one or other of the large
_ateliers_, where, in particular, the carving of images and more
elaborate articles is done under the superintendence of artists. It
is an experience and a sight well worth spending an hour or two over.
In that time, by watching several figures at various stages
approaching completion, one can obtain a very good and clear idea of
the different transformations which the rough-hewn block undergoes ere
it assumes its final shape of a Virgin, St. Joseph, St. Antony, or St.
Christopher. Many of these statues and smaller figures are sent to a
different workshop for painting and gilding; and it is chiefly in the
white chalets on the mountain side that the toys and smaller articles
are made.
The goods are stored principally in the larger houses of the villages.
One of the chief depôts bears the name of the man who developed the
industry, whilst other well-known merchants are Insam, Purger, and
Prinoth. In these warehouses one sees shelf upon shelf laden with
toys, figures, dolls, and other carved work; miniature waggons,
monkeys on sticks, hobby horses painted in gay and let us add entirely
"unnatural" colours, with flaming red, jet black, or piebald manes.
The toys are of all prices, just as they are of many sizes and
qualities as regards "finish;" hobby horses costing from half-a-krone
to several florins each; dolls ranging in price from a halfpenny and
even less to five or six kronen. Figures intended to form the contents
of Noah's arks are there by the bushel, the cheaper kind bearing, it
must be admitted, but faint and partial resemblance to the animals
they are intended to represent; the better kinds being excellent
miniatures of lions, elephants, tigers, giraffes, bears (especially
good these), and the hundred and one smaller animals and insects of
the patriarch's great family party; and accompanying all the
delightful smell of freshly cut pine and other woods in the warehouses
given over to unpainted things, and the somewhat overpowering smell of
new paint in the others.
Some of the dolls, more especially those which have Tyrolese costumes
represented in wood, need great care in carving; and others are
swiftly done, some by elementary machinery. The best wood used is the
_pinus cembra_, or Swiss pine, which originally grew thickly on the
sides of the mountains, but has now largely to be imported owing to
the fact that whilst the trees have been cut down by the thousand,
scant provision appears to have been made for the future by planting
others. There is, however, plenty of the wood still left in the
immediate neighbourhood.
Nowadays at St. Ulrich there is an excellent Imperial School of
Drawing, and modelling, and there would appear to be a distinct
advance of recent years in the carving (of animals and figures
especially) in consequence of the teaching given, though in their main
characteristics the animals and small figures produced have not much
varied from the ancient types.
The church of St. Ulrich, although comparatively modern, dating only
from quite the end of the eighteenth century, has a beautifully
adorned interior; rather ornate and highly coloured perhaps, but
interesting and typical. There is also in it a Mater Dolorosa by
Maroder, and in the sacristy a fine marble Madonna by a pupil of
Canova, Andrea Colli. The restored chapel of St. Anthony is also worth
seeing, as it possesses a remarkably fine altar-piece, the work of
Deschwanden.
[Sidenote: CONCERNING DIALECT]
There is a distinct dialect in the villages of the Grödener Thal,
locally known as Ladin, which is said by philologists to be directly
derived from the Latin tongue, and to date from the days of the Roman
occupation. It is certainly so different from the dialects of modern
Italy that it is almost impossible for the stranger, even though
well-versed in those, to understand it. In some points it may be said
to resemble the Grisons Romanche, and Romanese of the Engadine; but
the parallel is not at all a close one, and needs several distinct
qualifications. Although a deeply interesting one to philologists, it
is impossible to deal with the question at all fully here. Certainly
one would be inclined to think that this peculiar dialect has an
Etruscan origin, for it is well-known that considerable remains of
that people have from time to time been unearthed in the Grödener
Thal, and, indeed, in the immediate neighbourhood of St. Ulrich
itself.
St. Ulrich is charming in winter, when the village is half-buried in
snow, and the lower slopes of the environing mountains provide
excellent toboggan "runs," and ski-ing grounds. How different the
little place appears under these conditions from the sunny spot set
amid green fields and pleasant pastures that it is in summer, only
those who have seen it under both conditions can easily realize. And
truly (as the local guide we have before quoted says) "in winter there
are many grateful excursions for the high-flying parties, and swift
ski-ing." By "high-flying parties" one should doubtless understand
those who wish to ascend the higher slopes.
Costume still survives at St. Ulrich and in the Grödener Thal, where
(although less worn than even a decade ago) one still meets with women
wearing the old style dress, with huge broad-brimmed felt hats trimmed
with wide ribbons, and having short "streamers" down behind, or the
still quainter high "sugar-loaf" hats, shaped almost like those of
dancing dervishes, fitting down over the ears and allowing only the
least suspicion of the forehead to remain visible. Wide linen collars,
almost large enough to be called capes, with either plain edges or
scalloped, and handsome aprons of silk, brocade, or other materials;
wide skirts and a profusion of ribbons go to make up a costume which
is always picturesque and often actually handsome.
From Klausen, to which one returns on one's way northward, one
proceeds to Brixen, charmingly situated in the valley of the Eisack,
amid green fields, and pastures, and afforested slopes. The twin
towers of the Cathedral in the centre of the picture at once catches
the eye from whatever point one approaches the town.
[Illustration: SUMMER TIME NEAR ST. ULRICH, GRÖDENER THAL]
Brixen, though little more in size and population than a large
village, is yet one of the most interesting places in Southern Tyrol.
It is not only historically and architecturally important, but is a
pleasant place from which to explore the beauties of the neighbouring
Puster Thal, Valser Thal, and Lusen Thal if only one's time permits.
Anciently it was one of the most notable towns in Southern Tyrol, for
it was during nearly a thousand years, and, in fact, until 1703, the
capital of an ecclesiastical principality, with a long line of
distinguished bishops, some of them almost as much noted for their
militant as their spiritual qualities. It is still the seat of a
bishopric, and in the town are many evidences of its past
ecclesiastical importance and splendour.
Artists find much in Brixen to attract them, as do also students of
architecture, and although the valley is wider than in some similar
resorts, making mountain ascents longer before one can reach the
higher peaks, there are many excursions to be made, and interesting
villages to be visited. That it is an attractive town its many
visitors make evident, and in the pleasant gardens, which seem always
cool even on the hottest summer day, situated between the Eisack and
the smaller Rienz, one meets not only with interesting Brixen types
(sometimes peasants in costume), but also most of the foreign visitors
who may be staying in the place.
[Sidenote: BRIXEN CATHEDRAL]
The Cathedral, dating from the fifteenth century, is a handsome and
even striking building, with its lofty twin towers, and their
beautifully "weathered" copper domes. These are the oldest parts, most
of the building itself having been restored and rebuilt as recently as
the middle half of the eighteenth century. There are some extremely
beautiful and interesting cloisters, with numerous frescoes on the
groined roof, and some quaint mural tablets and tombstones. The view
from the cloisters upon a sunny day across the courtyard is one of
great charm in its play of light and shade, tempting one to linger in
their hoary coolness and solitude. There is also an ancient chapel of
St. John, dating from the eleventh century, containing some good
frescoes of the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. The tombstone of
the famous Oswald von Wolkenstein is in the inner courtyard, which
lies between the Cathedral and the Church of St. Michel, depicting the
knightly minnesinger in armour with lance, and pennon, and lyre. Near
this is also an interesting copper relief, depicting the scene of the
Resurrection, placed there as a memorial of a noted local coppersmith
named Hans Kessler, who lived in the first half of the seventeenth
century.
One reaches the Bishop's Palace by several interesting streets, in
which some of the more ancient houses are to be found. There is a
charming courtyard with colonnades, and a delightful garden, peaceful
and full of flowers and the sentiment of other days. And here,
fortunately, the traveller can gain admission for half an hour's
restful contemplation of its beauty, and perhaps the study of some of
the historical events which the town has witnessed.
From Brixen to Sterzing one traverses the widening, narrowing, and
again widening valley of the Eisack. Past Spinges, with its memories
of the fierce battle in 1797, when General Joubert was marching
through the Puster Thal to make a junction with Napoleon. His advance
was not, however, permitted unchecked. The inhabitants of Spinges
might not be many, but they were Tyrolese. It happened, too, that a
few companies of the Landsturm were in the neighbourhood, and so these
and the men of Spinges marched out to meet Joubert's immensely
superior force. The French troops were armed with bayonets as well as
guns, and the barrier they made was found unpierceable by the brave
but badly armed patriots. But the opportunity or need produced the man
as it had done rather more than four centuries before in Switzerland
when Arnold von Winkelried gathered the Austrian spears into his bosom
at Sempach. In this case it was one Anton Reinisch, of Volders, who
"played the man," and heroically leapt, scythe in hand, amongst the
French bayonets, a score of which pierced his body, and thus, hewing
right and left ere he fell, carved a way for his comrades, and enabled
them to break up the French lines.
[Sidenote: THE MAID OF SPINGES]
But Spinges will be celebrated still more in romance, as it has been
in history, by the act of that anonymous maiden "the Maid of Spinges,"
who, during the fight around the church of the village, mounted in
company with the men the wall of the churchyard, and, armed with a hay
fork, helped, by her strong arms as well as her example, to
successfully repel three fierce attacks of the French soldiery.
Unknown[18] by name, yet the fame of her courageous act, typical as it
was of those of many others of her sex during the long and fierce
struggle waged by the Tyrolese against the invaders of their beloved
land, has descended through generations.
On the other side of the valley to Spinges is Franzenfeste at the
mouth of the defile known as the Brixener Klause. Few people stop at
Franzenfeste, we imagine. To ramble on the hillsides would be an act
of foolhardiness, for they are honeycombed with forts. It is a great
strategic position, commanding the Brenner and the entrance to the
Puster Thal; and investigation of the hillsides and neighbourhood, it
is needless to say, is not encouraged by the Austrian Government. It
is possible in the future that the spot which saw much fighting in
1797 and 1809 will again be the scene of military operations, and a
struggle not less fierce, and far more bloody. Who knows?
[Sidenote: STERZING AND MATREI]
Sterzing, with its sunny main street of which a most charming vista is
got as one enters the town through the ancient gateway on the Brenner
road, and shady arcades which remind one of the "unter den Lauben" of
Meran, stands on the site of a Roman settlement, Vipitenum. It is
situated at the junction of three beautiful valleys, the Ridnaun Thal,
Pflersch Thal, Pfitscher Thal, in a broad basin-like depression,
encircled by shapely mountain slopes, and on the right bank of the
Eisack. Though nowadays possessing a population of less than 3000,
Sterzing at once strikes one as having an air of importance and
prosperity, hardly in keeping with its small size. Formerly, however,
the town was an important mining centre, and the larger of its quaint
and picturesque balconied and bay-windowed houses owe their origin to
the wealthier inhabitants of the past. Marble quarrying and polishing
is still carried on somewhat extensively, and doubtless helps to
retain an air of commercial life and industry in the quaint old place.
Sterzing is wonderfully decorative and compact in general effect; and
there are a surprising number of fine and interesting buildings to be
seen in its narrow old-time streets. The Rathaus, with its striking
bow windows, is of late Gothic architecture, and in it is a fine
fifteenth-century altar-piece, and some interesting and well-executed
wood carvings. This building, now used by the town officials and
magistrates, was formerly doubtless a mansion of a wealthy merchant.
In it is one of the best preserved specimens of a Gothic ceiling,
dating from about the middle of the fifteenth century, that we have
seen in Tyrol in any private house of similar size.
The church has been extensively, but on the whole well restored. It
dates from the sixteenth century, and has a Gothic choir of note, and
nave and aisles restored in the Rococo style, the ceiling paintings of
which are by Adam Mölckh. The general effect of the interior is good,
and the church has some interesting architectural details.
The decline of Sterzing is attributable to the same cause as that of
many other townlets and villages upon the old post-roads, and the
roads over the passes which have gradually become less and less used
as railroads have multiplied. But, in the case of Sterzing, its
gradual descent from the position of importance it once occupied,
traces of which are found in the numerous fine houses still standing,
was undoubtedly more owing to the exhaustion or abandonment of the
mining industry than to the coming of the railway which so seriously
affected the road traffic of the Brenner Pass.
Near Sterzing, it should be remembered, Hofer and his peasant forces
fought the first big engagement of the struggle in 1809, which ended
in the defeat of the Bavarians, who were driven back across the
Brenner, Hofer having crossed the Jaufen from his home at St. Martin
in the Passeier Valley.
Matrei, or, as it is also called, Deutsch-Matrei, is the only place of
any size or importance which we have not already described on the line
between Sterzing and Innsbruck, or along the Brenner road. The little
town is charmingly situated, and like others of similar character and
altitude (it lies nearly 3300 feet above sea-level), is becoming more
and more resorted to by tourists and travellers upon the Brenner
route. The Castle of Trautson, belonging to Prince Auersperg, stands
on the hillside above it. Sterzing forms a fine centre for ascents and
excursions, and there is a most interesting pilgrimage church on the
north-eastern flank of the Waldrast Spitze dedicated to the Virgin,
and known by the name of the mountain; it dates from the middle of the
fifteenth century. Its foundation was in consequence of a peasant's
dream, in which he was directed to go to the woods, lie down and rest,
and there he should be told what to do. When he had done this the
Virgin appeared to him, and bade him build a chapel on the spot over
an image of her which had miraculously appeared no one knew how some
years before. To this chapel was given the name of Maria Waldrast
(Wood's rest), and although the monastery, which was built on the
spot more than a century and a half later, in 1624, is now but a ruin,
the pilgrimage is even nowadays made by the devout to the church which
is so beautifully situated more than 5300 feet above sea-level.
FOOTNOTES:
[16] For further details of the castle's history, see Prokop's
interesting account.--C. H.
[17] Some authorities state Pleier was from Salzburg or the
Salzkammergut.
[18] A Some authorities assert that her name was Katherina Lanz, and
that from about 1820 till her death in 1854 she lived as housekeeper
to the priest at St. Virglius near Rost, high up in the Enneberg
Valley.--C. H.
CHAPTER IX
SOME TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF WALSCH-TYROL: TRENT, ITS HISTORY,
COUNCIL, AND BUILDINGS--ROVEREDO AND DANTE--ARCO--RIVA
Trent, which is easily reached from Bozen through the Etschland by the
Bozen-Verona line, which winds through some delightful scenery and
passes many a ruined castle perched high on inaccessible heights, is
not only a large town of upwards of 25,000 inhabitants, but was
anciently one of the wealthiest in Tyrol. It is generally supposed to
have been founded by the Etruscans, and both Pliny and Ptolemy make
mention of it; but whoever designed Trent seized upon a beautiful
situation, and the builders have left behind them in the quaint town,
broad streets, handsome palaces of dead and gone nobles, and a forest
of towers and spires, delightful survivals of mediæval days.
Surrounded by limestone crags, the city itself, notwithstanding its
Italian character and fine atmosphere, gives one at first sight an
impression of lack of colour which is not usually the case with
Italian towns.
Regarding the foundation of the city and the origin of its name, there
is at least a local tradition that it was founded in the time of
Tarquinius Priscus, about B.C. 616, by a body of Etruscans led by
Rhaetius; and these founders, although so far removed from the sea,
instituted the worship of Neptune, from which circumstance the ancient
name Tridentum was derived. Be this as it may, the circumstance is
interesting, as in these Etruscans under the leadership of Rhaetius
one can perhaps discover the origin of the Rhaeti, who ultimately gave
so much trouble to the Empire of Rome. At any rate, Rhaetius gave his
name to the district in the immediate vicinity of Trent. The
interesting Castle Del Buon Consiglio, which forms so dominating a
feature of the town, and possesses a circular and lofty donjon of the
type of Guy's Tower at Warwick, with its fine Renaissance loggia in
the inner or fountain courtyard and several storied arcades in the
older, was once the residence of the Prince Bishops, but now used as
barracks. In it is preserved an ancient inscription relating to the
government of the town, which proves that the regulations and statutes
were very largely modelled upon those of Rome itself.
Those who can do so should certainly endeavour to visit Trent during
the latter part of the month of June, not merely from the fact that
this month is charming by reason of the beauties of nature, the wealth
of tender new foliage and delightful climate, but also because on the
26th of the month falls the Festival of Saint Vigilius, the patron
saint of Trent, and the martyr missionary who anciently did much to
Christianize the country. At this _fête_ the ancient city, whose
by-ways and narrower streets are full of interest, picturesqueness,
and charm, is seen at its gayest and best. All the many churches are
crowded with worshippers, thousands of whom have flocked down from the
surrounding mountains and come in from the various villages of the
Etschland, bound first upon religious observances in honour of their
patron saint and afterwards to take part in the characteristic games
and amusements which give the city for the time being such a festive
and Bank Holiday air. In former days the more violent amusements were
often supplemented by the performance of religious dramas, somewhat on
the lines of the better known and more elaborate plays of
Ober-Ammergau and the Brixenthal, and also by the illumination of the
surrounding hills by huge bonfires, which are said to have had their
origin in the religious observances of even more remote times than
that of the Etruscan occupation.
Saint Vigilius, who was born at Rome, eventually became the Bishop of
Trent, and ultimately suffered martyrdom during one of the many
persecutions which took place, and were similar in character to those
of the fourth century.
The city during its early wars was several times sacked, and more than
once burnt by the Bavarian hordes which overran the country and even
at last reached the gates of Rome itself. Thus Trent came to be built
at various periods upon former foundations, and researches of recent
times have tended to show that, as was the case with Rome itself, the
comparatively modern Trent is built upon soil several feet above the
level of its first site. One Italian authority, indeed, states that
the streets of the original town lie some fourteen feet below the
level of those of the present. Traces of at least three distinct lines
of walls marking the growth of the city at various times have been
excavated, leading also to the discovery of many interesting relics of
Roman days, including tessellated pavements, portions of an
amphitheatre of considerable size, ornaments, household utensils, etc.
The bishops still retain their title of Prince, but they lost their
power as territorial rulers at the time of the secularization which
took place throughout Tyrol, and also in the principality of Salzburg.
[Sidenote: THE COUNCIL OF TRENT]
Although this ancient city, which is characterized nowadays by a
cleanliness and order so often found wanting in Italian towns, has
undergone many vicissitudes and has been the scene of important
historical events, to the Trent folk of to-day and to many of the
visitors who come to it the chief events in connection with its
history will undoubtedly remain the sittings of the famous Council
which commenced in the year 1545. Many may wonder how it came about
that so comparatively small a town should have been chosen as the
meeting-place of a Conference intended to attempt the co-ordination of
the beliefs and doctrines and the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs
of the whole of the then Christian world. Probably the sole reason for
this selection was the geographical position of the city, which lay
then, as it does to-day, a frontier town, so to speak, between Italian
and German influences, and though situated on Austrian soil, yet
containing an Italian-speaking population.
The Council opened on December 13, 1545, and continued its sittings
(with interruptions) until December 4, 1563, the last being the
twenty-fifth in number. The meetings of the Council took place at
various times during the reigns of three Popes, Paul III., Julius
III., and Pius IV., and amongst the enactments of the Council the
Canon of Scripture, including the Apocrypha, was confirmed, and the
Church named as its sole interpreter; that traditions were to be
considered as equal with Scripture, and the seven sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation, the Lord's Supper, Penitence, extra-Unction,
Orders, and Matrimony were also confirmed; transubstantiation,
Purgatory indulgences, celibacy of the clergy, auricular confession,
and other matters were dealt with.
The first sitting was held under Cardinal Del Monte, the papal legate,
who rose amidst the assembled prelates and representatives and asked
them whether it was their wish, "For the glory of God, the extirpation
of heresy, and the reformation of the clergy and people, and the
downfall of the enemy of the Christian name, to resolve and declare
that the Sacred General Tridentine Council should begin and was
begun?" The whole company, we are told, answered "Placet," a Te Deum
was sung, and it was agreed that the first sitting of the Council
should be held on the 7th of January. The sittings were continued at
various times without any untoward event till the year 1552, when
Maurice of Saxony invaded Tyrol, and although the Council was sitting,
most of its members fled the country after having re-enacted the
various decrees and ordinances which had been previously passed.
Ten years later, what was to all intents and purposes another Council
met at Trent, and a solemn service was again held, at which Cardinal
Gonzaga was elected president. A quarrel seems to have arisen between
some of the archbishops and bishops and one of the French envoys. The
former did not agree to some of the terms of the proposition made by
the Archbishop of Reggio, whilst the latter raised an objection to the
Council being considered a continuation of the first Council.
The building in which the Council sat has been stated at various times
to have been the Cathedral, in the Piazza del Duomo, but there seems
very little doubt now that the place of meeting was not there but in
the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, situated on the Piazza of the same
name. In it on the north wall of the Choir hangs a large picture
representing some three hundred of the various chief dignitaries as
they sat in the Council Chamber. The members numbered nearly a
thousand in all, and in addition to the cardinals, archbishops,
bishops, abbots, chiefs of religious orders, and representatives from
the University, there were also present ambassadors from the Emperor
of Germany, and from the Kings of France, Spain, and Portugal, from
the republic of Venice and Genoa, from Switzerland, and from the
German electors.
There were at first serious disputes regarding the mode of conducting
the business of the Council: what subjects were to be brought up for
discussion, and which of those so brought up should have precedence.
The German prelates and representatives appear to have been favourable
to the discussion of subjects of a more practical nature, realizing as
they did that one of the chief causes of disruption and want of
unanimity in the Church was the presence of practical and easily
located abuses. They therefore strongly urged that the first work of
the Council should be of the nature of reforms affecting these
abuses. On the other hand, the Italian prelates and envoys were most
favourable to the discussion of matters of doctrine and ecclesiastical
observances. These differences of opinion were, however, ultimately
overcome by an agreement that for each session of the Council dealing
with dogma there should be one held to consider the question of
practical reforms.
The first president, Cardinal Del Monte, frankly acknowledged that
many abuses had crept into the Church, and to prove the sincerity of
his reforming proposals voluntarily yielded up his pluralities of
office; and this example was followed by the Prince Bishop of Trent,
who offered to resign the See of Brixen.
In 1547, owing to an epidemic then raging in Trent, the first session
was closed, and the next sitting took place at Bologna. Charles V.,
who had been a very active promoter of the Council, objected to the
change of venue and insisted upon it being adjourned. It again sat in
1551 at Trent, and an interesting feature of the sitting was the
presence of Protestant delegates and envoys from Maurice, elector of
Saxony, and from the elector of Brandenburg. Queen Elizabeth declined
to send any representative, preferring to accept the decisions of an
English convocation. After transacting a considerable amount of
business the Council was adjourned, and did not again meet for a
period of eleven years. On that occasion many points came up for
discussion, and a considerable number of measures of practical reform
were agreed upon. One of the most important was the suppression of the
alms gatherers, men who were sent for the purpose from Rome to
different countries with power to sell indulgences. It was by this
means that a large amount of the money with which St. Peter's, Rome,
was built was obtained.
[Sidenote: DECREES OF THE COUNCIL]
Amongst other important matters decreed by the Council was that
prohibiting the sale, printing, or keeping of any books whatever on
sacred matters under pain of anathema and fine imposed by a canon of
the last Council of Lateran, unless first approved of by the
ordinary. It also provided that offenders should have their books
burnt; should pay a fine amounting to a hundred ducats; should be
suspended a year from the exercises of their trades; and goes on to
add that they should be visited with a sentence of excommunication;
and, finally, should their contumacy become worse, be so chastised by
their bishop by every means granted by the law that others might take
warning from them and not be tempted to follow their example. It was
also decreed that even those who lent forbidden books, which included
the writings of arch-heretics, such as Luther, Calvin, and others,
even though in MS., should be liable to the same penalties; and all
those who should have any such books in their possession, unless
confessing the author's name, should themselves be regarded as the
author.
Cardinal Lorraine, who attended with fourteen bishops, three abbots,
and eighty learned doctors of divinity on behalf of King Charles IX.
of France, was charged with instructions from that monarch to entreat
the Council to concede the following reforms and benefits: that in
France the sacraments might be administered, the psalms sung, prayers
offered up, and the catechism taught in the language of the people;
and that the sacrament should be fully administered to the laity. Also
that some strenuous means should be taken to check the licentious
lives of the clergy; and that the Council should make any concessions
tending towards peace and the abatement of schism which did not
controvert or interfere with God's word. The French ambassadors also
asked for clear instructions concerning the doctrines governing the
uses of images, relics, and indulgences; and also they were instructed
to urge argument against exacting fees for the sacrament, benefices
without duties, and many other things which the more liberal minded
and progressive of the prelates regarded as grave abuses in the
Church. One astonishing objection which Renaud Ferrier, the then
President of the Parliament in Paris, in company with Lansac, raised
before the Council was to the dogma that the Pope's authority was
supreme, their contention being that the Council was above the Pope!
As we have said, this important Council on religion came to an end in
December, 1563, when the President moved its dissolution. Before the
closing scene, the acts of the Council were finally agreed to and
signed, "the ambassadors also adding their names." Then the President
dismissed the members in the following words: "After having given this
to God, most reverend fathers, go ye in peace." To which all present
replied, "Amen." Then Cardinal Lorraine rose and called down the
blessing of the assembly upon the then reigning Pope, Pius IV., and
also upon his predecessors, Paul III. and Julius III. "By whose
authority," said the Cardinal, "this sacred Council was begun; to them
peace from the Lord and eternal glory and happiness in the light of
the Holy Saints." To which those present answered, "By their memory
ever held in sacred benediction."
Then there were prayers for the reigning monarchs whose ambassadors
were present, for the holy oecumenical synod of Trent, whose faith
and decrees all present declared they would keep for ever. Then came
the final scene, when the Cardinal, standing in the midst of the vast
assembly, declared in a loud voice, "Anathema! anathema! to all
heretics!" To which there came the reply, "Anathema!" And thus ended
not only the Council of Trent, but also the last great general Council
of the Roman Catholic Church.
[Sidenote: THE CHURCHES OF TRENT]
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in which the Council held its
sittings--a rather plain red marble building, which, however, has a
fine Lombardian campanile--will always be one of the most interesting
churches amongst the many of Trent. Severe outside, the interior is
exceptionally ornate. The organ-loft, completed in 1534, twenty years
after the commencement of the church, is one of great beauty.
Designed by Vincenzo Vicentin, it has a white marble balustrading, the
supports of which are thickly encrusted with decorative work and
statuettes of delicately fine workmanship. In the church are also
several interesting and good pictures, amongst the number one
ascribed, though possibly incorrectly, to Tintoretto.
There are one or two interesting traditional stories connected with
this church. The first relates to the beautiful organ, and runs as
follows: "So fine a tone and so esteemed was the work of the now--so
far as we have been able to ascertain--unknown organ builder, that the
Town Council are said to have determined to blind or maim him so that
it should be impossible for him to construct another instrument like
it for any other city. The unfortunate man, unable to get the
Councillors to give up their diabolical intention, asked as a last
favour to be allowed to play on the instrument he had made ere the
barbarous sentence was carried out. But as soon as he was in the
organ-loft he set to work and irreparably injured the vox humana stop
which he had invented, and which had been the greatest attraction of
the beautiful instrument; and thus he punished the Council who had
determined to reward his genius in such a terrible manner."
The other legend is of the crucifix, still to be seen in one of the
side chapels of the Cathedral, which on the occasion of the final Te
Deum, when the Council was disbanded on December 4, 1563, was seen to
bow down in token of approval of the constitutions and enactments
which had just been signed.
Of the fifteen or sixteen churches of Trent, the Cathedral, which was
commenced in the eleventh century and finished in the fifteenth, in
the form of a Romanesque basilica with a lantern above the joining of
the cross, is the most important. It is built of the same reddish
brown marble as the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which stone
abounds in the immediate neighbourhood. There are some remnants of
seventh or eighth century carvings, notably the Lombard ornaments of
the three porches, which are of great interest. The interior of the
church, which is dedicated to Saint Vigilius, contains many frescoes
and some good pictures and other objects, including a Madonna by
Perugino, a copy of the Madonna Di San Luca in the Pantheon, which was
presented to a Bishop of Trent whilst on a visit to Rome in the middle
of the fifteenth century, and has ever since been an object of great
veneration to the townsfolk and peasantry of the district round about.
The Museum in the Palazzo Municipale, which, at any rate, a year or
two ago was unfortunately closed during the months of July and August,
when many tourists are in Trent, contains some very interesting Roman
antiquities, including inscriptions, household utensils, ornaments,
coins, pottery, and similar objects, and is well worth an hour or two
for inspection.
[Sidenote: DANTE AND THE VAL SARCA]
Dante's connection with Trent does not appear to be, even at the
present time, very clearly proved, although there would seem to be no
doubt whatever that the poet spent some few months, at least, in the
Trentino. This theory gains some considerable support from references
which occur in the "Divina Commedia" to the Trentino, which (various
authorities state) are so detailed as to be only possible from
personal knowledge. It may, however, be pointed out that, as in the
case of Shakespeare, who described many places quite accurately to
which he could never have been, it is possible Dante's knowledge of
the Trentino was not gained from personal experience, and the theory
advanced of his sojourn in the neighbourhood, based upon references to
the district in his works, is not unassailable. A considerable number
of books, pamphlets, and articles have been written, however, by
Italian, German, and English scholars and students of Dante in support
of different theories regarding his visit to these parts. One of the
most learned and thorough writers upon this subject--Zaniboni--appears
to have no doubt that Dante was in the Trentino, but that the
"Inferno" was not written during his supposed visit to the Castle of
Lizzana, but soon after his return to Italy. Other authorities have
inclined to the view that the Val Sarca, near the tiny village of
Pietra Murata, is the real scene of Dante's "Inferno"; and those who
know this desolate and even terrible spot, where the very ground seems
blighted, the heat intense between the towering and craggy cliffs, and
the whole of the valley the scene of a horrible desolation, with huge
boulders tossed hither and thither, and not a blade of grass and
scarcely a patch of lichen to be seen, will be inclined also to
support this view. But whatever the truth may be, Trent has put in a
claim to Dante in the shape of the magnificent monument to him, from a
design by Zocchi, erected in 1896 in the centre of the Piazza Dante,
near the station. The figures around the base of the column upon which
the statue of the poet stands, with his right arm upraised and
outstretched, and his left pressing a roll of MS. to his breast, are
remarkably well executed, and the whole effect of the memorial, with
its background of craggy mountains and its environment of flower-beds,
is impressive.
There are, of course, numberless interesting buildings, and also
several other churches worthy of study and attention; but, perhaps,
amongst all the domestic buildings and palaces of Trent, including the
Palazzi Wolkenstein and Sizzo, and the Tabarelli, in which are
magnificent private collections of pictures and other _objets d'art_,
none exceeds in romantic and legendary interest the Teufelspalast,
which has been known by several other names at various times, and
latterly as the Palazzo Zambelli. This beautiful home (now a bank) was
built by George Fugger, a relative of the wealthy banker, Anthony
Fugger, of Augsburg. The legendary story is as follows:--
George Fugger having become acquainted with one Claudia Porticelli, a
beautiful young woman of Trent, fell desperately in love with her, and
although the fair Claudia does not appear to have discouraged his
suit, she was too proud to yield too readily to his proposals, and in
addition was very patriotic, and inclined to the view that a Tyrolese
maid should marry a Tyrolese man. It was in pursuance of this idea,
when at last her lover pressed her strongly for an answer, that she
told him she would never marry a man who lived so far away from her
beloved home, and that she wondered how any one who did not possess a
tiny _pied à terre_ in Trent, should for a moment think that he could
have any claim upon her affections. This reply to his suit might, one
would think, have discouraged most people, but George Fugger, who
possessed vast wealth, had no intention of yielding up his claim, or
his supposed claim, to the beautiful Claudia without a struggle; and,
moreover, Claudia Porticelli, although discouraging him so distinctly,
had (like a woman) put off the evil day of giving a final answer for a
period of a little more than twenty-four hours. In this delay, George
Fugger saw the solution which great wealth and determination of
character placed within his reach. He determined, therefore, within
the short space remaining before Claudia gave him his final answer, to
build a house "worthy of the human gem whose casket it was to be."
[Sidenote: A SATANIC COMPACT]
Twenty-four hours or so in which to build a palace was, however, such
an impossibly short time that no man could hope to accomplish the task
by human aid alone. Therefore (so the legend goes) he sought the help
from a source to which no good Christian would think of turning,
namely, that of the Devil. In legendary lore there are many stories of
the Devil assisting men and women to an accomplishment of their
desires, but almost invariably at the price of their souls.
George Fugger, however anxious for the Devil's assistance, was too
keen a man of business to wish to endanger his soul; so the object he
set himself to accomplish was to obtain the Evil One's aid without
paying the Evil One's price. The Devil was summoned, and he willingly
enough undertook the task upon the usual condition, of the surrender
at the end of life of the soul of the person he was helping. George
Fugger, without hesitation, signed the bond with his blood, only
stipulating for the insertion of a small clause, which provided that
his Satanic majesty should on his part do Fugger one small service ere
claiming the price of his assistance. The Devil must have been in a
good humour, for he agreed to this quite willingly and unsuspiciously,
and the two parties went their way, each well satisfied with his part
of the bargain.
Teufelspalast was, naturally enough, of magnificent design, and at the
time it was built was furnished with the most luxurious fittings and
decorations that the mind of man or devil could imagine. Marbles of
different kinds entered largely into its construction, and the
gilding, decorations, and carvings were such as to become famous
throughout even a country noted for great and beautiful palaces. When
the building was completed, the Devil summoned the owner, and asked
him to name the little service that he was to do him. George Fugger
had thought out his little scheme of outwitting the Devil, and he took
a bushel of corn and strewed it over the different floors of his vast
mansion. Then he said to the Devil, "See! If you can gather together
all the corn strewn about the palace grain by grain, and deliver it
back to me without the loss of a single grain before morning, then my
soul shall be yours. On the other hand, should you fail to do this, my
soul remains my own as well as the palace you have built."
The Devil, we are told, was not in the least disconcerted by the task
which had been set him, and without doubting for a moment that he
would successfully accomplish it, he set to work to gather up the
grain. In the end, just before sunrise he had completed his task, all
but the finding of five grains of the corn. He searched high and low
for the missing grains, but to no purpose, and ere he could find them
daylight, which was to mark the end of the time allotted for his task,
began to appear; but the Devil, notwithstanding the absence of the
five grains, consoled himself with the thought that Fugger would
never discover the loss of five grains amidst the many hundreds of
thousands of others which he had heaped up in the measure. When Fugger
came to see whether the Devil had performed his task or not, he
counted out the number of grains of corn, and, of course, discovered
the absence of the five, so he asked the Devil where they were.
"Oh," said the Devil, "they are there, the measure is piled quite full
up, and you cannot be so particular as all that."
Fugger replied, "That is all very well, but five grains are missing,
and I must have them, or you have not performed your task, and lose
all claim to my soul in return for the palace you have so marvellously
built me."
The Evil One replied, "You have miscounted the number. I have built
your house and picked up all the grains of corn, and I am not going to
be done out of my part of the bargain; besides, you cannot prove that
there are five grains short."
"Oh yes, I can," replied Fugger; "stretch out your right hand." And
the Devil, not seeing that it could be any harm to comply with the
request, forthwith stretched out his great hand. Fugger seized it, and
said, "There lie the five grains under your own claws. The corn I set
you to pick up had been sanctified by being offered before the Holy
Rood, and for this reason you were prevented from fulfilling your
purpose. You have not collected the grains into your measure by dawn,
as agreed, and therefore our bargain is annulled."
The Devil was in a terrible way. He did not see how to escape
conviction of failure, and so he sought to terrify Fugger by an
exhibition of his Satanic wrath. He set to work and began to attempt
to tear down the building which he had so recently completed. But he
no longer had any power over the palace, and only succeeded in
breaking a sufficiently large hole in the wall to enable him to fly
through it and depart.
For many years this hole, which had been bricked up, was shown to
visitors, and was esteemed by many of the Trent people of the lower
class as proof positive of the superhuman origin of the palace and the
truth of the legend.
The end of the story is just what might be expected. The fair Claudia,
who probably never meant to refuse the rich banker, consented to marry
him, now that he had a home in Trent. And there they lived, so it is
said, happily ever afterwards, and in due time died.
[Sidenote: THE MADONNA ALLE LASTE]
In the immediate neighbourhood of Trent are several other buildings
and places of very considerable interest and of great picturesqueness.
One favourite excursion is to the chapel of Madonna Alle Laste, which
lies on the hillside to the east of the city, about half an hour's
stiff walking from the Port Aquila, a little way off the road to
Bassano. From this spot one not only obtains good views of the town,
but can visit on a spur of the mountain the celebrated marble Maria
Bild, to which there is an interesting legend attached. This "picture"
has been an object of veneration with the people of Trent and the
district round about for centuries.
Some time about the middle of the seventeenth century this fine tablet
was sacrilegiously injured and disfigured by a travelling Jew, much to
the rage and indignation of the people of Trent. And although a German
artist, Detscher by name, did his best to restore the carving, it was
impossible for him to entirely obliterate all trace of the injury it
had received. But, so the legendary story goes, by some miraculous
power it was altogether restored in one night, and this miracle so
increased the veneration in which the Maria Bild was held that people
thought there was no kind of disease too desperate that it could not
be cured by prayers at such a holy shrine. Several miracles are
ascribed to this wonderful carving, which became so venerated that
ultimately a chapel was built for it and placed in charge of a hermit;
and later on a community of Carmelites was established on the spot by
reason of the generosity of Field-Marshal Gallas, and this remained
until the secularization, now many years ago.
The convent buildings, however, still stand, and from them there is a
fine view of the distant range of mountains, and the foreground slopes
covered with peach and other fruit trees.
With the many other interesting walks and legends attached to the
scattered villages which lie in the immediate neighbourhood of quaint
and historic Trent there is no space to deal. Most travellers must
leave Trent reluctantly, for it is beautiful in situation and deeply
interesting from all points of view.
To the south and south-west of it lie two interesting towns. The first
is Roveredo, the second Arco; the former, though a less frequented and
less historic town than Trent, is yet one of some importance and
remarkably well situated. It dates from Roman times, and received its
name Roboretum in consequence of the enormous oak forests by which it
was surrounded. The high road which leads to it, owing to the fact
that it was one of the ancient ways into Tyrol, is crowded with ruins
of ancient fortresses and of castles in a state of more or less decay.
Most of these, including Predajo, Castlebarco, Beseno, Lizzana (at the
last named of which Dante lived during the first few years of the
fourteenth century, after his banishment from Florence), and others
took part in the various struggles for the possession of Tyrol which
were waged at different times between the Emperor of Germany, the
Republic of Venice, the Prince Bishops of Trent, and other powerful
families of the district who carried on private and other feuds
throughout the Middle Ages.
[Sidenote: A BURIED CITY]
At the time of Dante's banishment from Florence Castle Lizzana was the
home of the Scaligers, who gave shelter to the poet during his exile.
Not far from the Castle is that famous Sclavini (or land slip) di San
Marco, which is in reality a vast "_steinmeer_," and is probably
rather of the nature of a great and possibly pre-historic moraine,
than a land slide. But be this as it may the locality of this immense
accumulation of huge rocks thrown hither and thither no doubt provided
the poet with at least the inspiration of the descent into the
Inferno,[19] which runs as follows:--
"The place, where to descend the precipice
We came, was rough as Alp; and on its verge
Such object lay, as every eye would shun.
As is that ruin, which Adice's stream
On this side Trento struck, shouldering the wave,
Or loosed by earthquake or for lack of prop;
For from the mountain's summit, whence it moved
To the low level, so the headlong rock
Is shivered, that some passage it might give
To him who from above would pass; e'en such
Into the chasm was the descent: and there
At point of the disparted ridge...."
CARY'S Translation.
There is a legend that a beautiful city, once known as San Marco,
which was destroyed by a landslip that took place at the beginning of
the ninth century, lies buried under the gigantic rocks. At any rate,
in the Middle Ages this belief prevailed, with the result that the
peasants of the district were for ever digging amidst the _débris_ in
the hope of finding some of the vast treasure which tradition said had
been buried with the city. The story, which possesses an almost
Boccaccian touch of humour, goes on to say that on one occasion a
peasant, whilst thus excavating, came across a vast boulder, on which
was written in letters of fire in Italian, "Fortunate will they be who
turn me over." Naturally enough, the peasant was in a state of great
delight; surely this was an indication that the riches for which he
sought would be found hidden underneath the stone. Calling his
neighbours together, and, doubtless, promising them a share of the
spoil, after almost superhuman exertions, the great rock was rolled
over; but instead of finding in the cavity disclosed the treasure
which they expected, they found but another inscription on the under
side of the rock of a jocular and taunting nature, also in Italian,
which, literally translated, ran as follows: "Thanks for turning me
over; I had a pain in my ribs." As the Italian peasant, of all others,
cares little for unremunerative toil, and is easily depressed by such
sarcasm, we are told, "From that time forth the supposed ruined city
of San Marco and its buried treasures were left in peace."
Not far from this spot, too, on the other bank of the river, is the
home of another legend of a deep cavern, concerning which there is a
tradition that years and years ago it was the retreat of a cruel,
white-bearded hobgoblin who lived on human flesh--children by
preference--and that whoever should have the courage to explore the
cavern to its depths would find at the end of it the remains of the
hobgoblin, and that his spirit would reward the adventurer by telling
him where a vast treasure lies hidden.
Possibly the legend had some origin in the fact that the district
close here was once infested by a fierce band of robbers, who
plundered and robbed, not only travellers, but the people of the
country round about. Towards the end of the twelfth century the band
became so formidable that the then Bishop of Trent despatched a force
against them and destroyed the robbers' lair, building on the spot
where it was, and from whence they were accustomed to attack
travellers, a hospice for the protection of wayfarers, the chapel of
which was dedicated to St. Margaret.
[Sidenote: ROVEREDO]
Some dozen miles southward from Trent, down the pleasant valley
through which the Adige wends its tortuous way, lies Roveredo or
Rovereto, a busy and prosperous town famous for its silk culture,
situated on both sides of the river Leno, and dominated by the ancient
castle, which, built by the Venetians, has withstood many a fierce
siege. The silk trade, that gives Roveredo its chief importance, was
introduced into the town as far back as the middle of the sixteenth
century, and has contributed very greatly to its continuous
prosperity. Strangely enough, the principal family of Roveredo at the
beginning of the eighteenth century established business relations
with England, and a prosperous trade was the result.
The town is prettily situated, and from the hillside above it presents
the usual characteristics of red roofs and white walls which
distinguish most Italian towns. It has many charming by-ways, flights
of cobble-paved steps leading up through quaint arches into zig-zag,
narrow streets of great picturesqueness, in exploring which one is
tempted to spend much time, particularly if possessing a camera. Its
chief streets, however, are wide and handsome, notably the Corso
Nuovo, planted with shady trees, leading from the railway station to
the town.
Although there are seven or eight churches in Roveredo, none of them
are of any great moment, but there is a good altar-piece, supposed to
be the work of Giovanni da Udine, in the church of St. Rocchus, a
building erected in the middle of the seventeenth century owing to a
vow made by the inhabitants to do this during a visitation of the
Plague if the scourge was stayed. Although not a place to stay in for
any considerable length of time, Roveredo is undoubtedly worth a visit
from those who like picturesque architecture, and also on account of
its pleasant situation.
Arco, which is on the way to Riva, lies almost due west of Roveredo,
but is reached by rail circuitously, via Mori, Nago, and Vignole, and
is picturesquely situated in the midst of laurels, palms, and olives,
dominated by the large and ancient castle situated on a pine-clad rock
high above the town. This castle was bombarded by the French, and
destroyed during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1703. The
church, a prominent object of the pretty town, is of considerable
interest, and amongst other places worthy of note is the château of
the late Archduke Albert, which has a remarkably fine winter garden.
Arco has of recent years gained some note as a health resort for
invalids with a consumptive tendency and, in consequence, possesses
quite a number of excellent hotels.
From Arco to Riva is but a few miles, and, if possible, these should
be travelled by carriage in preference to the train, as the road lies
through the most delightful meadowland, fertile, and stretching upward
on either hand to the towering heights which shut in the valley. Riva,
which is the Tyrolese port of charming Lake Garda, is one of the most
delightful spots in all Tyrol. As one stands on the promenade, far
towards the south stretches the beautiful lake, whose deep-blue waters
and exquisite environment of mountains have been sung by poets and
described by travellers in every language of Europe. At the head of
the lake there is a very busy scene of coming and going
tourist-steamers, sailing craft piled with merchandise, hay, and other
produce, giving the little harbour quite a business-like air, which,
combined with unusual picturesqueness, cannot fail to charm every one
who comes to it.
The town itself is situated chiefly at the foot of the precipitous
Rocchetta, on the sides of which olive trees, figs, palms, aloes, and
other vegetation grow; whilst above one hangs a deep-blue Italian sky,
luminous in summer with the brilliant sunshine of northern Italy. A
wanderer in the quaint streets and by-ways, some of the former of
which are arcaded, will come across many a picture and many a piece of
charming architectural detail for canvas and camera, whilst close to
Riva, on the shore of the lake, is the little village of Torbole, the
resort of artists, who find in its primitive character of a
fisherman's hamlet a veritable mine of delightful subjects for
pictures.
The Parish Church of Riva deserves attention; it is really a handsome
building, and has much of interest in its interior. On the outskirts
of the town is the church of the Immaculate Conception, which was
built by Cardinal von Madruzz for the purpose of enshrining a
wonder-working picture of the Blessed Virgin. Two churches which have
their origin in times of plague, those of San Roch and San Sebastian,
erected in 1522 and 1633, are found in the town. The district round
about has the distinction of supplying the whole of Tyrol with the
branches of olive which are used on Palm Sunday; and Riva was long
considered the most northerly limit at which olive trees would
flourish. This idea, however, has of recent years proved to be
erroneous, as they are now cultivated as far north as Bozen.
[Sidenote: A WONDERFUL VIEW]
The ascent of the Altissimo di Nago, although a tough climb for all
save practised walkers, is well worth the trouble, as the panorama of
the lake obtained from the summit is one of astonishing beauty. Many
visitors to Riva also go to San Giacomo for the purpose of seeing the
sun rise, just as the ascent of the Rigi is made. Behind one extend
mountain range upon mountain range, and lofty peak upon peak of rocky
and snow-clad Alps; whilst to the south lies the beautiful Lake Garda,
of royal blue in the growing light, and the widespread plains of
Lombardy on either hand studded with fair cities, of which number
Milan, if the atmosphere be clear, will seem--though actually far
distant--to be so close that a good before-lunch stroll should enable
one to reach it.
This favoured town not only takes one to the southern limit of Tyrol,
but provides a charming rest-place, from which many interesting
excursions may be made before setting one's face, reluctantly it will
surely be, northward once more, through perhaps the grander but less
soft and rest-provoking scenery of wilder Tyrol.
FOOTNOTE:
[19] Dante's "Inferno," Canto XII., lines 1-12.
CHAPTER X.
AMONG THE DOLOMITES, WITH NOTES UPON SOME TOURS AND ASCENTS
To many who visit Tyrol the most interesting district of this
delectable land is the Dolomite region, which forms by far the greater
part of the South Tyrol Highlands and offers not only unique
opportunities for climbers, but also much impressive and beautiful
scenery.
It is only in comparatively recent years that the Dolomite of
south-eastern Tyrol has become a popular holiday-ground of tourists
and travellers. But a few decades ago it was--except to geologists, a
few artists, mining experts, and the more enterprising climbers--a
_terra incognita_, a region scarcely more known to the general
travelling public than the centre of Africa. Even nowadays it is far
less frequented by western European holiday-makers than it deserves to
be.
Formerly there was some excuse for an ignorance and neglect which a
lack of easy transit, good roads, and railways to near-by points might
be held to condone. But at the present time so much has been done to
throw open this fascinating mountain district to the traveller,
rest-seeker, and artist that the excuse can no longer be urged.
Concerning the climate, scenery, people, and accommodation now offered
to travellers, much can be said in praise. Indeed, regarding all of
these, it would be difficult to say everything one might without
running the risk of being accused of partiality or exaggeration.
In this portion of Tyrol (as, indeed, may be said also of others) one
still meets with hospitality and courtesy at inns and rest-houses
which are not chiefly based upon the expectation of personal
aggrandisement or monetary reward, just as one still finds quietude
wedded to splendid scenery and beautiful prospects not yet exploited.
In the Dolomite region, though its popularity is yearly increasing,
one can yet happily meet with comfortable hotels, which are not
overrun by the type of tourist for whom a good dinner is more than
fresh air and scenery, and dress clothes and gorgeous costumes of an
evening a _sine quâ non_. In a word, we have found that the Dolomite
region is free from many of the disadvantages of Switzerland--that
most exploited of European countries, and the one in which nowadays
perhaps the least quietude and rest is to be found--and provides a
playground for the mere pedestrian as well as a most attractive region
for the exercise of the climbing instinct.
It must be admitted, however, that in the less frequented passes and
valleys one has occasionally to "rough" it in a mild kind of way, and
that one needs to be a good and enduring walker to "do" the region on
foot. But although some of the inns in the lesser known valleys are
yet somewhat primitive, the cooking is usually good, and the beds,
though the linen may be coarse, will be found almost without exception
spotlessly clean.
It may be added that French is of little use in the Dolomites, except
in the hotels at the most frequented tourist resorts, such as Toblach,
Cortina, Karer See, Bozen, etc., Italian and German being generally
spoken--the former almost everywhere in the region; the latter chiefly
in the Gader Thal, Grödener Thal, and the district north of the
Ampezzo Thal; although in scattered hamlets south of the latter, here
and there one finds peasants speaking both.
The Dolomite region is most accessible from the Venetian frontier,
Bozen, or Bruneck; and the true Dolomite district, which contains all
that is most magnificent as regards scenery and attractiveness to the
mountaineer and geological student, lies midway between the points we
have mentioned, and covers the comparatively small area of some fifty
miles by forty miles.
Even nowadays there remain many peaks in the Dolomites yet untrodden
by the foot of, at least, modern man, as well as numberless delightful
paths amid exquisite scenery, where flowers carpet the earth and tiny
streams make their water-music. Along which by-ways, from sunrise to
sunset, one can travel amid the great silence of the hills without
meeting a single fellow-wayfarer. Many of the summits are upwards of
10,000 feet in height, and they who first climb their rocky walls,
deeply fissured sides, and ice- and snow-clad peaks, will have
accomplished tasks not inferior to those performed by the intrepid
mountaineers of the past who have scaled the great heights of the Alps
or the Himalayas.
[Sidenote: THEORIES OF ORIGIN]
Ever since geologists have speculated and argued concerning the origin
and nature of natural phenomena, there has been a conflict of opinion
amongst Tyrolese, German, and French geologists in particular
concerning the Dolomites. But although speculations have been many,
and various plausible theories have from time to time been advanced,
it may, we think, safely be said that none have been absolutely proved
or universally accepted. Baron Richthofen is perhaps the ablest
exponent of what is commonly known as the Coral Reef theory of origin,
and this has of late years been largely accepted by leading geologists
of different nationalities.
[Illustration: ALPENWIESE, ON THE SEISER ALP]
Baron Richthofen bases his theory chiefly upon the following points:
"(A) The isolated nature of the mountains themselves, and the fact
that their sides are frequently so steep and clear-cut as to preclude
any suggestion that they have been so made by the ordinary processes
of attrition, and that in general form they resemble atolls. (B) That
in their substance there are often found fossils and deposits of a
strictly marine character very closely resembling those found in coral
reefs; in addition to which the configuration shown by many of the
peaks is almost exactly similar to that found in the coral reefs of
to-day, with precipitous and almost perfectly vertical sides, where
they would have been (if the coral-reef theory is the correct one)
constantly scoured by the tide, and with much less precipitous sides
on the inner or lee side. (C) The fact that there is no trace
discernible of any volcanic origin. (D) They also, in their general
shape and lines, enclose spaces in a similar way to that which coral
reefs invariably enclose." There are many other points of resemblance
advanced in Mr. G. C. Churchill's exhaustive "Physical Description of
the Dolomite District," into which it is, however, unnecessary here to
enter more deeply.
Of the Schlern, the magnificent peak which rises from so wild and
picturesque a wooded ravine to a height of 8402 feet, Baron Richthofen
makes the positive assertion that it is a coral reef, and that its
entire formation is owing, like that of the "Atolls" of the Pacific
and Indian Oceans, to animal activity and deposit.
The Dolomites, which may be said to stretch between the Eisack, Etsch,
and Puster-Thal towards the south-east, and extend over the Tyrol
border into the Venetian district, derive their name from the
well-known geologist, Dolomieu, who lived in the eighteenth century,
and during the latter part of it travelled extensively in Tyrol, and
was the first to call the attention of scientists and others to the
peculiar structural formation of the southern mountain ranges. It may
be briefly here said that their material is largely limestone, but is
distinguished from the other chalky Alps by a special admixture of
magnesia. The fact that long ages ago the sea must have covered this
region, and did so for a period of long continuance, is proved by the
circumstance that, when climbing, one often finds on the very summits
of the highest peaks fossilized sea-shells. Many authorities are
inclined to the belief that some at least of the Dolomites have been
assisted in their growth, if not actually formed, by volcanic
agencies, and this theory is borne out by the fact that craters are
traceable in some of them even to-day. But whatever may be the true
origin of these magnificent peaks, there can be no doubt regarding
their unique formation.
It may be urged by some that the Dolomites do not possess the severe
and apparently unapproachable majesty of the snow-clad Middle Alps,
with their mighty glaciers and fields of perpetual snow; but as
regards their beauty of colour, the wildness of their romantic
scenery, closely connected with the most lovely and panoramic of
landscapes, they are unequalled, just as the climate of the district
in which they stand is delightful and invigorating.
In this comparatively small area one has a variety of scenery
unsurpassed by any, so far as we know, on the Continent of Europe.
Within the confines of the Dolomite region one has the wide range of
lofty mountains and terrific cliffs, in places reminding the traveller
of the cañons of the Rocky Mountains, with pinnacles, battlements, and
towers, rearing themselves on every hand like ruined and Titanic
fortresses, yet with their wildness softened in a measure by their
beauty of colour when gilded by the sunrise or bathed in roseate hue
of sunset light. Between the lofty peaks which rise skyward into the
very vault of heaven, as it seems to the wayfarer at their feet,
stretch lovely, winding Alpine valleys, often well-wooded and with
turf of a most delightful greenness strewn with myriads of Alpine
blossoms. Through valleys sweet with the odours of pinewoods and
flowers run rushing torrents or more quietly flowing streams, which
often have their origin in tiny, dark-blue Alpine lakes set amid
environing pine forests, in whose tranquil waters are reflected the
towering rocks and secluded woods which surround them.
To these beautifully situated spots, which are peopled by happy and
friendly disposed peasants, come year by year an increasing number of
travellers from other countries of Europe and from America, flocking
into all the more frequented parts intent upon enjoying the beautiful
scenery over which hangs, during the summer months, a vault of
deep-blue sky, looking all the bluer by contrast with the snow-clad
Dolomite peaks, whose grandeur and fascinating beauty are not easily
forgotten by those who have once gazed upon them.
[Sidenote: TOURING FACILITIES]
One of the great advantages of touring in the Dolomites to
pedestrians, and cyclists more especially--although cycling provides
plenty of "collar-work"--is the wonderful network of roads which cross
the country in all directions. The surface of these roads is generally
excellent, although several of them reach altitudes of between five
and six thousand feet above the sea. The gradients have been well seen
to, the road ascending by winding curves up the hillsides mostly by
such easy stages as enable them to be traversed either on foot, in a
carriage, motor-car, or even on a bicycle without much difficulty or
fatigue. In this manner one reaches the open, sunny plateaux and
ridges which serve to divide the separate groups of mountains one from
the other, where the traveller can almost always find accommodation in
good modern hotels or in well-arranged and modernized inns.
It is in the possession of these numerous well-managed and excellently
appointed hotels and inns that the Dolomite region excels; and they
are of such variety as regards size and the kind and cost of
accommodation which can be obtained at them, that almost all tastes
and purses can be suited. This has been more especially the case
during the last decade, in which new routes have been opened up, and
further and adequate hotel accommodation provided. Huge buildings,
affording every possible comfort and modern convenience, patronized by
the wealthy visitor, hotels on a less grand scale, suited to the
requirements of the well-to-do middle classes, and yet more modest,
though not less well-managed and comfortable, establishments, where
for an almost incredibly small sum pedestrians and tourists of more
restricted means can obtain excellent food, are all to be found in the
Dolomite region. In the larger hotels at the more noted resorts, of
course, one finds much the same "life" as that prevailing at such
places as Ischl, Semmering, Pontresina, St. Moritz, and Lucerne, where
bands play during dinner, ladies wear elaborate Parisian toilettes,
men dress for dinner, and climbing is, for most of the visitors, quite
a secondary consideration to that of enjoying "smart" society. In the
smaller places one finds greater simplicity and, to our thinking,
greater charm, with more of the life of the people in evidence and
less of the exotic.
But the Dolomites themselves present many attractions to the climber,
and yet provide numerous ascents which can be undertaken by the
comparatively untrained and inexperienced. This is largely owing to
the fact that they consist chiefly of isolated groups of mountains of
great height, but which, owing to their isolation, are not approached
by long and toilsome journeys ere the actual climbing itself
commences, such as is often the case with the greater peaks of the
Central Alps. Numbers of the higher ones, reaching to upwards of 9000
feet in height, may be ascended without any great fatigue by well-made
paths, thus providing for the tourists who are not expert climbers
plenty of exercise with just those elements of adventure and
inspiration which prove the greatest charms to all climbers, and the
reward at the end which comes to those who penetrate the higher
regions of a purer atmosphere, and a larger outlook upon the glorious
beauties of mountainous districts.
There are, of course, many other Dolomite summits which can only be
ascended, and should only be attempted, by practised and hardy
climbers, for whom great heights and the risks attending their ascent
possess no terrors. It is generally conceded that the district
provides both for the inexperienced and most experienced climbers some
of the most interesting mountain ascents in Europe. In the Dolomite
region, especially of recent times, climbing has made extraordinary
progress. Summits, the ascent of which a few years ago was looked upon
as a great achievement by even good climbers, are now scaled by
numbers of people every year; and each year brings additions to the
conquered peaks, some of which were a decade ago looked upon as
absolutely unclimbable, and likely to remain so.
The Dolomites are, indeed, gradually becoming as well known to
climbers and would-be climbers of even the countries of Western Europe
as are the Swiss Alps, and annually a larger number of lovers of
Alpine scenery take their holidays in this region; and of late years
the district has been visited by many even in winter time. In summer,
although much accommodation has already been provided for tourists, it
is, up to the present, decidedly insufficient for all the visitors who
flock to this region during the months of July, August, and September.
It is, therefore, advisable for any one who wishes for a comfortable
time during those months to secure rooms in advance at all places
which are to be visited, more especially at those centres of
attraction to which the greater number of tourists are in the habit of
gravitating.
[Sidenote: DOLOMITE GROUPS]
The Dolomites may be divided into the following groups, running from
east to west.[20] (1) The Sextner Dolomites, the most important
summits amongst which are the Drei Schuster Spitz, 10,375 feet, which
is ascended generally from the Fischelein Boden; the Elferkofel,
10,220 feet; the Zwölferkofel, 10,150 feet; Oberbacher Spitz, 8700
feet, and the Drei Zinnen, 7897 feet, two absolutely bare peaks of
sulphurous limestone, streaked with pale orange, rising grandly and
boldly from behind the Monte Piana plateau like two huge scored and
fissured fingers of a Titanic hand. (2) The Ampezzaner Dolomites,
with Monte Cristallo, 10,495 feet, with its many peaks veiled by
snows, glassing itself in the agate green waters of the lovely
pine-environed Dürren See. Monte Antelao, 10,710 feet; the three
Tofanas, ranging in height from 8565 feet to 10,635 feet; and the
Sorapis, 10,520 feet. (3) The Agordinischen Dolomites, with the
Nuvolau, 8685 feet; Monte Pelmo, 10,395 feet; and Monte Civetta,
10,565 feet, whose western face from Caprile was unascended till as
recently as 1895, when Messrs. Raynor and Phillimore, with two Ampezzo
guides, made the ascent. (4) The Grödener Dolomites, which embrace the
beautiful Rosengarten, the Schlern, 8415 feet; the Sella-group,
including the Sellajoch, 7275 feet; Rodella, 8155 feet, and other
lesser peaks; and the Geislerspitzen, with its highest peak, Sas
Rigais, 9930 feet. (5) The Fassaner Dolomites, consisting of the
groups of the Latemar, 9166 feet; the Marmolada, the highest of all
the Dolomites, a huge group with several peaks, including the Puntadi
Penia, 11,020 feet; the Marmolada di Rocco, 10,820 feet, and other
magnificent and lofty summits; and the Pala Group, including the
Cimone Della Pala, 10,450 feet, the Pala Di San Martino, 9830 feet,
and the Pala Della Madonna, 8336 feet.
There are numberless interesting and picturesque excursions to be made
in this charming region of the Dolomites, but the space at our
disposal will only permit of the mention of a few of the most
accessible, interesting, or picturesque.
[Illustration: MISURINA LAKE]
INNICHEN THROUGH THE SEXTEN THAL TO LAKE MISURINA.
Innichen, reached from Toblach through a beautiful pine (larch)
forest, is a prettily situated townlet on the Puster Thal road, with
good accommodation for visitors. It possesses a fine monastery church,
dating from the thirteenth century, which is one of the most
interesting and unique buildings in Tyrol. It contains some very
extraordinary and grotesque figures and faded frescoes, and a small
chapel built in imitation of the Holy Sepulchre by one of the
villagers, who once made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The road leads
a little below past the village into the Sexten Valley, the principal
hamlet of which is Sexten, or St. Veit, which is nowadays a charming
and much-frequented summer resort, where one may wander amidst almost
illimitable pine forests, and enjoy fresh mountain air and quietude
surrounded by exquisite scenery. From Sexten one reaches in about an
hour Fischlein Boden, by way of Moos, along a beautiful path through
the pine woods, from whence one obtains an admirable view of the head
of the valley, with the Drei Schuster Spitze, the Oberbacher Spitze,
Drei Zinnen, Elferkofel, Zwölferkofel, and Rothwand, and an almost
unrivalled vista of snow peaks. From this point, passing the Zsigmondy
Hut, 7320 feet, one comes to the Bacherjoch. From the Zsigmondy Hut,
the Elferkofel and the Zwölferkofel may be ascended, both of which
are, however, very difficult. Over the Bacherjoch a footpath leads to
the Drei Zinnen Hut on the Toblinger Riedel, 7895 feet, on past the
celebrated Drei Zinnen to the pretty Misurina Lake, tree-bordered and
mountain environed, one of the most charming and picturesque spots in
the Dolomites.
TOBLACH THROUGH THE AMPEZZO THAL TO SCHLUDERBACH AND CORTINA.
From Toblach there is an excellent excursion through the Ampezzo
Valley to Schluderbach and Cortina. The starting-point is situated on
the watershed of the high Puster Thal, and is a great place for
consumptives and different forms of fresh-air cures. It is visited by
people from almost all parts of the world, and in consequence the
hotel accommodation is excellent and even luxurious. The village of
Toblach itself is at the head of the Ampezzo road, which here leaves
the Puster Thal at an altitude of nearly 4000 feet, and leads due
south, passing between the Sarlkofel, 7740 feet, on the right, and the
Neunerkofel, 8418 feet, on the left. The Puster Thal railway, which
comes within about a mile of the village, makes Toblach easily
accessible, and it is in the neighbourhood of the station that the
huge modern hotels are built, acting, as it were, as gateways to the
beautiful Ampezzo Valley. The road through the latter is a magnificent
one, well suited for motoring if care be taken in descending some of
the sharp curves which lead down into Cortina; and especially
beautiful upon such an evening in June as we traversed it, just as the
sunset hues were illuminating the higher peaks with that roseate glow
which is destined too soon to fade to purples and through them to the
slatey blues of twilight.
From Toblach the ascent is very gradual to the pretty and romantically
situated Toblach Lake; and thence one passes on to Landro at the head
of the valley of the Schwarze Rienz, where rise the lofty and
snow-clad Drei Zinnen with the waters of the Dürren See, jade green
and beautiful in colour, with Monte Cristallo with its cap of eternal
snow and its glacier, the Piz Popena and Monte Cristallino, rising in
the background. From the Dürren See to Schluderbach, 4730 feet, is a
distance of less than two miles; and here, too, one finds a
beautifully situated village surrounded by fine scenery, and provided
with excellent accommodation for tourists whether they be but passing
along into Italy or inclined to make a lengthy stay.
[Illustration: A ROAD THROUGH THE DOLOMITES]
SCHLUDERBACH--CORTINA.
From Schluderbach the road passes over the boundary between Tyrol and
Italy, through a beautiful forest, past a deep ravine, down to
Ospitale, 4835 feet, situated at the base of the Crepa di Zuoghi, 6745
feet, and afterwards skirting the Peutelstein or Podestagno, 4945
feet, by a wide though sharply curving road skirting precipitous
slopes and crossing the deep gorge of the Felizon by the Ponte Alto,
down to Cortina d'Ampezzo, 4025 feet above the sea, reached by
carriage from Toblach in about seven hours, and distant from it just
over twenty miles.
[Sidenote: CORTINA]
Cortina is beautifully situated on the left bank of the River Botta,
with the fine Tre Croci Pass (which takes its name from the three
large wooden crucifixes) opening away behind the town eastward, and
the Tre Sassi Pass widening out before it westward. The town is the
principal one in the commune of Ampezzo, and is surrounded by
stupendous heights and grand snow-clad mountains, amongst which are
some of the most splendid of the Dolomites. For years past Cortina has
been so considerable a resort of tourists and rest-seekers that
splendid accommodation is nowadays obtainable; and one of the first
impressions made by the place upon the traveller who comes to it after
that of its picturesqueness is its prosperity. It is far cleaner, too,
than most Italian or semi-Italian towns of its type. Though the
climate is so favourable--even in the coldest of winters the
thermometer seldom falls far below freezing-point--the soil of the
district is very poor, and the appearance of most of the
mountain-sides and valleys is bleak. There is in consequence little
agriculture and no cultivation of the vine in the immediate
neighbourhood of Cortina. Indeed, throughout the Ampezzo Thal
pasturage and timber-felling, and not agriculture, are the chief
industries, although wood-carving and the manufacture of gold and
silver filigree work is carried on to a very considerable extent.
The festivals and fairs of the district are amongst the most important
of south-eastern Tyrol, and at them one still sees many of the
charming peasant costumes which have had here, as elsewhere, a
tendency to die out. The huge silver-headed hairpins of the girls
form a particularly noticeable feature of their elaborately and neatly
plaited coiffures.
The main street of Cortina is a sunny and picturesque one, many of the
houses possessing quaint, irregular roofs, and the church, little
piazza, and hostelries making up a charming picture, with a beautiful
vista of pastures and mountain summits at the end of the street.
The church, with its stately detached campanile, from the gallery of
which, nearly 250 feet above the level of the street, there is a fine
and extensive view of the town and valley, is one of the largest for
many miles around, and contains, amongst other things, an unusually
handsome altar, and some beautiful wood-carvings by Brustolone. The
churchyard (unless recently altered) is a desolate though a
picturesque spot, unfortunately a standing memorial of indifference
for the memory of those who have passed away, and irreverent neglect.
All who reach Cortina, whether they stay long or merely for a few
hours, should go to the Aquila Nera Inn, if only to see the
interesting and varied paintings of two of the sons of a former
proprietor named Ghedina which adorn the walls of the dining-room,
staircase, the outside of the "Dependance," and even the whitewashed
walls of the outhouses and stables. The subjects are of great variety,
displaying in many cases much technical skill and imaginative gifts,
and comprise military and religious figures and designs, grotesques,
and on the walls of the square-built and solid-looking Dependance are
some large groups representing painting, sculpture, architecture, and
other domestic subjects, especially noticeable being the painter-like
and clever manner in which modern objects, such as telegraphic
instruments, cameras, steam-engines, etc., have been handled.
From the top of the campanile, in which are hung great bells, one has
the village and the valley spread out at one's feet, with the Ampezzo
Thal stretching north and south and the passes of Tre Croci and Tre
Sassi stretching east and west.
[Sidenote: BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS]
In the valleys surrounding Cortina there are many beautiful wild
flowers and specimens of Alpine flora, amongst the most noticeable of
which are the wild daphne and the smaller mountain gentian; we fancy,
too, that in another very beautiful though small pink flower with
waxen petals, which grew in large clusters, we found the _Androsace
glacialis_, although two botanically learned friends differed as to
the correct name of this charming specimen.
On the way to Cortina via Schluderbach one can, by branching off
southward soon after leaving the village, reach, either on foot
through the woods or by a good carriage road through the Val Popena,
the beautiful and nowadays much-frequented Lake Misurina, in which the
peaks of the Drei Zinnen and the tree-clad lower slopes of environing
hills are charmingly reflected. The lake, although of comparatively
small size, is justly considered one of the most beautiful in Alpine
regions, and on its banks several large hotels have already been
erected for the accommodation of the increasing number of visitors who
come to this quiet and lovely spot which lies nearly 6000 feet above
sea-level.
One of the most picturesque excursions in this extreme southern limit
of Tyrol is by the carriage road, which, after passing through the
village, traverses the forest and by a gradual ascent reaches Tre
Croci, 6000 feet above sea-level. All along this beautiful road, which
traverses the slope of the Crepe di Rudavoi, one obtains the most
beautiful peeps of the huge cliffs of Cristallo to the right, with
fine vistas of the Marmorole and Sorapis on the opposite side. At Tre
Croci the beautiful Ampezzo Valley suddenly bursts upon the view with
the huge mass of the Tofana right across the valley, whilst in the
distance and to the south-west appears the serrated ridge of Croda da
Lago; and yet further distant the snow-clad summits of Marmolada.
From Tre Croci the beautiful road runs direct to Cortina down a rather
steep incline. Although the former means of reaching Cortina from
Schluderbach by the high road and through the Ampezzo Thal is the more
easily accomplished, none who have taken the road by way of Misurina
will regret its greater length because of its greater interest.
SCHLUDERBACH--PLÄTZ WIESE--PRAGSER WILDSEE--NIEDERDORF
From Schluderbach, too, there is another road branching northward from
the Imperial Road to Niederdorf on the Bruneck-Innichen-Toblach line,
leading over the Plätz Wiese, upwards of 6500 feet above sea-level.
There is a fine hotel on the Plätz Wiese, about two hours from
Schluderbach, and it is from thence that one ascends the Dürrenstein,
9320 feet. This easily climbed mountain, although not providing much
excitement for the expert Alpinist, is one of those which amply reward
the climber for the fatigue and trouble of the ascent. As one stands
upon the summit one has spread out around on all hands a most
astonishing and magnificent panorama of the Dolomites, as well as of
the glaciers and Middle Alps which lie to the north. Amongst the great
heights and groups, on a good day plainly visible from the mountain,
are those of the Tauern, Ortler, and Adamello, and the beautiful
Pragser Thal, with amongst the chief heights the Hohe Gaisl, 10,330
feet; Cadini, 9320 feet; Monte Cristallo, 10,495 feet, with its
glacier, and many other giants of the region.
[Sidenote: PRAGSER WILDSEE]
The road from Plätz Wiese continues past the little watering-place
Alt-Prags to Niederdorf, to reach which occupies about three and a
half hours. There is from this road another, branching off and leading
past the watering-place of Neu-Prags, with its prettily situated
houses and hotels, to the lovely Pragser Lake, nearly 5000 feet above
sea-level, and distant from Niederdorf seven and a half miles. Pragser
Lake, or the Pragser Wildsee, is one of the most beautiful, secluded,
and romantic of all the Alpine lakes, surrounded and sheltered as it
is by the mighty walls of the Seekofel, 9220 feet; the Herrstein, 8035
feet; Col de Ricegon, 8770 feet; Hochalpenkopf, 8420 feet, and many
other wild and impressive heights. In the olive-green waters of the
lake itself the two first-named giants are reflected with wonderful
distinctness and beauty; whilst on the slopes of most of the
surrounding mountains the silvery, star-like flowers of the edelweiss
and the royal blue gentians grow with a luxuriance scarcely equalled
in any other part of the Dolomite region. The climate of this Alpine
lake is indeed bracing and health-giving, for on the hottest summer
day one finds a cool and refreshing air coming down from the mountains
and traversing the surface of the lake, whilst in the evening the
temperature is not materially lowered, as so often occurs at places
having such a considerable altitude and set amid great peaks, so that
one can remain in the open air quite safely, even though lightly clad,
until the beautiful Alpine twilight wraps the lake and its shores in a
mantle of mysterious beauty, and night seems to descend from the
summits of the great peaks around.
No one, however, should think of visiting Pragser Wildsee in the
summer season without first bespeaking accommodation at the beautiful
hotel situated on the borders of the lake, or they may find themselves
compelled (as have been many others before them) to turn their backs
upon this lovely spot for lack of accommodation, as this is always
crowded with visitors during the months of July, August, and the early
part of September. This charming resort is most easily reached from
Niederdorf, situated on the Puster Thal railway, one station eastward
from Toblach.
CORTINA--FALZAREGO--BUCHENSTEIN.
From Cortina the old Imperial or high road takes one out of the
Dolomites to the south-east into Venetian territory to Belluno, an
interesting and picturesque old town standing on a hill between the
Piave and Ardo, which at this point flow together. The Cathedral,
built chiefly by Tullio Lombardo in the early years of the sixteenth
century, was unfortunately greatly damaged during the earthquake in
1873; but it has been largely restored, and contains, in addition to
many interesting architectural details, some fine altar paintings.
From the summit of the campanile, which is upwards of 200 feet in
height, one obtains a most exquisite view of the old town and
surrounding country. The Prefecture, in the Piazza del Duomo, is a
fine early Renaissance building dating from the end of the fifteenth
century, and was originally the Palazzo dei Rettori.
Belluno will shortly be connected by rail with Cortina, and possess a
station of its own. The new Dolomite road, however, travels from
Cortina in a south-westerly direction to the rock-strewn Falzarego
Pass, 6945 feet, lying in the shadow of the Hexenfels, 8126 feet,
whilst to the south-west rises the impressive, snow-covered Marmolada,
with the Col di Lana, 8084 feet, in the foreground of the picture.
From this pass one can ascend the Nuvolau, 8460 feet, from the summit
of which there is a panoramic view of the railway and surrounding
peaks. At the other end of the pass the new Dolomite road descends
more than a thousand feet into the valley of Andraz, a little,
picturesquely situated village from which several interesting
excursions can be made, near which lie the ruins of a very ancient
castle bearing the same name. Buchenstein, the chief village of the
Buchenstein Valley, distant from the end of the pass some nine miles,
is reached by the road from Andraz. There are some excellent inns, and
the village is splendidly situated and makes a good centre for
holiday makers.
[Illustration: A PEEP OF THE DOLOMITES]
BUCHENSTEIN--CAPRILE--ALLEGHE SEE--ARÁBA.
Near it a little road branches off to the south-east, which, leading
through Italian territory and crossing a stream, leads to Caprile,
just over the Italian frontier, descending on the left side of the Val
Cordevole, with fine views of the Val di Livinallongo. The village of
Caprile, at the far end of which is the short Venetian column,
surmounted by a lion of St. Mark, a relic of the days when the
Venetians ruled the district, is a somewhat straggling one, with many
of the houses built upon arches. The church is ordinary, although
there are some quaint decorations to the organ-loft worth seeing. But,
disappointing as is the village itself, its beautiful surroundings,
with the truly magnificent prospect of Monte Civetta, and the
beautiful Alleghe Lake, tempt one to prolong one's stay.
From Caprile the road leads to the Lake, which lies at the foot of
Monte Civetta. The high road, however, which is fairly level, leads
first of all to the village of Arába at the foot of the Pordoijoch,
7355 feet.
BRUNECK--ENNEBERG--ARÁBA.
On the way to Arába one can also reach, direct from the Puster Thal
station, St. Lorenzen, through the wildly beautiful and romantic
Enneberg Thal, which forms the shortest route to the middle division
of the great Dolomite road. One peculiarity of the Gader or Enneberg
Thal, and other similar valleys of the district, is the fact that the
peasantry speak neither German nor Italian (although in some valleys
the latter language is gradually becoming more used), but the patois
known as Ladin, which somewhat resembles the Romanche of the Grisons
district, although each valley has certain peculiarities of dialect.
No doubt these latter will in time die out, and German will become the
common language of the more German valleys, and Italian of the more
Italian.
The carriage-road, which is 45 kilometres (28 miles) in length, is not
suitable for motors; it leads past Pedrazes, 4350 feet high, and
Corvara, 5110 feet, to Arába. Near Corvara lies the way over the
Grödener-Joch, 7010 feet, into the beautiful Grödener Thal, often sung
by the poet Walther von der Vogelweide.
WAIDBRUCK--GRÖDENER THAL--ARÁBA.
The usual starting-point, however, for the latter is Waidbruck, to the
south of the Brenner road between Franzenfeste and Bozen. From
Waidbruck, 1545 feet, which lies at the head of the Grödener Thal,
with the Trostburg, 2040 feet, towering above it, the road goes to St.
Ulrich, 4055 feet, distant eight miles, the chief village in the wide
valley, prettily situated and surrounded by tree-clad slopes, beyond
which rise some magnificent rocky Dolomite peaks. The church, dating
from the end of the eighteenth century, has a beautiful interior,
containing some excellent examples of the woodcarving for which the
Grödener Thal has for ages been and still is famous.
[Illustration: THE LANGKOFEL]
[Sidenote: SOME DOLOMITE PEAKS]
From St. Ulrich it climbs upwards through the valley, which at each
step becomes more beautiful and more magnificent, to St. Christina,
4685 feet, with its mountain pastures dominated by the huge
Langkofel-Joch, 8800 feet, and many other impressive heights, such as
Secéda, 8270 feet, Geislerspitzen, 9930 feet, to the north, and the
Plattkofel, 9740 feet, to the south; the Stella Group to the
south-east, with the Col dalla Piëres, 9055 feet; and the Pitzberg,
6020 feet, Puflatsch, 7140 feet, and the more distant Rosengarten and
the Schlern to the south-west.
From St. Christina the road continues over the hill to St. Maria in
Wolkenstein, to Plan, 5290 feet; from whence mule tracks lead over the
magnificent Grödener-Joch, with its protection hut, or hospice, 7010
feet, into the Enneberg Valley to Arába; and also over the great
Sella-Joch, 7275 feet, to Canazei, in the Fassa Valley, which lies
southward of Pordoi. There are several excellent and interesting
ascents which can be made from the Grödener Valley. First of all there
is the romantic Geislerspitzen, which, however, should only be
attempted by the skilled climber, as it is both a laborious and
difficult ascent. In the same category, though more difficult, and
suitable only for hardy mountaineers, are the Grosse Furchetta, with
its highest point 9930 feet; Kleine Furchetta, a few feet less; the
Fermeda-Thurm, 9440 feet; and the Gross Nadel, 9250 feet. Starting
from the Sella-Joch, the magnificent Sella, with the Boè Spitz, 10,340
feet, as well as the wildly rugged Langkofel, can be ascended. From
the Sella-Joch also one can easily ascend the Col Rodella, 8155 feet,
which lies to the south-west of the former, from which summit one
obtains a very fine and extensive panoramic view.
ARÁBA--PORDOI--CANAZEI.
In Arába, the second part of the new Dolomite high road, which comes
over the Pordoi-Joch to Canazei, in the Fassa Thal, the way ascends in
wide zig-zags through a beautiful and broad Alpine valley, in which
those interested in botany will find a wealth of Alpine flora scarcely
excelled by that of any portion of Tyrol, up to the heights of the
Pordoi-Joch, where there is an inn at which meals can be obtained, and
from which a most magnificent circular panoramic view extends. From
this place well-made tourist paths extend in many directions to the
Boè-Spitz as well as to the Fedaja Pass, 6710 feet, and the frontier
between Tyrol and Italy; a most attractive road, with the huge snow
peaks and glaciers of the giant Marmolada close at hand.
The new Dolomite road goes from the Pordoi-Joch in a south-easterly
direction, traversing a magnificent forest with wonderful and
ever-changing views of the craggy peaks of the Dolomites, and thus on
to Canazei in the curve of the Fassa Thal.
CANAZEI--FASSA THAL--NEUMARKT--TRAMIN.
This little town, 4790 feet, distant from Arába just over twelve
miles, is charmingly situated, and much resorted to by tourists as a
centre from which to make numerous interesting short tours in the
Dolomites. The inns are simple in character though comfortable, and
for that reason many will find that they possess an attractiveness
exceeding that which one finds in hotels of a more pretentious class.
The high road leads near Canazei, past Gries, Campitello, Vigo, and
Möena, to Predazzo, the chief town in the Fassa Thal, 3340 feet, about
nineteen miles from Canazei.
The place occupies, so we are told by Baron Richthofen and other
authorities, including de Saussure and Churchill, the site of an
ancient volcanic crater, although it is indeed difficult for those
unversed in geology and seismic phenomena to realize the fact.
Predazzo, which stands in a broad valley at the junction of the Val
Travignolo and Fleims Thal, is a prosperous town, mainly owing to the
mineral wealth in the immediate neighbourhood, which of late years has
been developed and worked, and the fertile nature of the valley. The
inhabitants are principally iron workers, farmers, and hay or timber
merchants, and their sphere of trade is a far wider one than the
uninitiated would imagine, extending as it does throughout the
Austrian Empire, to Germany, Switzerland, and other countries. The
town cannot, however, be described as either very picturesque or
pretty; there are too many saw mills and iron furnaces in it, and
these in a measure serve to destroy the beauty of a naturally pretty
valley. But the painter of figure studies and tiny domestic pictures,
and the camera user with an eye for quaint "bits" may find them in the
older portion of the town amongst the wooden buildings; and
picturesque groups of women and girls are sure soon to reward the
patient artist or photographer who takes up a position commanding the
stone fountain in the main street, to which many come daily to draw
water.
There is a fine new church, which, however, cannot displace in one's
artistic or sentimental affection the old one with its Tyrolese belfry
and weather-worn look. The famous and curious old house known as the
Nave d'Oro, now an hotel, but once the home of Giacomellis for
hundreds of years, is worth inspection, as some of the armorial
bearings of this erstwhile noble family still appear above the old
carved doorways, and serve as decorations of the ceilings and
fireplaces. The visitors' book contains what must be one of the most
valuable (so far as scientists and geologists are concerned)
collections of autographs to be found in any Tyrolean hotel.
Predazzo is one of the finest geological centres in Eastern Europe,
and in the immediate neighbourhood of the town many beautiful and
varied minerals and crystals are found, amongst them the Tourmaline
granite, Uralite porphyry, and the Syenite porphyry, with its
marvellous crystals, which, so far as we have been able to ascertain,
are unique to this district.
Although Predazzo is chiefly--and, in fact, almost entirely--given
over to mining, smelting, and timber-cutting, there is yet, amid all
the hum of the timber sawing-mills, and the roar and smoke of the
furnaces, a considerable lace-making school for women, where this most
delicate of industries is taught and practised. Some exquisite
specimens of lace are to be seen, and can be purchased at moderate
cost.
An interesting fact in connection with the rich pasturage on the
slopes of the Latemar is that it belongs by common right to the
descendants of the original families founding the village, and was
given to the latter by a grant dating from the Middle Ages, but by
whom made it does not appear absolutely certain.
The road leads on through the Fleimse-Thal, past Cavalese, where there
is an ancient palace of the Bishops of Trent, which has a painted
façade. The building is now used as a jail. There is here a fine
Gothic parish church, standing on a hill, with an old marble entrance
porch, and some interesting pictures by native artists. The road then
leads one on to the railway station at Neumarkt-Tramin, which is
twenty-four miles from Predazzo and ninety-eight miles from Toblach.
[Illustration: MOUNT LATEMAR]
VIGO DI FASSA--KARER SEE.
At Vigo di Fassa, 4565 feet, the chief village in the Fassa Thal on
the road to Bozen and the Karer Pass, the road branches off, leading
in a westerly direction over the Pass, 5270 feet, and past the Karer
See, 5030 feet, which lies at the base of the Latemar, to Bozen.
[Sidenote: THE VAJOLET AND SCHLERN]
Karer See is one of the most beautifully situated places between the
Rosengarten and Latemar, and is also one of the most celebrated and
fashionable resorts in the Dolomite region. From its situation and
numerous delightful walks and excursions which can be taken from it,
it is especially suited for a lengthy stay, and for these reasons
partakes somewhat of the nature of the well-known Swiss resorts such
as St. Moritz, Pontresina, Engleberg, and other places of a similar
character. Many of the hotels are most beautifully situated on the
borders of the lake, with a picturesque background of pine woods,
beyond which tower the serrated and deeply fissured summits of the
Dolomites, with striking views of the great peaks of the Latemar,
Rothwand, Ortler, Oetz Thal, and Stubai Alps. From Karer See the
Latemar and the Rosengarten, whose highest point is 9780 feet, are
easily visited, and among the excursions which those who are not
expert climbers can take is that from Karer See, by the Rosengarten,
past the Ostertag and Ciampedie hut, 6530 feet, to the Vajolet hut; or
past the Kolner hut, 7630 feet, over the Tschager-Joch, to the Vajolet
hut, 7430 feet. Starting from the Vajolet hut, one can ascend the
Vajolet Thürme through a ravine filled with _débris_ and a steep slope
usually covered with snow; the Rosengarten Spitz, 9780 feet, and the
Kesselkogel, 9845 feet; Cima di Laura, 9440 feet, and several others.
All of those mentioned are difficult ascents, and should only be
attempted by expert climbers and with guides.
From the Vajolet hut a fairly good footpath also leads over the
Grasleiten Pass, 7100 feet, to the hut which occupies a magnificent
position with an extensive view of the giant Dolomites in the
immediate vicinity, and towards the west a fine prospect of the
Presanella and Ortler Group. From this point the path leads through
the Bärenschlucht up the Schlern.
WAIDBRUCK--SEIS-SCHLERN.
The Schlern, which is a huge accretion of Dolomite rock, towering
above the green, undulating plateau which forms its base, the middle
peak known as the Alt-Schlern or Petz, 8402 feet, is the highest of
the series, although several of the peaks approach it in altitude
within a few hundred feet. The Schlern forms one of the most
attractive groups of Dolomite peaks, on account not only of the
magnificent view which rewards the climber, but also because excellent
accommodation for tourists and climbers has been provided on the slope
of the Alt-Schlern just above the plateau, at a height of 8040 feet.
There are situated the Schlern house, belonging to the Bozen Alpine
Club, with upwards of thirty beds, and the Schlern Inn, containing a
little over half that number.
The starting-place for the ascent of the Schlern is usually Waidbruck,
already referred to, and from thence a carriage-road leads by way of
Kastelruth and the charmingly situated summer resort Seis, 3285 feet,
to Bad Ratzes, 3950 feet, situated in the wild but well-wooded gorge
of the Frötschbach. Between Seis and Bad Ratzes, set in the forest,
are the ruins of the ancient home of the Minnesinger Oswald von
Wolkenstein. From Bad Ratzes the peaks of the Schlern can be easily
reached by a mule track, although serious climbers generally take up
their residence at either the Schlern House or the Schlern Inn whilst
ascending the various peaks which can be most easily reached from that
point.
BLUMAU--TIERSER THAL--ROSENGARTEN.
From the Schlern and Rosengarten district one proceeds from the
railway station to Blumau, 1020 feet, near Bozen, into the renowned
and picturesque Tierser Thal. The carriage-road from Blumau takes one
through pretty scenery in about two and a half hours to the little
village of Tiers, and then on to Weisslahn-Bad, 3818 feet, from whence
tourists' paths have been made leading up the Schlern to the
Grasleiten hut, and over the Niger to the Kölner hut, from which one
can then either ascend the Rosengarten, or proceed through beautiful
flower-bedecked Alpine meadows to the charming Karer See.
KARER SEE--BOZEN.
From Karer See the road, which, though a fair one, is not practicable
for motors, winds, gradually descending, through beautiful woods to
Welschnofen, 3865 feet, a favourite summer resort, situated in a fine
open valley with splendid views of the towering serrated ridge of the
Latemar on the right, and on the left the beautiful Rosengarten. From
Welschnofen there is a good road to Birchabruck, 2895 feet, a pretty
place where the Welschnofen Thal branches to the left, and the wildly
romantic Eggen Thal, leading to Bozen--which is the principal town in
southern Tyrol--to the right.
FASSA THAL--PANEVEGGIO--SAN MARTINO--TRENT.
At Predazzo there branches off from the high road another good road
which leads over the Rolle Pass, 6510 feet, into the Pala Dolomites,
and then over Primero, 2350 feet, on one side towards Venice, and the
other towards Trent. This fine high road threads its way through a
splendid forest to Paneveggio, 5055 feet, a pleasantly situated
village--set amid pine woods--from which one can return over the Lusia
Pass, 6745 feet, to Möena, and ultimately to Karer See, with
magnificent views of the Colbricon, the Cimon della Pala, and the Oetz
Thal Alps in the background. From Paneveggio, too, the road climbs up
the Rolle Pass, which forms the watershed between the Adige and
Brenta, and then descends to San Martino, 4740 feet, which is
charmingly situated in a beautiful wooded dell at the foot of the
Dolomites. The road from the head of the pass to San Martino, once a
monastery, is by stupendous zig-zags cut through a splendid forest.
Yearly the little village is becoming more and more popular, owing to
its beautiful situation, the equableness of its climate, and the many
charming excursions which can be made on every hand suitable either
for the pedestrian or the climber.
The Imperial road from here descends rapidly to Primiero, and then
traverses a wildly romantic ravine full of boulders, and with
tree-clad mountain slopes to Primolano, on the Italian frontier, and
thence to Tezze, 740 feet, which is the present terminus of the
railway, and is the principal point on the Val Sugana road uniting
Tezze with Trent, 640 feet, the chief town of the Italian Tyrol, with
25,000 inhabitants.
These, then, are a few briefly sketched tours in the Dolomite region
which will, as we ourselves know, well repay the seeker after
magnificent scenery, pure air, and solitude, or society, as the case
may be.
Quite recently a most excellent and original type of relief map of the
Dolomites has been published, which on account of its clearness and
comprehensive character makes it a very valuable, if not positively
indispensable, companion for all who wish to travel in this most
interesting, though somewhat complicated district. Fortunately the
map, which is published at a remarkably moderate price, is to be
obtained at all the principal railway stations of the south Austrian
railways, and one cannot do better than obtain a copy ere setting out
for a Dolomite tour, whether it be an extended one or not.
We would call particular attention to the fact that the Dolomites
being, many of them, on the frontier between Austria and Italy, there
are numerous fortresses dotted about in quite unsuspected corners, the
sketching and photographing of which, or even of their immediate
surroundings, is very strictly prohibited. Warnings on signboards are
erected at all the points of danger, and the instructions placed
thereon should on no account be disregarded. The consequences of so
doing are likely to be extremely unpleasant, and possibly lead to the
at least temporary incarceration of the offender.
FOOTNOTE:
[20] The heights given are those appearing in the latest edition of
Baedeker's "Eastern Alps" and the publications of the Vienna and
Austrian Alpine Clubs.
CHAPTER XI
THROUGH THE UNTER-INNTHAL: KUFSTEIN--KUNDL--RATTENBERG, AND
THE STORY OF WILHELM BIENER--BRIXLEGG, AND ITS PEASANT
DRAMAS--THE FAMOUS CASTLE OF MATZEN--ST. GEORGENBERG, AND
ITS PILGRIMAGE CHURCH--CASTLE TRATZBERG--SCHWAZ
The first view one has of Kufstein from the railway, or rather of its
ancient fortress of Geroldseck, which dominates the prettily situated
little town, is almost bound to evoke the remark that it is a Salzburg
in miniature. Indeed, the parallel is not an inapt one, for the
partially tree-clad and rocky eminence on which the last stronghold
held by the Bavarians at the end of the invasion of 1809 stands bears
considerable resemblance to the greater Mönchsberg with the town
spread out at its feet.
The river Inn has narrowed ere it reaches Kufstein, which may be
called the border town of north-eastern Tyrol, and now flows rapidly
onward to meet the Danube. The place is pleasantly situated; but it is
rather on account of the interest and beauty of its surroundings than
to the town itself that its growing popularity as a holiday resort
must be chiefly ascribed. And yet, with that ancient and grim old
castle above one, with its huge round tower dominating the rock on
which it stands, and the charming valley and pine-clad slopes of the
environing hills spread out on either hand, one is tempted to linger
in the town.
The Castle, which in all probability occupies the site of Roman
_Albianum_, marks the position of one of the oldest settlements in
Tyrol. Even in the times of Charlemagne there is at least one record
of the place "Caofstein," accompanied by some interesting details.
From its position near the borderland of an antagonistic race
Kufstein's history is romantic, stirring, and chequered. As a
well-known writer upon Tyrol aptly says, "For centuries it was turned
into a political shuttlecock, now taken by force of arms, then by
stealthy surprise, now mortgaged, then redeemed or exchanged for some
other possessions by its whilom owners."[21] And its general fate and
varying fortunes were similar to those of other frontier fortresses,
such as Kitzbühel during the Middle Ages.
The grim fortress upon the rock, somehow or other, when seen in the
fading light of evening, seems to bear its story of cruelty, rapine
and harshness on its face. Many a gallant heart in the old days, which
people are so prone to label "good," pined or fretted to death within
its walls; and, unless tradition is entirely at fault, many a noble
maiden and dame also were incarcerated and died tragic deaths within
its thick, grim walls, and in its sunless dungeons.
The history of the fortress, so far as it concerns us, may commence
with its cession to Bavaria in or about 1363 by the Duchess Margaret,
the last of Count Albert's successors as rulers of Tyrol, when she
found herself unable to govern the country. She had acquired the
estates of Kufstein, Rattenberg, and Kitzbühel on her marriage with
Louis of Brandenburg; and when she ceded Tyrol to Austria it was
stipulated that these properties should revert to Bavaria.
[Sidenote: SIEGE OF KUFSTEIN]
These possessions remained Bavarian until the reign of the Emperor
Maximilian I., when the two latter gave allegiance to him. Kufstein,
however, refused to yield, and so in 1504 Maximilian appeared before
it, and commenced a siege. This event is particularly interesting, as
some authorities state it constituted the first occasion on which
proof was given that the introduction of artillery meant the
death-knell of mediæval fortresses, however strong and hitherto
regarded as inaccessible they might be. We are told, however, that the
guns brought to bear upon the Castle by the Emperor in the first
instance were quite ineffective, so much so, indeed, that the
Governor, named Pienzenau, whose sympathies were strongly Bavarian,
aroused the Emperor's anger by causing some of the garrison to sweep
up with brooms the dust, which had been the only damage done by the
besiegers' guns to the Castle walls, which were of great thickness,
and also to dust the latter themselves with the same articles in full
sight of the besiegers. The guns were either too small, or had been
placed at too great a distance from the Castle to do more than graze
it with their shot.
Finding his culverins and "serpents" of no avail, the Emperor
dispatched some one to Innsbruck for two monster guns, known as
_Weckauf_ and _Purlepaus_, which the Governor of that town, Philip von
Recenau, had recently cast at the foundry. These weapons, of which
drawings are extant, although the chroniclers of the time do not
mention their calibre or dimensions, were of considerably larger size
than "Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol" at Dover, and threw balls of
about 300 pounds in weight, it is said, for a distance of nearly two
thousand yards. The arrival of the great guns put a very different
complexion upon the siege; and after they had been brought to bear
upon the castle, and had been fired,[22] it was found that their shot
not only penetrated the fourteen-feet-thick walls with ease, but even
the rock itself was pierced, according to some historians, to a depth
of eighteen inches. Pienzenau now wished to surrender to the Emperor,
provided his life was spared. But Maximilian did not forget the
incident of the brooms, which bears some slight analogy to the
historic "broom" incident connected with the Dutch Admiral Van Tromp,
who hoisted one at his masthead in derision of the English, whom he
claimed to have swept off the seas. "So he is anxious to throw away
his brooms, is he?" the Emperor is said to have remarked. "He should
have taken this course before. He has caused by his obstinacy the
walls of this fine fortress to be so shattered, so he can do no less
than give his own carcase up to a similar fate."
And although great efforts were made to obtain pardon for Pienzenau
and some of his more important supporters they were unsuccessful, the
Emperor remaining quite obdurate. It is this execution of a brave man
(whose courage and fidelity to his nation should have aroused nothing
but admiration) which is a stain upon the Emperor's record. No less
than five and twenty of the principal defenders were condemned to be
executed. The survivors of the garrison attempted to escape secretly
before the general assault, which had been arranged, took place, but
they were captured. The first to be beheaded was Pienzenau; but when
seventeen (some authorities say eleven) of his companions had shared
the same fate, Eric, Duke of Brunswick, interceded with Maximilian so
earnestly that the lives of the rest were spared. This same Eric had
formerly saved the Emperor's life in battle, and possibly this fact
influenced the latter towards clemency. Over the grave in which the
victims of Maximilian were buried by the people of Kufstein was
erected a little chapel at Ainliff on the opposite bank of the river.
The booty and valuables taken from the Castle were placed together and
divided (including, for those times, the very large sum of 30,000
florins in hard cash) according to the rank of the victors. The
Emperor showed himself on this occasion more just to his troops than
he had been clement to the defenders, as he paid his share of the
spoil into the common fund. The small booty he took consisted
chiefly, if not entirely, of skins of the lynx and marten, and other
hunting trophies.
Kufstein, after its reduction by the Emperor Maximilian, was
garrisoned, and in succeeding ages underwent numerous sieges,
including the memorable one during the campaign of 1809, when
Speckbacher performed deeds of bravery which were almost apocryphal in
character.
[Sidenote: A KUFSTEIN ROMANCE]
As is perhaps only natural, there are many legends and romantic
stories connected with the fortress, some of them arising out of the
life-histories and achievements of the many distinguished prisoners
who were from time to time during the Middle and succeeding ages
confined within its walls. Amongst the more romantic captives was the
famous Hungarian brigand, Andrew Roshlar, who was tried and condemned
to death at Szegedin nearly forty years ago, to whose account upwards
of a hundred murders were ascribed.
Kufstein must have been a difficult place from which to break out, but
there is, at least, the tradition of a prisoner in the fifteenth
century making good his escape. He was a Tyrolese knight captured by
the Bavarians, and confined, apparently with some degree of comfort
and laxity of surveillance, in one of the upper chambers of the great
round tower, from which, through the devotion of the girl (a maiden
much beneath him in rank) to whom he was secretly betrothed, he
succeeded in escaping. The story goes that this girl, who came from
some place west of Innsbruck, having discovered the whereabouts of her
lover after some difficulty, succeeded in obtaining a post as maid in
the household of the then owner. After some weary weeks of waiting,
she obtained access to her lover's cell, having been given the work of
carrying up to him daily his supply of food and water. It was then
arranged between them that she should each day convey to him a small
quantity of hemp, out of which he was to fashion a rope. This she did,
concealing the hemp in the bosom of her dress. In course of time the
imprisoned knight had made a sufficiently long rope to reach from his
window to the ground, the bars across which he had gradually almost
filed through from the outside inwards, so that any one casually
examining them would not be likely to discover the fact. Everything
was ready for the escape, and it was arranged that the same night the
girl was to make her way out of the Castle and join him ere the great
gate was shut.
On the day fixed she had brought the captive's allowance of food about
noon, as usual, when on leaving the cell and making her way downstairs
she was accosted by one of the steward's sons who had sought her
favour. She was horrified to find that he suspected the plot, and that
the price of his silence was her honour. She hesitated, and pitifully
entreated him to spare her, but to no avail. Then, when he told her
that not only would discovery mean her own death in all probability,
but certainly the death of her lover, she yielded. About sundown she
left the castle, and mad with grief at the shame and insult she had
been compelled to suffer, she wandered about until it was dark. She
had determined to assure herself of her lover's escape, and then to
cast herself from the steepest point of the rock upon which the Castle
stands down into the valley below. In the dusk she at length saw
faintly a black figure descending against the wall, and then she heard
cautious footsteps approaching the thicket in which she stood
concealed.
With a half-stifled cry which she could not altogether suppress, she
hurried through the undergrowth, and was within a few yards of the
edge of the rock, when she was seized by her lover and saved from
destruction. The story goes on to say that they both escaped, and that
the knight eventually married (and, let us hope, lived happily with)
the brave girl who had compassed his deliverance.
[Illustration: A PEEP OF KITZBÜHEL]
The town of Kufstein itself does not call for extended description.
But one feature that immediately prepossesses the visitor in its
favour, if one arrive, as we did when last there, on a hot summer
day, is the number of shady promenades to be found, more especially on
the east side of the town, in the neighbourhood of the delightfully
picturesque Kiengraben. None should fail to visit the Calvarienberg,
from which there are delightful and extensive views of the Castle,
town, and valley.
[Sidenote: KUFSTEIN TO KITZBÜHEL]
To reach Kitzbühel from Kufstein it is necessary to change trains at
Wörgl, eight and a half miles down the Unter-Innthal, and proceed up
the Brixen Thal by the Staatsbahn past Hopfgarten to Kitzbühel. The
town is a charming one, surrounded by gardens where once there ran a
moat, and containing some interesting houses along the banks of the
Kitzbühler Ache. Many of them still have Gothic roofs and gables,
which give them a mediæval appearance, and one of great charm. The
town has of late years become a favourite summer resort, and its fine
situation in a wide valley nearly 2500 feet above sea-level has much
to recommend it. But its fame is by no means merely that of a summer
holiday spot. It is almost equally resorted to for winter sports of
tobogganing, ski-ing, and skating, and may be, in fact, called the
Tyrolese Grindelwald or Adelboden. Then the snow-clad valley is indeed
beautiful, more like fairyland than aught else, with only the church
spires of Kitzbühel and the pines on the hillsides to break the wide
white expanse.
The Kitzbühelhorn is a favourite ascent, from which very fine views
are to be obtained, especially of the giants of the Tauern range, the
Chiemsee, and the rocky and impressive Kaiser Gebirge. The pasturage
and the Alpine flora in the neighbourhood of Kitzbühel are especially
rich, and there are many beautiful excursions to be made in the
district round about. In the Brixen Thal, indeed, the artist and the
student of costumes and ancient customs, which are, alas! so rapidly
dying out, will find much of interest. In many of the villages the
annual contests, consisting of wrestling and other sports--which
anciently were often so strenuous as to lead to serious injury to the
combatants and competitors, and even bloodshed--still take place. At
Kitzbühel there is an athletic gathering in June, which is held on a
plateau near the inn on the Kitzbühelhorn, and partakes of the
character of the Grasmere Sports of our own land, and the Braemar
gathering in Scotland.
The peasants as a general rule in the Brixen Thal, as in the more
famous Ziller Thal, are musical, and often indeed are quite skilled
musicians; and frequently as one wends one's way through the
flower-spangled pastures or climbs the mountain-side, from some
isolated hut or shady nook beneath a boulder will come the musical
tinkling of a cowherd's zithern or the flutey notes of his pipe. But,
as a rule, we have found the players shy of performing before
strangers, who will therefore be well advised if they listen to the
music unseen and without seeking to discover its source.
The Brixen Thal, too, is a great dairy district, the chief industries
of which are butter- and cheese-making.
As regards the scenery of the valley one may say that in few others in
Tyrol does one come across a greater variety of light and shade, or
more delightful cloud effects. Indeed, the clouds, which at one time
seem as though they will sweep down the mountain-sides and obscure
everything, and at others sail majestically, like huge cotton-wool
argosies, across the blue vault of heaven, thousands of feet above the
highest peak of the Tauern Giants and the bare and grey limestone
peaks of the Kaisergebirge, in themselves form pictures and phenomena
of the greatest beauty and of ever changing interest.
[Sidenote: MONKISH MIRACLES]
Kundl is a small village some four miles south-west from Wörgl, and it
would attract little attention from travellers were it not for the
curious church of St. Leonard auf der Wiese (St. Leonard in the
Meadow) and the quaint legend attached to it. The story goes that
early in the eleventh century a stone statue of St. Leonard came
floating down the Inn to this spot; and the people, recognizing that
for a stone statue to float was nothing less than miraculous, after
securing it, set it up by the roadside, so that all who passed by
should see and reverence it. Probably modern scepticism will lead us
to suppose that the figure was in reality of wood and not stone; and
then the miracle explains itself! The region is subject to floods, and
doubtless the figure of St. Leonard came from some church higher up
the valley which had been destroyed by avalanche or inundation.
However, the story goes on to tell us that the statue had not long
been placed in position alongside the high-road ere Henry II., Duke of
Bavaria, himself passed that way, and seeing it paused to ask an
explanation of its being there. When the story had been told him, he
seized the opportunity (as did many other rulers in those days) to
strike a bargain with Heaven which, whilst benefiting Mother Church,
would also be not without profit to himself. He therefore vowed that
if the expedition into Italy, which had brought him along that road,
should prosper and his forces be victorious, he would on his return
build a handsome votive church over the spot where the figure of the
saint stood.
Alas! for human vows, even those of one destined to become an Emperor.
Although his arms prospered, and he was crowned at Pavia, and made
King of Germany, he forgot all about St. Leonard. Some years later (in
1012) fortunes and the cares of his kingdom once more brought him into
Tyrol on his way northward and to the spot where the figure of the
saint still stood by the roadside. Then another miracle happened, for
his horse, "although urged forward with whip and spur and words,"
refused to pass the spot where his master had formerly made so solemn
a vow, and stood foaming and champing his bit much to his rider's
embarrassment. As was but natural, the Emperor at once remembered his
vow and set about fulfilling it.
The church, which was forthwith commenced, was finished in a couple
of years, but a catastrophe marked its completion. Just as a young man
was about to place the vane in position he was seized with sudden
giddiness, and falling to the ground was dashed to pieces. "His body,"
so a somewhat quaint local version of the story has it, "was gathered
together by the horrified onlookers," and his skull--which can still
be seen--was placed at the foot of the crucifix on the high altar as
an offering. There is a record in the church of the fact that the
Emperor erected the building, and that Pope Benedict VIII., who was a
nominee of his, made the very considerable journey from Rome to
consecrate it. There would, however, notwithstanding this, appear
considerable reason for doubt whether he did.
The image now to be seen only dates from 1491, and there is no record
regarding the disappearance of the original "miraculous" one which it
must have replaced. The interior of this church has suffered both from
neglect and whitewashing at various times. But there are some quaint
and excellent carvings, including a few pew ends, and also some fine
iron work, and the figures adorning the ten columns which surround the
high altar are interesting. It is as one comes into the village that
the prettiest view of the church is obtained.
Rattenberg, which is some five miles distant from Kundl on the main
line and road, is not much visited by tourists, and is chiefly of note
on account of the copper mines, which are still worked. The town is,
however, decidedly picturesque and repays a visit. Scarcely anywhere
in Tyrol in a place of similarly small size does one get such
contrasts in architecture. And, doubtless, for this reason one seldom
fails, during the summer months, to find several artists at work in
the narrow streets. One side of the river is occupied by houses and
buildings of the most solid, gloomy, and altogether unprepossessing
character, whilst on the opposite bank one finds the very antithesis
in the pretty, light-looking dwellings, quaintly painted in delicate
shades of buff, pink, and sky-blue. Beside them and between them are
quaint courtyards and narrow alleys of often an extremely picturesque
character.
[Sidenote: WILHELM BIENER]
Many people seem to confuse the Castle of Rattenberg, which dominates
the little town and river, with that of Rottenberg, the crumbling
ruins of which lie on an eminence overlooking the roads which lead out
of the Inn Thal into the Achen Thal and Ziller Thal, once the seat of
one of the most powerful feudal families of Tyrol. Rattenberg Castle
is said by some authorities to date back to the days of the Roman
occupation, and even to Etruscan times, and its history has been not
less stirring and chequered than that of most other similarly placed
fortresses of the Inn Thal. The chief event in connection with it was
the imprisonment of Wilhelm Biener, the brilliant Chancellor of
Claudia Felicitas de Medici, wife of the Archduke Leopold V. Biener,
unfortunately, afterwards fell into disfavour with the pro-Italians at
the Court of Claudia's son and successor, the Archduke Ferdinand Karl,
Regent of Tyrol, and was executed at Rattenberg in 1649 and buried
near the wall of the churchyard. Those who wish to know more of the
romantic and stirring period of Tyrolese history in which Biener lived
and died cannot do better than read that fine historical novel, "Der
Kanzler von Tyrol" (The Chancellor of Tyrol), by Herman Schmid.
The story of Biener's fall may be briefly told. Claudia de Medici, on
the death of her husband, with her Chancellor's advice and assistance,
succeeded, not only in governing Tyrol wisely and well during the
minority of her two sons, but, by the exercise of great wisdom,
contrived to escape embroilment in the terrible and disastrous Thirty
Years' War in which the whole of the rest of the German Empire was
involved. Her rule, however, was not altogether without some
harshness, which was chiefly shown in the collection of taxes, and in
this matter the Chancellor Biener was naturally concerned, with a
result that his zeal for his beautiful mistress's interests caused him
to incur the hatred of a certain section of the Court and community at
large. On one occasion he found himself in serious opposition to the
then Bishop of Brixen concerning the payment of certain dues, the
legality of which the bishop questioned. Biener appears for once to
have failed in his usual skilful and diplomatic treatment of affairs.
He wrote a very intemperate letter to the bishop, which the latter
never forgot nor forgave. Years after the death of Claudia, the
resentment against Biener took more definite shape, and he was accused
of having misappropriated some of the money belonging to the State
which had passed through his hands. Tried by two Italian judges, he
was found guilty (though, apparently, upon very flimsy evidence), and
condemned to death.
The fallen Chancellor made a last appeal to the Archduke Ferdinand
Karl, son of his late mistress, and the Archduke, thoroughly believing
in Biener's good faith and innocence, and, doubtless, remembering his
many distinguished services to his family, reprieved him. Unhappily
for the condemned man, his greatest enemy, the President of the
Council, named Schmaus, was able to so delay the messenger that he
arrived too late to save the Chancellor.
Biener was led out for execution, and on stepping on to the scaffold,
he cried out, "As truly as I am innocent of this thing, I summon my
accuser (Schmaus) before the Judgment Seat above before another year
shall pass away."
When the executioner had done his work, and stooped to pick up the
head to exhibit it to the multitude, he found that he had also
unknowingly smitten off three fingers of the victims right hand,
strangely (so the story goes) bringing to mind the remark of the
Bishop of Brixen on reading Biener's letter years before--"The man who
could write a letter like this to me deserves that his fingers which
held the pen should be cut off."
By an equally remarkable occurrence, we are told, the President of the
Council, who had been not only Biener's most relentless enemy but his
chief accuser, died within the specified time of a terrible disease.
The wife of the Chancellor is supposed to haunt the mountain paths in
the neighbourhood, and at night may be sometimes met with proclaiming
her husband's innocence in a moaning voice. The story, doubtless, has
its basis in the circumstance that the unfortunate woman lost her
reason and ran away no one knew whither, but was ultimately found
wandering aimlessly, and quite bereft of her senses, on the
mountain-side between Brixlegg and Rattenberg. There was for many
years (and may be still for aught we know) a tradition that when any
one was about to die in the little village near Innsbruck, where
Biener's wife, after her marriage, lived happily for many years, she
appears to warn them.
Near the town, in one of the mining buildings, is a most curious
picture done upon a wooden panel, combining a representation of the
mining works about 1500 with one of the Crucifixion, in which the
miners, with their pickaxes and shovels laid down beside them, are
seen kneeling in prayer.
[Sidenote: BRIXLEGG]
Brixlegg is but a mile or so from Rattenberg. The neighbourhood is
pretty, and there is a charming view from the bridge. The little busy
town also forms an excellent centre from which to make some of the
shorter excursions into the Ziller Thal and Achen Thal. But, although
there are considerable smelting works and a wire-drawing industry at
Brixlegg, to the tourist it is chiefly its reputation for peasant
dramas which forms the chief attraction in the town, which is,
however, quaint and in a measure picturesque.
The rural plays of Brixlegg are not only interesting by reason of the
historical scenes they many of them represent, but also as survivals
of a very early (if not the earliest) type of German dramatic
expression and art which has come down to us. Most of the plays,
types of costume, plots, and all the various items which go to make up
these performances have done service for generations; but occasionally
new plays are written and staged, mostly dealing with historical
incidents and characters. In some parts of Tyrol where these plays
survive, till at least very recent times, old masks were extant, which
must have been handed down from the early Middle Ages, and possibly
(so some competent authorities assert) date from Roman and Etruscan
times. The Brixlegg performances should most certainly be seen by all
who are interested in the true peasant drama and the evolution of
dramatic art. The representations are far more interesting as native
and peasant art than those of Meran, where to a certain extent outside
criticism and influence have served to bring about modifications, the
Meran performances lacking some of the naiveness and spontaneity of
these simpler peasant dramatic plays.
[Sidenote: SCHLOSS MATZEN]
Just after leaving Brixlegg, on the left-hand side of the road stand
three castles of note--Matzen, Lichtwer, and Kropfsberg. The first
named is one of the most interesting and well-preserved examples of
the mediæval schloss in Tyrol. A whole volume might be devoted to a
description of its beauty of situation, architecture, romantic history
and sieges, and yet leave much unsaid. Its huge round tower dominates
the landscape, just as its beautiful lower courtyard, with its four
tiers of cloistered corridors round two sides, with the "springs" of
the arches supported upon short columns of unworked marble, its fine
main hall, with priceless carved and panelled oak and hunting
trophies, make it a unique possession. There is a charming view of its
rivals, Lichtwer and Kropfsberg, from the drawing-room window, whilst
standing at which (according to old chroniclers) one of the Frundbergs
was shot dead by a crossbow bolt fired by his brother from the tower
of Lichtwer, of which castle the latter was the owner.
[Illustration: SCHLOSS MATZEN]
Of special interest to most visitors who may be fortunate enough to
be permitted to see Matzen and its treasures will undoubtedly be the
famous figure of Christ upon the cross in the chapel; the library--one
of the oldest rooms--with its fine Renaissance chest; the fine
collection of old pewter; the hunting-room, with the many trophies of
its famous "sporting" as well as literary owner;[23] and perhaps not
without interest to most visitors will also be the stone table, once
standing upon the place of execution at the other end of the castle,
but now in the shadow of the great circular Roman tower, just outside
the postern entrance from the garden. At this table in olden times, it
is said, the owner of Matzen sat when dispensing justice to his
vassals or retainers. Set in the wide valley, and girt around by
trees, Matzen is one of the most picturesque as it is one of the most
interesting and historic castles in Tyrol.
There is not much to detain one at Jenbach, which is a small town at
the entrance to the Achen Thal, on the northern, and the Ziller Thal
on the southern, bank of the Inn.
Just before one reaches Schwaz, one sees storied Castle Tratzberg high
on a wooded spur of the Bavarian Alps, with its three turrets in line,
seeming to overhang the rocky eminence upon which it stands. Up above
the castle, scarcely visible from the valley, is the famous pilgrimage
church of Georgenberg, which all who can should visit.
The path, though toilsome, winds through a sweet-scented pine forest.
As one nears the goal of one's pilgrimage, the way is marked by
stations of the cross. One passes through a silent region, and, as one
ascends, the pretty villages scattered below in the valley of the Inn
are gradually and for a time lost to view. Scarcely any one is met
save a stray pilgrim or some tourist curious enough to make the
ascent, and no sound is heard save the soughing of the summer breeze
in the pines and the tinkle of little streams or the water-music of
the Stallen torrents. At last, through an opening in the environing
forest, one catches the first glimpse of the white church, with its
Romanesque tower and rust-red roof, standing on a steep and barren
rock some three hundred feet in height, to reach which the covered
wooden bridge spanning the deep ravine must be crossed.
And what a shrine it is! An isolated tabernacle set upon a rock in a
solitary place, and amid surroundings of the greatest beauty and
impressiveness; shut out of the world and shut in with nature. The
cross at the head of the bridge records the miraculous escape of a
girl long ago who, whilst attempting to pick the fairest flowers for a
chaplet to place upon the Madonna's head or lay upon the altar, fell
into the ravine, a distance of over one hundred and fifty feet, and
yet escaped serious injury when death seemed certain.
The impression one receives when at last the summit of the rock upon
which the church stands is reached is one of great solemnity and even
of grandeur. For a time the outer world has receded from one's mind
and ceased to exist. And when one enters the church itself, the
impression which has been created cannot fail to be intensified by the
silent, kneeling figures almost always found within, with their faces
illumined with rapture and faith or transfigured by religious fervour.
[Sidenote: ST. GEORGENBERG]
The little chapel of "Our Lady of Sorrows" (Schmerzhaften Mutter)
comes first, surrounded with a tiny graveyard, in which are buried the
favoured few who have had their wish gratified to rest in death in the
solitary but beautiful spot they loved and visited when alive. The
larger building, the church of St. George opposite the chapel,
contains one of those most curious legendary relics of which not a few
have been preserved from time immemorial in Tyrol. The story of the
miracle which produced the relic is briefly as follows:--About the
year 1310, in the days when Rupert I. was the fourteenth abbot in
charge of the Monastery of Georgenberg, the ruins of which surround
the present church, a Benedictine monk was saying Mass in this very
church. Just as he was about to consecrate the cup, a doubt came into
his mind as to whether such a miracle as the changing of the water and
wine into blood could be accomplished in his unworthy hands. Torn with
doubt, he nevertheless proceeded to use the words of consecration; and
he was struck dumb with astonishment and awe to find, in place of the
white wine and water he had placed in the cup, blood, which overflowed
the chalice and fell upon the wafers. Some portion of this miraculous
blood was preserved in a phial, which was set in a reliquary and
placed upon the altar. In former times this precious relic, we are
told, has worked many miracles, and is venerated almost as much to-day
as in mediæval times.
[Sidenote: A WOODLAND SHRINE]
The pilgrimage of St. Georgenberg is one of the most famous and
ancient in Tyrol. So ancient, indeed, that its origin appears to have
dated as far back as the end of the tenth century, when a chapel was
consecrated here by Albuin, the then Bishop of Brixen. Even before
this, however, Scherer asserts that a young Bavarian nobleman named
Rathhold, from Aiblingen, "having learned the hollowness of the joys
of even his great position, made up his mind to live apart from the
haunts of men in some wilderness and solitary spot." And in pursuit of
this determination he wandered on through the fertile fields and
valleys of his own land and those of the Inn until he at length
reached this spot in the Stallen valley, and ultimately came to the
rock upon which the church stands. Up on the mountain-side he carved
out for himself a cave where he lived as a hermit. But after a while a
desire possessed him to go to some of the shrines of the greatest
saints. He visited many, even travelling so far afield as to the
shrine of St. Jago de Compostella; and at length returned once more to
his hermit's cave to finish his days in prayer and contemplation. But
he brought back with him a picture of the Madonna, over which with his
own hands he reverently erected a protective shrine.
Soon from all the district round about, and even from distant parts of
Tyrol and Bavaria, people came to worship at the shrine; and ere long
"Our Beloved Lady under the Lindens" became a great pilgrimage resort.
One day, years afterwards, so the story goes, there came to the place
another young Bavarian nobleman who had wandered far in pursuit of
game, and on hearing of the shrine had determined to visit it himself
to ascertain what were the attractions and virtues of a place which
was so venerated by the peasants of the mountains and valley round
about. On his arrival at the little chapel he sought the hermit
guardian, when what was his joy and astonishment to discover, in the
white-bearded recluse, the elder brother whose strange disappearance
from his castle home years before had caused much grief. Overjoyed at
the meeting, the younger brother vowed that he would build a chapel on
the spot more adequate for the protection of the holy and miraculous
picture, and also a "shelter house" for pilgrims.
The work was soon started, and from far and near peasants and even
nobles came or sent offerings so that they might have some part in the
work. Then a strange thing happened. All the virtue, which had made
the spot one of miracles, and one of such good fortune to the halt,
diseased, blind, and dumb, seemed to depart. Hardly had the workmen
commenced the foundations of the proposed chapel ere accident after
accident occurred, some of them fatal. The stones would not remain in
place, and everything connected with the building "went wrong."
Another curious happening was the presence day by day of two white
doves, which came down, apparently from out of the woods higher up
the mountain-side, and picked up every chip of wood upon which any of
the workers' blood had fallen when they cut themselves with their
tools (as they frequently did), and then at once flew away with the
chips in their beaks.
[Illustration: A WAYSIDE SHRINE IN A PINE WOOD]
Finding that this action of the doves continued and that no progress
could be made, the hermit determined to seek an explanation of the
mystery, and so one day he followed the birds up the mountain-side,
and on reaching the spot where he saw them descend he found to his
astonishment a perfect miniature chapel or shrine which had been
constructed out of the chips and shavings the doves had carried away.
"In this miracle the hermit discovered the directing hand of God, and
going down again to his brother he entreated him to have the
contemplated chapel built upon the spot which had been so miraculously
pointed out." This the latter willingly consented to do, and the work
now progressed without accident or other interruption. The chapel so
erected, which is further up the hillside than the larger church of
St. George, was rebuilt at the time the latter was erected in the
eighteenth century.
From time to time other pilgrims both noble and simple who visited the
shrine set amid the woods and mountains were moved to remain, and thus
gradually a community was gathered together living in roughly built
huts in the vicinity of the hermit's cell, which in course of time
about the twelfth century was put by the then Bishop of Brixen under
the rules governing the order of St. Benedict. The monks not only
built a monastery but cultivated the surrounding land, and quite a
large community at last dwelt in this secluded spot. But the life of
the monks was destined to be very chequered, and often troubled with
grave misfortunes. Fire, avalanches, famine, and disease all did their
best to extirpate the brotherhood. And at last, at the beginning of
the eighteenth century--after having been established at St.
Georgenberg for more than five hundred years--it was decided to remove
the monastic institutions to Fiecht.
Vast funds were needed, for the then abbot, named Celestin Böhmen, who
was a native of Vienna, and had formerly been an officer of artillery,
projected the new monastery and buildings upon a lavish and colossal
scale. There was, however, no lack of funds. St. Georgenberg held a
place in the hearts of all the people for a wide district round about,
and money also flowed into the monastic coffers from foreign lands
from which pilgrims had come to the famous shrine. Then a great
disaster happened. The abbot, tempted by the vast wealth which had
been placed in his hands, and perhaps weary of his life of retirement
from the world in which he had once been a prominent figure, fled with
the money which was to have been used for the new abbey at Fiecht. The
work of building was for a time brought to a standstill, as no trace
of the defaulting abbot could be discovered. But after some years a
sufficient sum of money was obtained to permit of the work being
continued under the direction of Abbot Lambert. The result was the
present handsome late Renaissance building; which, however, comprises
but a small portion of the first magnificent scheme. The renegade
Abbot, Celestin Böhmen, some years after his flight and crime, once
more became enamoured of a life of contemplation, and suddenly
appeared at the monastery, confessing his wrong-doing and throwing
himself upon the mercy of his former companions. He did not appeal to
their clemency in vain; for, refusing to deliver him up to justice,
they allowed him to end his days in piety and repentance, which one
can only trust was genuine.
Such, at all events, is substantially the story as told by Burglechner
and other writers.
A strange fascination seems to enshroud this quiet and secluded
shrine of St. Georgenberg, and certainly it is one of the pilgrimage
places which most inspire one with the spirit of those remote ages
when in the making of such journeys many found comfort, peace of mind,
and refreshment. Indeed, one almost wonders that the monks should have
deserted it for a new home and a less quiet situation on the hillside
near Schwaz, which has now for some years been used as a school.
[Sidenote: CASTLE OF TRATZBERG]
Just before reaching Schwaz one passes the old and fine castle of
Tratzberg, which well deserves a visit, not only on account of its art
and other treasures, but also by reason of the delightful views
obtained from it. Tratzberg, which was sold by the Duke Frederick to a
rich mine-owner named Christian Tanzel in 1470, with the title of
Knight of Tratzberg, was often visited by the Emperor Maximilian I. on
his various hunting expeditions in the neighbourhood. Knight Tanzel
spared no expenditure to make it one of the most beautiful and famous
castles in the Inn Thal. Not the least interesting of the many finely
decorated rooms which it contains are those which were generally
occupied by Maximilian on his visits, and the fine apartment known as
the Queen's room, with beautiful presses, interesting portraits, and
magnificent panelled ceiling. The armoury, too, full of mediæval
cannon, pikes, lances and other ancient weapons, never fails to
interest the student and archæologist, who, whilst wandering through
these ancient and wonderfully well-preserved rooms, gains a more vivid
idea of the conditions of life in the Middle Ages than much "book
learning" could give him. In the great hall are some remarkable
frescoes in _tempera_, depicting the genealogical tree of the house of
Habsburg with quaint groups of portraits. Some of the antlers, which
are so attached to the wall as to serve as portions of the design, are
said to have been hunting trophies of Maximilian himself.
The two Maximilian rooms, which open one into the other, are happily
in much the same condition and state as when occupied by the Emperor.
The panelling, whilst not comparing for elaborateness with that in
some of the other rooms, is good, and the ancient stove, dating from
the fifteenth century, is of great interest. On the walls of the room
in which this stands is an inscription in chalk, said to have been
written by Maximilian himself, which sums up a quaint philosophy, and
has been translated thus--
"I live I know not how long,
I die I know not when;
Must go I know not whither;
The wonder that I so joyful am."
[Sidenote: A GRUESOME STORY]
In 1573 the castle and lands passed into the possession of the famous
Fugger family, and ultimately into that of the Enzenbergs, one of whom
is the present owner. There is at least one gruesome story and
tradition told in connection with Tratzberg, which is not itself at
all gruesome-looking, as Tyrol castles go.
It appears that the ancient owners of the castle were most of them
more noted for love of the chase than for being "instant in prayer,"
and one was so great a defaulter in this respect that, although he
could always hear the notes of the hunting horn blown early in the
morning and rise with alacrity to obey its summons, sad to relate,
when the chapel bell rang for Mass, it was quite a different matter.
One morning the bell woke him as usual, and as usual he yawned, and
turned over in his bed for another nap, thinking, no doubt, pityingly
of the folk who had got up early to attend the service. He had no
sooner done this than he had a dream or vision of the old chaplain
performing the service in the chapel, and of the devout worshippers
gathered to listen to him. Then the triple tinkling of the Mass bell
announced to him the most solemn rite of the service was being
performed. Then came a rumbling noise, the very foundations of the
castle seemed to shake, and the building to sway as though about to
collapse, and the hundreds of windows rattled and shook. The knight,
who was superstitious if not religious, terrified beyond control,
shrieked aloud, and then tried to hide himself under the bedclothes in
his terror. His cry was heard by some of the servants and retainers,
who came hurrying to the room; and upon entering they were
horror-struck to find their master dead, whilst upon his throat were
the imprints of three claws, which had burned as well as torn the
skin. The inference drawn was that the knight had been enjoined by
some Heavenly spirit to rise and repair to the celebration of the
Mass, but had resisted the Divine influence, and had been claimed by
his master, the Devil, who had strangled him. Some marks on the walls
of the room where he died were for years afterwards shown as those of
the wicked knight's blood.
There are many other traditions and legends attached to this famous
castle, which is one of the several buildings in Europe making a claim
to possess exactly as many windows as there are days in the year; but
for these stories, interesting though they are as exhibiting the
credulity, barbarism, and imaginativeness of mediæval times, we have
not space.
Not far from Tratzberg is the quaint, interesting, and flourishing
town of Schwaz, on the right bank of the Inn, and overlooked by the
Castle of Frundsberg. It was, far back in the times of the Roman
occupation of Tyrol, a station of considerable importance and size;
but after the evacuation of the country it gradually declined until
the fourteenth century, when it was little more than a scattered
hamlet of poor houses, with an inn for the accommodation of travellers
who were too weary to proceed further on their way to Innsbruck, or
who had been overtaken near the place by nightfall.
[Sidenote: SCHWAZ MINERS]
Then at the commencement of the fifteenth century, according to
Burglechner, a vein of silver ore was discovered through the rampant
behaviour of a bull, who went mad or became uncommonly energetic, and,
tearing up the grass on the hillside with his horns, was the means of
disclosing what afterwards proved to be a vast deposit of silver ore.
The news of the discovery was brought hot haste to the poor hamlet by
the herdsman who was in charge of the animal, and the inhabitants
flocked out to investigate the story of the shining metal which had
been uncovered. In a very short time Schwaz regained its ancient
prosperity and importance, and at one time, when the silver mines were
at their best, the population, which nowadays is about 6500, was not
far short of five times as many. The discovery of the silver caused
several of the noble families in the neighbourhood to forsake the
calling of arms and knightly service for that of mine owning and mine
working; and the vast wealth of the Augsburg merchants and bankers,
notably the Hochstetters, Ilsungs, and Fuggers, was largely employed
in the working of the mines which had been speedily opened up. Amongst
the noble families who turned miners or mine proprietors was that of
the Fiegers, one of whom was an intimate companion of Maximilian I.
The latter, when Fieger died full of years and leaving an astonishing
progeny and an enormous fortune behind him, was present at his old
friend's funeral. His son, Hans Fieger, married Margaret von
Pienzenau, who, on her coming to her husband's home, was accompanied
by a vast cavalcade consisting of four thousand horses, of which those
drawing her coach were shod with silver.[24]
The mining industry was speedily developed by the immense sums wealthy
merchants in Bavaria and elsewhere were willing to embark in
speculation, or advance upon the security of the mines themselves; and
so skilful and daring did the Schwaz miners become, that later on
their services were requisitioned for use in the mines of other
districts, and for military mining operations against the Turks in
Hungary. In the siege of Vienna in 1529 by the Turks, Soliman the
Magnificent, who invested the city with an army of 300,000 men, was
forced to raise it, after losing nearly a fourth of his men, owing to
the countermining of the Schwaz miners. Two centuries later, the
Schwazers undermined and blew up the splendid and almost impregnable
fortifications of Belgrade before it was ceded to Turkey; and at
various times their services were engaged by the Dukes of Florence and
Piedmont.
Schwaz, too, has the distinction of having had one of the earliest of
printing presses set up in the town; and matters referring to mining
and mining methods were often referred to the experienced and skilful
miners and engineers of Schwaz.
Just as was the case with the miners of the not far distant
Principality of Salzburg, those of Schwaz embraced the doctrines of
Luther, and made serious attempts to put down Roman Catholic
clericalism and oppression. On two occasions at least they marched in
considerable numbers upon Innsbruck, but were met at Hall by the
Bishop of Brixen, who prevailed upon them to return to their homes by
promises of redress of their grievances. But though they consented to
do this and did not proceed further down the Inn Thal, in Schwaz
itself the new faith and its supporters became so powerful that at one
time the latter managed to possess themselves of half of the parish
church, in which portion the Lutheran service was performed.
Ultimately they were ejected, and had to meet in a wood near the town,
where two followers of the Reformer, who had been deprived of their
status as Catholic priests, used to preach.
The appearance some little time later of a Franciscan, who came to
Schwaz with the object of "stiffening" the backs of the Catholics and
stamping out the new faith, led to collisions of a violent character
between the two parties.
One story, that was very generally accepted as a miracle by the
Catholic population, concerning these disputes, which sometimes were
not confined to words and arguments alone, is as follows. A leader
amongst the reformers is stated to have exclaimed during a heated
discussion, "If Pastor Söll (one of the priests who had accepted
Luther's doctrines) does not preach the true doctrine, may the Devil
carry me up into the Steinjoch." Hardly, we are told, were the words
out of his mouth when the speaker vanished.
It is unnecessary to add that the Lutheran faith received a heavy blow
from this incident, and the effect of the miracle, establishing, as
the Catholics claimed, the true faith, was further increased when the
unfortunate man who had thus been so suddenly spirited away returned
some time afterwards, confessing his transportation to the Steinjoch,
with a bruised body, and shattered faith in Pastor Söll.
Later on the mining industry was brought almost to a standstill owing
to religious disputes, and an invasion of Anabaptists. And although
the latter were expelled, and many thousands of those who favoured the
reformed faith were brought back to the true fold through the
instrumentality of the Jesuit fathers from Hall, the mines from this
time commenced to decline in richness, and never recovered their
former productiveness. For a considerable period copper and an
excellent quality of iron was found in large quantities after the
silver gave out, but the place as a mining centre declined more and
more as the years rolled by.
Schwaz, in addition to its religious dissensions, has in the past
suffered from a visitation of the plague, "when the inhabitants died
off like flies"; and it also suffered terribly in the campaign of
1809. In the latter year the Bavarians under the Duke of Dantzic and
their French allies under De Roi determined to strike terror into the
hearts of the inhabitants of the Inn Thal by burning the town. They
attacked the place, and not content with putting the inhabitants to
the sword practised upon them the most horrible cruelties; more
especially upon the women and young girls; some so revolting as to be
indescribable in print. None were spared; "old and young alike were
outraged, then either slain or thrown into the river or the blazing
ruins which had once been their homes."
[Sidenote: SCHWAZ PARISH CHURCH]
Fortunately, although little of the town itself was left standing to
show succeeding generations what ancient Schwaz had been like, owing
to successive occupations by hostile troops at the latter part of the
eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth centuries, the fine parish
church which had been commenced in 1470 (about) and was consecrated in
1502 was less injured than might have been expected. The plan of the
building is remarkable, containing a double nave, each complete with
its aisles, choir, and high altar, the cause of this peculiarity being
the fact that the miners were of sufficient wealth and importance at
the time of its construction to insist upon having a separate church
to themselves apart from the townspeople. Indeed, even nowadays one of
the high altars is known as "the Knappen Hoch Altar," or Miners' High
Altar. In the roof, composed of copper tiles, of which there are said
to be no less than fifteen thousand, provided as a contribution by the
mine-owners and miners, and in the device of crossed pickaxes,
appearing here and there in the decorations of the building, one can
clearly trace its connection with the mining industry, and the
interest the miners themselves showed in its erection.
The church at various times has been unskilfully restored, but it
still contains some very interesting and fine monuments, that to Hans
Dreyling, a metal-worker and founder, being especially worthy of note.
In it are depicted not only the metal-worker, but his three wives and
children, who are habited as knights, all being under the protection
of St. John the Baptist. This remarkable work is by the famous
founders Alexander Colin of Malines, and the even more famous Hans
Löffler. There are, too, nine altar pieces by Tyrolese painters which
should be carefully noted.
One finds some interesting painted houses in Schwaz, as in many other
villages and towns of the district of the Inn Thal, and some of the
frescoes, most of which depict religious subjects, are of considerable
merit.
The town, however, is not one to which many travellers come, or in
which tourists linger, although it is on the main line of railway, and
has considerable interest for those for whom church architecture,
legendary lore, and picturesqueness of a sort possesses attractions.
[Sidenote: GEORG VON FRUNDSBERG]
The deserted and ruined castle of the famous Frundsberg (whose name,
by the way, outrivals that of Shakespeare in the many forms in which
it is and can be spelled), a fortress which was there before the dawn
of the Christian Era, and no one seems to know quite how long even
before that, is quite close to the Schwaz. Its history is obscure for
many centuries after the period we have named, and only the barest
fragments have come down to us of the doings and life at Castle
Frundsberg during the eleventh down to the end of the fourteenth
century. It was in the time of "the famous fighter of a fighting
race," Georg von Frundsberg, son of Ulrich, knight of Frundsberg, born
at Mindelheim in 1473, and the founder of the _Landsknechte_, that the
castle and the family appear to have reached their zenith of
prosperity, wealth and fame, the former two characteristics being
chiefly due to Georg's marriage with a wealthy Suabian heiress. He was
"one of many sons, most of whom became distinguished, and three of
whom (Georg himself being one) were much esteemed by the Emperor
Maximilian." Georg was, at a very early age, made a general, and after
the Battle of Regensburg, in 1504, was knighted on the field by
Maximilian, who had witnessed his astonishing bravery and feats of
arms. When only four and twenty, he was esteemed a skilled and
unequalled leader of men, and in his campaigns against the Swiss and
Venetians he was wonderfully successful. Some most astonishing feats
of personal strength of his are recorded; how he could push an
ordinary man over with one of his fingers; could catch a runaway horse
and bring him to his haunches with one hand; and many a time clove his
opponents in two halves with a blow from his two-handled sword. It is
not unlikely that his immense natural strength had a good deal to do
with his being exalted into a popular hero, and being made the central
figure of many legendary tales and astonishing romances. Of him they
sang--
"Georg von Frundsberg,
Von grosser Sterk,
Ein theurer Held;
Behielt das Feld
In Streit und Krieg.
Den Feind niederslieg
In aller Schlacht.
Er legt Got zu die Er und Macht."
Which maybe roughly translated: "George of Frundsberg, of marvellous
strength; a hero of renown; invincible upon the field of combat and
war; victorious in every battle. The honour of which success he gave
to God."
He threw in his lot with the Lutherans, and commanded the troops under
Charles V., and was one of the knights who were concerned in the
attack upon Rome.
Although at one time immensely wealthy, when he was at last taken with
an apoplectic seizure during the siege of the latter city, and carried
home to die at Mindelheim, he was a ruined man. He had spared none of
his wealth in the prosecution of expeditions in which he had been
engaged, where, as often as not, the kings and emperors on whose
behalf they were undertaken failed to pay the troops. To his credit,
Georg von Frundsberg seems to have invariably paid the men himself;
and we are told he seldom took the booty which fell to his share,
selecting only some comparatively valueless, though generally
historically interesting objects, such as flags and banners, a sword
(jewelled sometimes, it is true, but still comparatively unimportant
monetarily compared with the vast treasure he might have taken as his
share), or the helmet of a conquered challenger, preferring that his
men should be well paid by the major portion of the loot for their
bravery and endurance. In those days money advanced by nobles and
others to warring princes to carry on expeditions was generally not
recovered from the actual borrowers, but repaid by robbery of the
conquered, out of the booty seized, or by means of the ransoms paid by
distinguished prisoners. So it happened that Georg von Frundsberg,
scorning these means, was gradually ruined, for neither Charles V. nor
Maximilian saw to it that the vast sums he from time to time expended
on their behalf during their campaigns were repaid to him.
His motto, which ran, "The more opponents the greater honour," was
characteristic of himself and of his race. But with his death, and the
financial embarrassments which afflicted his heirs, owing to the heavy
mortgages on the estates which he had left behind him, with no means
of discharging the same, the Frundsbergs declined rapidly in power,
and the race came to an end in the male line on the death of his son
George (one of nine children) in 1586,[25] though there are
descendants in the female line of the Frundsbergs living at the
present time.
The castle afterwards fell into ruins, and its history may be said to
have ceased with the close of the sixteenth century. The Bavarians,
however, made use of the ruined walls for "cover" during the campaign
of 1809, when they were attacked by the forces raised by Hofer and his
comrades.
FOOTNOTES:
[21] W. A. Baillie Grohman, "Tyrol: the Land in the Mountains."
[22] The Emperor is stated to have trained and fired the first shot
himself.
[23] Mr. W. A. Baillie-Grohman.
[24] One account states that the coach itself was drawn by the four
thousand horses!
[25] Some authorities give the year as 1580.--C. H.
CHAPTER XII
THROUGH THE OBER-INNTHAL: ZIRL, ITS CHURCH, LEGENDS, AND
PAINTED HOUSES--THE MARTINSWAND AND
MAXIMILIAN--SCHARNITZ--LANDECK--BLUDENZ--BREGENZ AND ITS
LEGEND OF THE MAID
From Schwaz to Zirl,[26] beyond Innsbruck, is between twenty-nine and
thirty miles, either by train or road. The latter is quite good for
cycling, and those who are not cyclists or pedestrians will find to
make the journey by carriage a delightful way of reaching the
picturesque little village from which the ascent of the Gross Solstein
may be made, and that also of the more romantic and famous
Martinswand.
The village is, unlike many of those lying in the Unter-Innthal, east
of Innsbruck, an agricultural one, with most of the houses built in
straight rows, and having quaint and picturesque, but not very clean
or salubrious, courtyards in the rear. Some of the most charming
groups of peasants, ox-carts, and "farm scenes" are to be found at
Zirl, which is a good deal visited by artists, and invites the
attention of amateur photographers.
In most cases the houses have their dwelling-rooms and sleeping
accommodation on the first floor, which is reached by flights of
steps, and the exteriors of the dwellings are made picturesque and
quaint by the projecting gables of carved wood, and the galleries
which jut out beneath them, where the corn, herbs, and other produce
is either laid out or hung up to dry. As in other villages of the Inn
Thal, one sees the love of colour in the delicate pink, blue (almost a
lavender), and green tints of the stucco-work on the house-fronts and
walls. Zirl is a picture-village, too, and on the houses, as one
drives or walks through the narrow streets, one catches glimpses of
paintings of Virgins, saints engaged in vigorous and deadly combats
with evil-looking monsters of the dragon tribe, and here and there,
set in a niche in the wall, a tiny figure of a Madonna, saint, or
crucifix protected with glass, and often surrounded with a chaplet or
bunches of withered flowers.
One of the Inns, named "the Regenbogen," has a most vivid and even
startling representation of a rainbow (which gives it its name)
painted over the arched doorway.
The church of Zirl is chiefly interesting from the frescoes it
contains, which are the work of Schöpf. The churchyard is a spot in
which to linger. It is instinct with the pathos which comes in a
measure from partial neglect, and picturesqueness of environment.
One of the little town's chief attractions to the antiquarian and the
student of ancient and curious things will undoubtedly be the
Calvarienberg, which lies a little to the north; green and beautiful,
and crowned by a picturesque pilgrimage church. The ascent is
comparatively easy, and well repays one for the climb, not only on
account of the interest of the "Calvary," to form which the natural
rocks have been adapted, but by reason of the delightful views which
are obtainable from the plateau.
The path is dotted here and there by tiny buff-coloured chapels,
painted a sky blue inside, marking the stations of the cross; and from
almost all, as one turns round and faces the way one has come, or
looks out over the valley below, there is some charming view, or tiny
tree-framed vista, to arouse one's interest and delight one's eyes.
The church, were it not so isolated, and set amid greenery, and
surrounded with flower-bedecked grass, would strike one as garish, so
bright in tone are the colours with which it is adorned. But somehow
or other there, amid silence scarcely ever disturbed by the noises of
the village and only occasionally broken by the musical tinkle of cow
bells, and in a sunshine and air which is so bright and breezy and
clear, one's artistic sense seems to rest unshocked by the vividness
of the distemper and paint, and the crudity of the decorations.
[Sidenote: THE MARTINSWAND]
The village is, of course, very closely connected with several
incidents in the defence of Tyrol against the various Bavarian
invasions; and in the immediate neighbourhood is the Martinswand,
which rises sheer from the valley below Zirl, and was the scene,
according to tradition, of a perilous hunting adventure of the Emperor
Maximilian. The story is as follows: It was on Easter Monday, in the
year 1493,[27] when "Kaiser Max," as he was familiarly and
affectionately called by his Tyrolese subjects, was staying at
Weierburg, that he determined to set out on one of his favourite
hunting expeditions on the Zirlergebirge. There are many accounts of
what happened, but one of the most credited says that the chamois
which the Emperor had been stalking suddenly led him down the
precipitous face of the Martinswand.
[Sidenote: MAXIMILIAN'S EXPLOIT]
Intrepid hunter as he was, however, the steepness of the terrible
descent, which suddenly opened up beneath his feet, did not quench his
ardour for the chase nor deter him. But unfortunately, in his haste in
scrambling down the rocks, the iron nails in his hunting boots were
torn out one by one, until when he at last reached a rocky ledge
scarcely a foot in width there was but a single spike left in either
of them. To descend further was impossible, and upon glancing upward
along the path he had come, the Emperor at once saw that retreat by
the same way was equally hazardous. So there he hung literally
between earth and sky, visible as a mere speck from the valley which
yawned beneath him. A less fearless sportsman might well have been
unnerved by the position in which he found himself, or exhausted by
the strain put upon him. But the Emperor was made of tough and
enduring stuff, and his nerves were iron. Not only did he manage to
retain his foothold at that dizzy height, but he succeeded in nerving
himself to look about him, and after doing so for some time discovered
near by a small cleft or cavity in the rock which would afford him at
least a better foothold, if not actual protection.
The members of his hunting party who had followed him to the edge of
the precipitous Martinswand now looked down, but were unable to
determine what had become of Maximilian. And none from below in the
valley could, of course, see him, even if he had not been partly
hidden, first, by the ledge of rock and then by the cave, from the
fact that he was more than a thousand feet above them. At last,
however, when his probable situation became known to his followers and
to the inhabitants of Zirl, prayers for his safety and ultimate escape
were offered up in the church; and the priests also brought the Holy
Sacrament out to the top of the Martinswand, and there again offered
prayers for the Emperor's deliverance.
His retainers, huntsmen, and companions in the chase gazed up or down,
as the case might be, helplessly and hopelessly at him, and to them no
human aid seemed to be possible. Just as every one was about to
abandon hope (one version of the occurrence tells us), a daring
huntsman, named Oswald Zips, appeared, having himself climbed down the
precipice in pursuit of his quarry.
Surprised to find the Emperor, he called out, "Hullo! What brings you
here?"
[Illustration: AUTUMN IN S. TYROL]
And the former, no doubt, relieved in mind and not disposed to stand
upon ceremony or resent so unconventional a greeting, replied, "I am
on the look out."
To which the newcomer replied, "And so am I. Shall we venture down
together?"
And upon the Emperor agreeing to make the attempt--after, according to
various accounts, having spent from twenty-four to seventy-two hours
in his perilous position--they set out to descend the remainder of the
cliff face, and ultimately succeeded in doing so in safety. The daring
hunter (who various accounts say was a brigand, and others an outlaw),
to whom a secret path was known, was naturally well rewarded by the
grateful monarch, and ultimately was ennobled with the title of
Hollaner von Hohenfelsen; the last word, "High Rock," commemorating
the incident. As is perhaps natural, some accounts place a
supernatural aspect upon the Emperor's deliverance, and state that it
was an angel which guided him to safety, sent by Heaven in answer to
the prayers of the priests and people and the Emperor's trust in
Providence.
Amongst the treasures of Schloss Ambras is the monstrance in which the
Host was carried by the priests of Zirl when they celebrated Mass for
the comfort of the Emperor on Martinswand and offered up prayers for
his deliverance.
Maximilian, finding afterwards that many of the people of Zirl and the
district were determined to make the perilous descent to the little
cave which had afforded him shelter and foothold, employed some of the
Schwaz miners to cut a path down to it and to enlarge the cavity,
which became known as the Max-Höhle. In the cave was placed a
crucifix, with figures of the Virgin and St. John on either side, of
sufficiently large size to be visible from the valley below. The
cavern can be reached by this path (or one made since) in about an
hour and a half; but the climb is distinctly one which should be
attempted only by the clear-headed and sure-footed. A very excellent
view of the "hole" used to be obtainable from the ruins of the little
hunting-box and chapel to St. Martin which Maximilian afterwards
erected upon the green knoll opposite to it, known as the
Martins-buhel, but now private property.
Those who stop at Zirl and visit the Martinswand should not fail to
proceed a few miles further northward to the pretty little village of
Seefeld. On the way along the six miles of winding and picturesque
road one passes Fragenstein, once a strong fortress and afterwards
converted by "Kaiser Max" into one of his numerous hunting seats,
which lie scattered about the Inn Thal and the district round about.
There is quite a romantic story of buried treasure in connection with
ruined Fragenstein, in which a huntsman clad in green is mixed up, who
appears periodically and invites the peasants by his gestures to come
and assist him in digging up the treasure. Several attempts have been
made to discover the latter in past times, but all have been
frustrated when success appeared to be certain. On one occasion the
peasants of the valley say those who were digging, and had worked hard
for many days turning up the soil in every direction, actually had the
metal chest, in which the treasure is reputed to lie buried, in sight,
when a terrific storm burst over the valley, and when it had subsided
all traces of their work had been washed away or otherwise
obliterated, and the clue was never again discovered. The road to
Seefeld, though tempting for pedestrians, is steep, especially up to
Leiten and Reit; but those who walk may take some short cuts on the
curves, and will be well repaid by the pretty scenery and fresh,
invigorating air.
Neither at Leiten nor Reit is there much to detain the traveller--a
few picturesque houses; nothing more. And so on to Seefeld. In
connection with the village and its Heilige Blutskapelle there is one
of those many legendary stories, of which there are so great a number
known to Tyrolese Folk-lore.
Many centuries ago there appears to have lived at Seefeld a man named
Oswald Milser, who was rich and powerful and generous both to the
Church and to his poorer neighbours. His one besetting sin, however,
was pride, and so one day when he went to take the Easter Eucharist he
insisted that to distinguish him from the other communicants and mark
his importance the priest should give him one of the larger wafers
reserved for the use of the priests alone. Afraid to offend Milser,
who had been a generous supporter of the Church and a giver of large
alms, the priest complied with his request. No sooner, however, was
the host placed upon his tongue than the weight of it bore Milser to
the earth. And although in his terror and predicament he clung to the
altar, and then to the altar steps as he sunk further, the latter gave
way, and he continued to sink lower and lower, till in his terror he
called upon the priest to take the host back from him. This the priest
did, and when Oswald Milser had recovered from his fright he
recognized that the circumstance was a lesson to his pride, and
ultimately he gave his goods to the poor and the Church, and entered a
monastery to lead a life of penance and contemplation.
[Sidenote: A MIRACULOUS ROSEBUSH]
When his wife was told the miracle, she refused to credit it, saying
that sooner than do so she would believe that a dead rose-tree could
blossom. The story goes on to tell how immediately "a rose-tree which
was near by and had been dead for a long time, put forth the most
beautiful blooms, and so confounded the wicked woman that she went out
of her mind, rushed from her house, and was never more seen in the
flesh." But her spirit was often heard at night, wailing and moaning
on the mountain-side.
It was to contain this miraculous host which had confounded Oswald
Milser's pride that the Archduke Ferdinand, in 1575, built a special
little chapel on the left side of the fine fourteenth-century Gothic
church of Seefeld. This is even nowadays an object of veneration, to
which a considerable number of pilgrims come. The altar-piece is a
fine one, and was well restored about five-and-thirty years ago. The
statues which adorn it are those of the favourite legendary heroes of
Tyrol, St. Oswald and St. Sigismund, whilst the subjects of the
bas-reliefs are the incidents of Biblical history, known as "The
Mysteries of the Rosary." Amongst the "treasures" of the church are a
remarkably fine and interesting crystal reliquary and crown, given by
the Archduchess Eleonora.
From Seefeld there are many interesting excursions to be made into the
picturesque Mittenwald district, which lies to the north, upon the
Bavarian frontier.
Scharnitz lies at the point where the Hinderan and Karwendel valleys
unite. It has memories of many a struggle against the Bavarian
invaders, and more particularly of the defence of the fortress Porta
Claudia, built during the Thirty Years' War by Claudia de Medici, by
an Englishman named Swinburne, an ancestor of the late Algernon
Charles Swinburne the poet. He was an officer in the Austrian service,
and had a force of only 600 against Marshal Ney, with nearly 20,000,
and made so gallant and stubborn a defence that when the garrison at
length surrendered to such vastly superior numbers they made their own
terms and were allowed to march out as prisoners of war whilst
retaining their side-arms. They were sent as prisoners to
Aix-la-Chapelle, but the "colours" were saved by one of the garrison,
a Tyrolese, who made his escape with them wound round his body. He was
sought for amid the mountains for many weeks, but was not recaptured,
and lived to, later on, reach Vienna and hand the precious colours to
his gallant chief, who had so well defended the fortress.
We reached Telfs from Seefeld by road. The village, which boasts a
large cotton factory, is prettily situated and pleasant, but there is
nothing in the place itself to detain the traveller. The same remark
applies to Imst, once given over to the breeding of canaries, which
were so celebrated for their singing qualities that they were exported
to all parts of Europe. The old Inn, however, is worth inspection
should a stop be made at the little town, and there are many
excursions of a charming character to be made in the district round
about.
[Sidenote: LANDECK]
Landeck is a prettily situated and important little town in a wide
bend of the Inn Thal, having a fine prospect of environing mountain
summits occupying both sides of the river and dominated by Castle
Landeck, whose grim, square, and battlemented tower forms a striking
feature of the landscape. Another prominent building, which at once
strikes one on approaching the place either by road or rail, is the
fine fifteenth-century parish church standing on the slope of the
hill, which is crowned by the castle.
The church was founded by two natives of the place, only the Christian
names of whom appear to have survived, who, having lost their two
children in the forest near by, vowed that if the latter were found
they would show their gratitude by erecting a church to the Holy
Virgin. Hardly had the vow been uttered, the legend states, when the
distracted parents saw a bear and a wolf advancing towards them, each
bearing a child unharmed in its mouth!
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]
Then suddenly the heights above literally swarmed with Tyrolese, who
had remained hidden until the right moment to attack, who poured into
the huddled and panic-stricken mass of the enemy a hail of bullets,
supplemented by stones and pieces of rock hurled down by those who
were not possessed of guns. Only a mere handful of the force was able
to turn back and escape along the path by which they had come, and
these were speedily overtaken by the active mountaineers and made
prisoners. Not one, we are told, made good his escape to bear news of
the disaster to headquarters, and thus the French and Bavarian
commanders were for some considerable time in doubt as to what had
occurred. In the end they learned how their immensely superior force
had been literally cut to pieces and wiped out, and perhaps also to
hold the "rough jackets" of Landeck and the Inn Thal in greater
respect than they had done before. The victory of July 1st, as it is
known amongst the many other successes of the peasants' campaign
against the invaders of their land, is celebrated every year by a
procession and _fête_.
Besides being a most interesting little town, Landeck is yearly
growing more popular with holiday makers and rest seekers as a fine
centre from which to make some of the most delightful excursions and
short tours in the whole of the Inn Thal. The chief of these are
either in the immediate neighbourhood into the Lotzer Thal, and
Medriol Thal, or along and by way of the splendid Finstermunz high
road to Sulden, Trafoi, and other smaller places. There is also, of
course, the famous Stilfserjoch, the highest carriage-road in Europe,
and the pretty villages and valleys of the Kaunser Thal to invite a
long stay amid surroundings which are scarcely excelled in any other
district of North Tyrol.
But not merely days and weeks, but even months could be pleasantly
spent with Landeck as a base from which to explore the numberless
beautiful and almost unknown smaller valleys and gorges which run out
of the Inn Valley north and south, and in the former case lead one to
that wonderland of the Bavarian highlands, with its many ancient and
Royal castles, lovely little lakes, and fertile, flower-decked
pastures.
Soon after leaving Landeck, either by rail or road, one crosses the
boundary which separates the Ober-Innthal from the Vorarlberg. If by
the latter, as one approaches the summit of the Arlberg, which is 5910
feet above sea-level, one catches sight of an immense crucifix
overshadowing the road, near which are the two posts marking the
boundary line. The old road was opened for traffic nearly a century
and a quarter ago, but a considerable portion of that now generally
used, which is more sheltered and protected, was not made until 1825.
By the magnificent Arlberg Pass route one can reach Bregenz, and to
make the journey in this way by carriage or afoot is most delightful,
though the railway, after the long tunnel is passed, is very
interesting and picturesque.
However, comparatively few tourists and travellers nowadays devote the
time necessary to traverse the Arlberg to Bregenz by road, and so
Bludenz must be included in the itinerary we are describing. The
little town, which has a bustling and prosperous air, though it is
decidedly hot in summer, still possesses a considerable number of its
older buildings and houses. The ancient château or castle of
Gayenhofen is now used for Government purposes; it forms a picturesque
landmark in the town.
Bludenz will always have a place in the romantic history of Tyrol from
the fact that it was here that the well-beloved "Frederick with the
Empty Purse" came while an outlaw and in fear for his life. He made
himself known to the innkeeper where he sought refuge, who, though
embarrassed, was delighted to shelter the popular hero. His view was
shared by the rest of the inhabitants of the town, who when summoned
by the Emperor Sigismund to deliver up their prince declined to do so,
saying, "they had sworn fealty to Duke Frederick and the house of
Austria, and they would not betray him."
Frederick, though doubtless touched by the loyalty of the Bludenz
folk, knew that if he remained amongst them the result would probably
be the dispatch of a force by the Emperor to capture him, and the
possible destruction of the town by way of reprisal. So he stole
quietly away, and Bludenz was saved.
The old town is well worth a few hours' stay, and there are many
picturesque "bits" to be discovered for sketch book and camera in the
older houses and side alleys, even if time will not permit of a
sufficiently long sojourn to allow one to visit the pretty Montfacon
Thal, with its legend of a beautiful maiden who lived up in the
mountain guarding a hidden treasure, which she is condemned to watch
over until some one is bold enough to kiss three times a huge toad
which lives hard by, and also guards the wealth that is to reward the
bold rescuer of the maiden.
[Sidenote: FELDKIRCH]
Feldkirch is the last important town on the route to Bregenz.
Pleasantly situated near the grim gorges through which the river Ill
rushes with ever-increasing rapidity and force to join the Rhine,
there is much of interest in the quaint streets, and the arcades which
run in front of many of the houses.
The town itself is shut in by the mountains and dominated by the old
fortress of Shattenburg, now used as a retreat or home for the poor;
and for this reason perhaps is less resorted to than it otherwise
might be. There are, however, a large number of most interesting
excursions to be made in the neighbourhood, and the fifteenth-century
church is a fine one, with a good "Descent from the Cross" by a native
artist, Wolfgang Huber, and a remarkable and handsome pulpit, both
dating from the early years of the sixteenth century. Costume, too, is
occasionally seen in Feldkirch, and on one Sunday, the occasion of a
festival, there were quite a number of women wearing the old-time
steeple-crowned, brimless beaver hats--in shape somewhat like that of
a Russian _Moujick_ or the busby of a Grenadier--wide white collars,
embroidered bodices, and handsome brocaded aprons.
The last place in Tyrol when leaving it by the Arlberg route is the
most delightful and ancient town of Bregenz, standing upon the
north-eastern shore of Lake Constance. It is the capital of the
Vorarlberg, and in this delightful corner of Tyrol there is no town of
greater charm or historic interest. Above it rises the picturesque
Gebhardsberg, from the summit of which there is one of the most
celebrated panoramic views in Tyrol, embracing as it does the
beautiful lake, the Appenzell Mountains, and the rapidly flowing
Rhine.
There are really two towns in Bregenz. The old town, shaped like a
quadrilateral, standing on the hill which ages ago was the site of the
Roman settlement and castle, with two ancient gates, one of which has
been pulled down; and the newer town, with its shady promenades, quay,
modern buildings, and air of bustle during the tourist season.
[Sidenote: A LEGEND OF BREGENZ]
Irrespective of its unusually beautiful situation, one finds in
Bregenz much to interest and detain. It is a truly ancient place, with
much history--some of it of a romantic kind--attached to it. In the
Middle Ages, indeed, the overlords of the town and district were so
powerful that their house supplied the Emperor Charlemagne with a
bride, concerning whom there is a legendary and highly romantic tale.
[Illustration: CHURCH INTERIOR, TYROL]
It would appear from this story that Charlemagne was of a more than
usually suspicious nature, and by no means one of those complaisant
husbands with which the Mediæval tales have familiarized us. An old
lover of Hildegarde, having seen her married to the Emperor with great
distress of mind, in his wrath against her for preferring even an
Emperor to himself, got ear of Charlemagne, and so succeeded in
poisoning the latter's mind against his bride, that he either divorced
or repudiated her, and married a Lombardian princess called
Desiderata.
Accepting her fate resignedly, Hildegarde eventually found her way to
Rome, where she devoted herself to the care of the sick, and
especially of the sick pilgrims who came to the "Eternal City." In
course of time, so the story goes, her revengeful lover, whose name,
Taland, is almost as common a one in Tyrol as Smith in England, having
lost his sight, came on a pilgrimage, and whilst in Rome was cared for
by Hildegarde, "whose tender and saintly hands," we are told, "not
only restored his physical sight, but also his moral perception of
right and wrong."
He was so overcome with remorse when he learned to whom, under
Providence, he owed his restoration to sight, that he confessed his
fault to Hildegarde, and insisted upon accompanying her to
Charlemagne, to whom he also confessed, and proved Hildegarde to have
been blameless. The Emperor at once restored her to favour and honour.
In another story connected with Bregenz, which was made the subject of
a poem by the late Adelaide Ann Proctor, one has preserved an incident
connected with the heroic conduct of a Bregenz woman in saving the
town from surprise and destruction by the Swiss. There are several
versions of the story, which dates from 1408, but probably, as it is
of a legendary character, the one given in the ballad is as correct as
any other.
Unhappily, the Bregenz folk of to-day appear to know little of this
heroine; and on one occasion on which we visited the town, and made a
search for the effigy of the Maid and her steed on the gate of the old
castle, or walls of the upper town, we were unable to find it. No one
seemed to know the story of the "Maid of Bregenz," and an old lady,
who had a temporary stall outside the gate for the sale of cakes and
other refreshments, became quite irascible upon our persisting in the
belief that there must have been a "Maid," and that she (the old lady)
ought to know the legend.
"There is no 'Maid of Bregenz,'" she said angrily at last. Adding,
after a pause, during which she looked us up and down as though to
decide upon our nationality, "But mad English people have asked me
hundreds of times about her. I know nothing. There is no more to be
said."
And with this she returned to her perusal of the paper she had been
reading when we accosted her, and we had to be content.
We made our way down the somewhat rugged and steep road to the lower
town a little crestfallen, although the view of the lake in the late
afternoon sunshine of a July day was exquisite beyond description, the
water deep blue and green in patches, with the incoming and outgoing
boats and steamers leaving frothy-white or rippling wakes behind them
almost as long as they themselves remained in sight. One determination
we came to. It was in future not to inquire too closely into such
pretty and poetical stories as that of the "Maid of Bregenz," and not
to allow our desire for legendary or antiquarian knowledge to permit
us to run the risk of further disillusionment.[28]
We did not find the effigy of "the maid and her milk-white steed," on
which she had ridden over the Swiss frontier and swum across the Rhine
to warn the inhabitants of her old home of a projected attack by the
Swiss amongst whom she had gone to dwell in service. The genial
proprietor of the Oesterreichischer Hof, we found, had heard of "the
Maid." Alas! not from his fellow-townsfolk (who should have cherished
her memory), but, like the old lady in the upper town, from English
tourists, who had, doubtless, climbed the steep ascent on a similar
errand of inquiry and research to our own.
"Maid" or no maid, however, Bregenz is delightful, and well deserves
the title of "pearl of the Vorarlberg" which has been bestowed upon
it. In its quaint old streets, its Capuchin Convent, which is so
prominent a feature, standing as it does upon a wooded knoll of the
Gebhardsberg, and its fine church, to the south on another eminence,
with an ancient and weather-worn tower, there is plenty of interest.
Picturesque the place most certainly is, and the effect is greatly
heightened by the near presence of the lake, which stretches away in
front of the town to fair Constance in the far distance.
[Sidenote: FAREWELL, TYROL]
In leaving Tyrol by way of beautiful Bregenz, washed as it is by the
waters of one of the most delightful of Swiss lakes, one carries with
one a last impression which is fragrant with the memories of a
hospitable race, charming scenery, and innumerable things of historic,
artistic, and antiquarian interest. There is, indeed, no other gate
through which one would rather leave this "Land within the Mountains,"
which, as yet unspoiled by crowds of tourists and general
sophistication and the deterioration which arises therefrom, lures one
to return to it again and again.
FOOTNOTES:
[26] By a strange coincidence, whilst the following description of
this interesting and charming village was actually being written, the
news of its almost total destruction by fire reached the author,
necessitating the omission of some details. Many of the houses,
however, have been rebuilt, in much the same style as formerly.--C. H.
[27] Some authorities give the date as being several years
earlier.--C. H.
[28] It is possible that Miss Proctor's poem ("A Legend of Bregenz")
is founded upon the legendary story of Ehre Guta, who is reputed to
have delivered the country-folk of the Bregenz district from an attack
of the Appenzellers some time during the early part of the fifteenth
century.--C. H.
INDEX
A
Abbey of Wilten, 17
Abel of Cologne, work of, 99
Absam, 139-142
and Jakob Stainer, maker of violins, 139
dragon legend of, 140
painted houses at, 140
story of "Miraculous Window" at, 141
A buried city, 249
Adventures of Oswald von Wolkenstein, 217-220
Aeni, Pons, 7
A fifteenth-century "blue stocking," 194
Aguntum (Innichen) Station, 9
Albianum (Kufstein), 7
"A Legend of Bregenz," 326
Alemanni, the, 11
Alpine flowers at Cortina, 267
Alt, Salome, and Archbishop von Raitenau, 174
Altissimo di Nago, 253
Ambras, Castle, 113
Court at, 121
early history of, 114
the Hoch Schloss, 123
the tourney ground, 125
traditions, 124
treasures at, 123
Ancient palaces of Trent, 243-247
Andechs, family of, 16
Anif, castle of, 179
Anna Katharina Gonzaga of Mantua, 31
Anton Gump, Landhaus of, 84
Aquila Nera Inn, Cortina, 266
Araba, 273
Archduke Ferdinand, 29
Leopold, 31
Arco, 251
church at, 251
Arlberg tunnel, 72
Arms, summons to, 41
Arno, Bishop of Salzburg, 156
Art, collection at Innsbruck, 89
Art, world-famous collection, 30
Arthur, King of England, 93
Arzl, pilgrimage chapel of, 133
Augusta Vindelicorum, 6
Austerlitz, battle of, 38
Austria, emperors of, 32
Austrian, defeat of forces at Wagram, 43
B
Bad Ratzes, 278
Baiovarii, 12
Battle of Austerlitz, 38
Custozza, 50
Giants, 106
Leipsic, 49
Marengo and Hohenlinden, 37
Naïssus, 11
near the Brenner, 4
Sadowa, 50
Spinges, 228, 229
Vercelli, 3
Bavaria, Duke Louis of, 25
Bavarian occupation, 39
troops enter Tyrol, 43
Bavarians, 12
Belluno, cathedral at, 270
Bible incidents, oral versions of, 57
Biener, William, and Rattenberg, 291
story of, 291-293
Bishop of Freisingen, 20
Passau, 15
Bisson, General, surrender of, 41
Black Death, 21
Bludenz, 322
and "Frederick of the Empty Purse," 322, 323
Bohemia, Prince John of, 19
Bozen, 206-210
Calvarienberg, near, 211
description of, 206, 207
fine houses, 208
Franciscan monastery at, 210
history of, 207
Laubengasse at, 209
Parish Church, 209
(Pons Drusi), 8
Sarnthal costumes at, 210
Bozen, statue of von Vogelweide at, 209
Bregenz, 324-327
Capuchin convent, 327
Brenner route, the, 3
road, the, 8
history of, 10
Brixen, 226-228
cathedral of, 227, 228
bishop's palace at, 228
Brixlegg, 293
peasant plays at, 293, 294
Buchenstein, 270
Büchsenhausen, castle of, 97
Burg, the, 80
C
Campo Formio, treaty of, 37
Canazei, 274
Caprile, 271
Castle Ambras, 113
Court at, 121
early history of, 114
the Hoch Schloss, 123
the tourney ground, 125
traditions of, 124
treasures at, 123
Castle Tyrol, 16
siege of, 22
Castle of Büchsenhausen, 97
Frundsberg, 303
Lizzana, 248
Runkelstein, 211
Castle of Runkelstein, frescoes of, 211, 212
Schonna, near Meran, 203
Starkenberg, 68
Tratzberg, 295
Trautson, 231
Trostburg, 216, 217
Cathedral, Belluno, 270
Brixen, 227, 228
Salzburg, 171, 172
Cathedral, Salzburg, burning of, 171
Trent, 241
Catherine of Saxony, 27
Catholic persecutions, 161
Cavalese, 276
bishop's palace at, 276
Cell, Maximilian's, 85
Cenotaph, Maximilian's, description of panels surrounding, 99
description of, 98
Ceremonials, pathetic, 60
Chapel, pilgrimage, of Maria Larch, 145
Silver, Innsbruck, 97
Silver, Innsbruck, statues in, 103
Charlemagne, empire of, 13, 14
reforms by, 15
Chasteler, General, 42
Church of the Servites, Innsbruck, 84
Jesuit, Innsbruck, 85
of Maria Waldrast, near Matrei, 231
Madonna alle Laste, near Trent, 247
Cimbri, the invasion of, 2
Civil war, 21, 25
Conquest of the country, Roman, 6
Constance, Council of, 25
Cortina, 265, 266
church at, 266
famous inn at, 266
festivals at, 265
frescoes at, 266
Costumes of Innsbruck, 75
at Feldkirch, 323
at St. Ulrich, 226
national, of Tyrol, 82
the Sarnthal, 210
Tyrol, 63
Council of Constance, 25
Trent, 236-240
Counts of Tyrol, 16, 17
Court at Castle Ambras, 121
Innsbruck, 80
Customs, curious wedding, 64
quaint Tyrolean, 59
Custozza, battle of, 50
D
Dante and the Castle Lizzana, 248
Trentino, 242
Val Sacra, 243
"Das Land im Gebirge," 13
Death, Black, 21
Defregger, Franz, historical masterpieces of, 90
Dialect, concerning, 225
Diaries of early travel, 14
of the Bishop of Passau, 15
Dolomite district, 255
groups, 261, 262
scenery, 258
Dolomites, 254-280
characteristics of the, 260
formation of, 256, 257
inns and hotels in the, 259
theories concerning, 256
theories of origin of, 257
touring in, 259
Dreiheiligen Kirche (Holy Trinity), 86
Drusi, Pons (Bozen), 8
Drusus, 4, 6
Duke Ernest, 25
Frederick, 24, 25
Louis of Bavaria, 25
Sigismund, 26
E
Eggenthal, famous waterfall in the, 213
Eleanora, daughter of James I. of Scotland, 194
Vincenzo of Mantua, 31
Emperor Theodoric the Goth, 93
Empire, Charlemagne's, 14
"Empty Purse, Frederick of the," 24
Enneberger, 271
Epiphany performances, 60
Eppans, the, 16
Ernest, Duke--reconciliation of Duke Frederick, 25
Etruria, ancient language of, 53
Evangelic Union, 170
F
Falzarego Pass, 270
Fassa Thal, 275, 279
Feldkirch, 323
costumes at, 323
engagement near, 37
Ferdinand, Archduke, 29
Tomb of, 102
Festival of St. Vigilius, 234
Festivals at Cortina, 265
First Counts of Tyrol, 17
Fleimse Thal, 276
Florus, the historian, 5
Franz Defregger, historical masterpieces of, 90
Franzenfeste, 229
Frauenberg, Conrad of, 23
Frederick, Duke, 24
reconciliation of Duke Ernest, 25
of the "Empty Pocket," story of, 73
Freisingen, Bishop of, 20
French, Bavarian and Saxon troops enter Tyrol, 43
French Revolution, 36
Frundsberg, Georg von, 308-310
Fugger, George, story of, 243-246
Fulpmes, 131
G
Gaisberg, 179, 180
view from, 180
Gebhardsberg, 327
General Bisson, 41
Chasteler, 42
Georgenberg, St., 295
ancient shrine at, 296
dishonest abbot of, 300
miracle of, 296
origin of the Church of, 298
Germanization of Tyrol, 53
Ghostly Legend, A, 69
Giants, battle of, 106
Gilg Sesselschreiber, 95
flight to Augsburg, 96
Golden Roof, the, 79
"Goldener Adler," 81
Goths and Huns, 12
Goths, Emperor Theodoric of the, 93
Goths, inroads of the, 11
Grafschaften, 15
"Grape Cure" at Meran, 198, 200
Grape Harvest at Meran, 200
Grasleiten Pass, 277
"Great Week" in Tyrolese history, 45
Grödenerthal, ascents in, 273
H
Habsburgs, schemes of the, 22
Haimon and the Dragon, 107
Hall, 134-138
interesting church of, 137
Münsterturm at, 135
St. Saviour's church, 138
salt mines, 135
Haspinger, the Capuchin Monk, 38
Haydn, Michael, at Salzburg, 185
Heilig Wasser, 128
Hellbrunn, Chateau of, 176-178
gardens and fountains, 177
mechanical theatre at, 178
Monatsschlösschen at, 178
stone theatre at, 178
Henry, youngest son of Meinhard II., 17
Herzog-Friedrich-strasse, arcades of the, 82
Highway, Tyrol, 14
Historian Florus, 5
Historic Events, Innsbruck, 101
Historical masterpieces of Franz Defregger, 90
History of the Statues at Hofkirche, 94
History in Marble, Innsbruck, 99
Hofburg, the, Innsbruck, 91
Hofer Andreas, 37, 46
birth of, 38
commander-in-chief, 40
"battle cry" of, 44
triumph of, 45
Hofer's nickname, 45
Hofer named dictator of Tyrol, 46
capture of, 48
led forth to die, 48
death of, 49
tomb of, 102
in the Meran "Hero Plays," 195, 196
Hofkirche, the, Innsbruck, 92, 104
History of the statues, 94
Hohen-Salzburg, 167-170
description of, 167
sieges of, 169
cable railway, 169
Hohen Tauern, range, 150
Hohenlinden, battle of, 37
Hollaner von Hohenfelsen, 315
Horace, 4
Hostelries, 10
Huns and Goths, 12
I
Igls, 126
Inhabitants, original, 1
Innichen (Aguntum) Station, 9
church and village, 262
Inns and hostelries, 10
ancient, 81, 275
Innsbruck, approach to, 72
art collection, 89
attractions of, 110
capture of, 42
character of, 74
costumes and uniforms at, 75
famous statues, 97
gaieties, 73
gay court at, 80
historical masterpieces of Franz Defregger, 90
Jesuit church at, 85
market types, 83
Marktgraben, 83
Maximilian's Tomb, 93
Maximilian's, description of, Cenotaph, 98, 99
mediæval buildings in, 81
museum treasures, 89
National Museum, 87
plague, 86
rise of, 76
rulers, 77
Silver chapel at, 97
site of, 5
some historic events at, 101
the environs of, 113-132
the Hofburg, 91
the Hofkirche, 92
the newer town, 87
winter sports at, 111
Invaders, Teutonic, 13
J
Jews, the, 21
John, Prince of Bohemia, 19, 21
Julium Carnicum (Zuglio) station, 9
K
Kapuzingerberg, view from, 180
Karrersee, 213, 276
Kastelruth, 278
Kerpen, General, 36
King Arthur of England, 93
Kitzbühel, 287, 288
sports at, 288
Kitzbühlerhorn, ascent of, 287
Klausen, 215
story of a nun, 216
Kufstein, 281-287
castle of, 282-284
siege of, 283, 284
plundering of, 284
Maximilian at, 283, 284
legend of, 285, 286
L
Ladin, the dialect of the Grödenerthal, 225
Lake Missurina, 262
Landeck, 319, 320
church of, 319
Landhaus of Anton Gump, 84
Landtag, first Tyrolean, 26
Language, the Tyrol, 55
Larch, Maria, pilgrimage chapel of, 145
Latemar, curious customs relating to, 276
Laudon, General, 36
Legend of Castle of Tratzberg, 302
a ghostly, 69
Chapel of Madonna alle Laste, 247, 248
Kufstein Castle, 285, 286
St. Leonard auf der Wiese, 289, 290
San Marco, 249
the Sclavini di San Marco, 248-250
Legends of the Rosengarten, 214
Tyrol, 55
Wilten, 109
Leipsic, battle of, 49
Leopold, Archduke, 31
I., Emperor, 34
II., Emperor, 35
Lienz (Lonicum) station, 9
Lizzana, Castle, 248
Löffler, Gregor, and Castle of Büchsenhausen, 97
Lonicum (Lienz) station, 9
Lotzer Thal, 321
Louis, Duke of Bavaria, 25
Lueg Pass, 151
Luneville, treaty of, 37
M
Madonna alle Laste, chapel of, 247
"Maid of Spinges," 229
"Maid of Bregenz," 325, 326
Mantua, Anna Katharina Gonzaga of, 31
Eleanor Vincenzo of, 31
Marco, San, 249
Marengo, battle of, 37
Maria Larch, church of, 145
Maria Theresa, empress, 34
Maria Waldrast, chapel of, 231
Marriage in Tyrol, 61
Martin, St., home of Speckbacher, 144
Martinswand, 313-315
Maximilian's adventure on the, 313-315
Masciacum (Matzen), 7
Massena, general, 37
Matrei, 231
church of Maria Waldrast, 231
Matrejum (Matrei), 8
Matzen, Schloss, 294, 295
Maurice of Saxony, 30
Max-Höhle at Zirl, 315
Maximilian, 28
Maximilian's cell, 85
tomb, Innsbruck, 93
Cenotaph description, 98
Medriol Thal, 321
Meinhard II., youngest son of, 17
untimely end, 23
Meran, 192-201
architecture of, 193
the Burg, 193
the Landesfürstliche Burg, 193, 194
gardens of, 195
"Hero Plays" at, 195, 196
costumes at, 197
"grape cure" at, 198
the "Saltner" at, 199
sports and pastimes at, 201
castles near, 201-203
Merchants, Venetian, 27
Michael, St., 144
Milser, Oswald, 316, 317
Mines, salt, 9
Mirabell, Schloss, garden of, 174, 175
Missurina Lake, 263
Monasteries, suppression of, 35
Mönchsberg, early church in, 153
walk along the, 182, 183
Mozart's birthplace, 184
relics in, 184
Mozart-Häuschen on the Kapuzingerberg, 181
furniture and relics in, 181
Mozart-Häuschen, beautiful garden of, 182
Muhldorf, battle of, 157
Munatius Plancus, 4
Museum, National, at Innsbruck, 87
treasures, 89
Myths of Tyrol, 55
N
Naïssus, battle of, 11
Napoleonic wars and Salzburg, 163
Nave d'Oro, inn, 275
Nonnberg, convent on the, 183
Gothic chapel of the, 183
O
Ober-Innthal, through the, 311-327
Original inhabitants of Tyrol, 1
Ostrogothic leader, Theodoric, 12
Oswald Milser, 316, 317
Ottoburg, the, 81
P
Paneveggio, 279
Paris von Lodron, archbishop, 171
Passau, bishop of, 15
Passeier Valley, 205
Hofer's hiding-place in, 205
Peace of Westphalia, 160
Peasants' revolt at Salzburg, 159
Persecution by Catholics, 161
Petermann, lover of Margaret of Tyrol, 108
Philippine Welser, tomb of, 102
romantic story of, 115-120
character of, 119
death of, 122
Pienzenau, story of Governor, 283, 284
Plague, ravages of the, 86
at Trent, 238
Plancus, Munatius, 4
Plätz-Wiese, 268
Pliny, quotation from, 9
Plutarch's "Marius," 3
"Pocket-Mouthed Meg," 18, 23, 108
Pons Aeni, 7
Pons Drusi (Bozen), 8
Pontlatzerbrucke, 320
Porta Claudia, Scharnitz, 318
Post Road, Brenner, 7
Power of Rome, 11
Pragser Lake or Wildsee, 269
Predazzo, 274, 275
Nave d'Oro inn, 275
Pressburg, treaty of, 38, 40
Prince counts of Tyrol, 17
Prince John of Bohemia, 19
Princess Catherine of Saxony, 27
Protestants, expulsion of, 161
"Pulpit bride," the, 61
R
Rattenberg, 290
castle of, 291
history of, 291
Reforms by Charlemagne, 15
Regent, Archduke Leopold as, 31
Revolution, French, 36
Rhætians, the, 4, 7
their dialect, 53
Rhæto-Roman stations, 8
Riva, 252, 253
parish church of, 252
Roman conquest of the country, 6
occupation of Rhætia, 7
Rhæto-, stations, 8
Rome, power of, 11
Romedius, St., story of, 133, 134
Rosengarten, 213-215
excursions in the, 215
legend of, 214
Route, the Brenner, 3, 7
Roveredo, 250, 251
churches of, 251
Rudolph IV., 24
Rulers, Innsbruck's, 77
Rum, village of, 133
Runkelstein, castle of, 211
frescoes at, 211, 212
Rupert, St., at Salzburg, 155
S
Sadowa, battle of, 50
St. Leonard auf der Wiese, 288, 289
St. Martin, village of, 203
Hofer's inn at, 204
Hofer relics at, 205
St. Peter's church, Salzburg, 185
cemetery, Salzburg, 186
monastery, Salzburg, 186
St. Romedius, story of, 133, 134
St. Ulrich, costume at, 226
quaint guide-book to, 226
toy industry of, 222, 223
village of, 221, 222
St. Vigilius, festival of, 234
Salome Alt and Archbishop von Raitenau, 174
and Schloss Mirabell, 174
Salsbund, the, 161
Salt mines, 9
discovery of, 142, 143
"Saltner," the, at Meran, 199
Salzach Valley, 151
Salzburg, 147-191
beauty of, 147
Salzburg, approach to, 148
province of, 149
in Roman times, 152
building of, 153
history of, 154
rise of, 155
early rulers of, 157
the Reformation and peasant revolt at, 159
province of, during French invasions, 162
luxurious archbishops of, 164
rebuilding of, 165, 166
ancient fortress of, 167
cathedral, burning of, 171
cathedral, 171, 172
Residenz-Platz, 172
St. Peter's church, 185
monastery, 186
cemetery, 186
Carolina-Augusteum museum, 186
special features, 187
peasants' ball at, 188, 189
a curious custom, 190
the market, 191, 192
Sandyland, birth of Andreas Hofer, 38
San Martino, 279
Sarnthal, costumes of the, 210
Saxon troops enter Tyrol, 43
Saxony, Princess Catherine of, 27
Maurice of, 30
Scarbio (Scharnitz), 8
Scenery, Tyrol, 1
Schabs (Sebatum) station, 9
Scharnitz, 318
defence of, by Swinburne, 318
Schlern, the, 277
Schloss Mirabell and Salome Alt, 174
gardens of, 174, 175
Zenoburg, Meran, 201
Rubein, Meran, 201
Tyrol, near Meran, 202
" description of, 202, 203
Matzen, description of, 294, 295
Schluderbach, 264
Schmalkald, war of the, 29
Schonberg, 131
Schonna, castle of, 203
Schwaz, 303-308
silver mines at, 304
curious church at, 307
Sclavini di San Marco, 248-250
Sebatum (Schabs) station, 9
Servites, church of the, 84
Sesselschreiber, Gilg, 95
flight to Augsburg, 95
Sigismund, duke, 26
Silver chapel, Innsbruck, 97
statues, 103
Site of Innsbruck, 5
Spanish Succession, War of the, 33
Speckbacher, birth of, 38
Spinges, Battle of, 228, 229
maid of, 229
engagement of, 36
Sports, Tyrolese, 67
at Kitzbühel, 287, 288
at Meran, 201
winter, at Innsbruck, 111
Starkenberg, Castle of, 68
Stations, Rhæto-Roman, 8
Tricesimum, 9
Julium Carnicum (Zuglio), 9
Aguntum (Innichen), 9
Lonicum (Lienz), 9
Sebatum (Schabs), 9
Statues, famous, at Innsbruck, 97
" " Hofkirche, 94
in Silver Chapel, Innsbruck, 103
Sterzing (Vilpetenum), 8
Sterzing, 229-231
Rathaus at, 230
church at, 230
Stilfes, gorge of, 44
Story of Charlemagne and Hildegarde, 324, 325
a nun, 216
Georg von Frundsberg, 308-310
Governor Pienzenau, 283, 284
Heilig Wasser, 128
Oswald Milser, 316, 317
Oswald von Wolkenstein, 217-220
Pastor Söll, 306
Philippine Welser, 115-120
St. Romedius and the Bear, 133, 134
Teufelspalast, Trent, 244-246
the "Maid of Bregenz," 325, 326
Strange natural phenomena, 131
Stubai Valley, 129
Bahn, 130
Summons to arms, 41
Superstitions of Tyrol, 55
Swinburne and Scharnitz, 318
T
Telfs, 318
Territory, New, 29
Teutonic Invaders, 13
Thaur, 133
village of, 56
Theodoric, Emperor of the Goths, 93
the Ostrogothic leader, 12
Thirty Years' War, 33
Tiberius, 4, 6
Toblach, 263
Tomb of Archduke Ferdinand and Philippine Welser, 102
Tomb of Hofer, 102
Maximilian, 93
"Toy-land," 223, 224
Tratzberg, castle of, 301, 302
Maximilian rooms, 301, 302
story of, 302, 303
Trautson, castle of, 231
Travel, diaries of early, 14
Treaty of Campo Formio, 37
Luneville, 37
Pressburg, 38, 40
Vienna, 47
Tre Croci Pass, 265
Trent (Tridentum), 8
Trent, 233-247
ancient, 235
" palaces of, 243-247
cathedral of, 241
church of Santa Maria Maggiore, 240
Claudia Porticelli, story of, 243
Council of, 236-240
Dante and, 242
decrees of the Council of, 238
end of the Council of, 240
festival of St. Vigilius at, 234
foundation of, 233
museum, 242
opening of the Council of, 236
plague at, 238
story of the organ-builder of, 241
Teufelspalast, 244-246
Tricesimum, Roman station of, 9
Tridentum (Trent), 8
Trostburg, castle, 216, 217
Tunnel, Arlberg, 72
Types, ancient, along the highway, 14
Types, market, Innsbruck, 83
Tyrol scenery, 1
inhabitants, 1
types along the great highway, 14
Counts of, 16, 17
castle of, 16
possession of, 32
population of, 37
French, Bavarian, and Saxon troops enter, 43
Hofer, dictator of, 46
as Bavarian territory, 47
triple division of, 49
description of, 52
Germanization of, 53
the language of, 55
legends, superstitions, and myths of, 55
Wälsch, 57
Tyrol folk-lore, tales of, 57
quaint customs relating to Christmas in, 59
Epiphany performances, 60
pathetic ceremonials in, 60
marriage in, 61
bride's procession, 62
costumes of, 63
curious wedding customs, 64
sports and wrestling in, 67
national costume of, 82
Margaret of, 108
"Toy-land" in, 223
Tyrolean dances, 66
Landtag, first, 26
wedding, 65
Tyrolese character, 56
history, in--as "the Great Week," 45
masters, works of the, 89
sports, 67
U
Ulrich, St., 221, 222
church at, 225
costume at, 226
quaint guide-book to, 226
toy industry of, 222, 223
University, of Innsbruck, 84
Unter-Innthal, vast mineral wealth of, 27
through the, 281-310
V
Val Sacra and Dante, 243
Val Sugana, 280
Veldidena, 5, 8
Vendome, General, 33
Venetian merchants, 27
Vercelli, 3
Via Claudia Augusta, 8
Vienna, treaty of, 47
Vigilius, St., festival of, 234
Vilpetenum (Sterzing), 8
Vindelicorum, Augusta, 6
Vineyards at Meran, 199, 200
Von Keutschach, Bishop Leonhard, 158
Von Lodron, Paris, archbishop, 171
Von Raitenau, Bishop Wolf Dietrich, 160, 170
Von Vogelweide, statue of, 209
Von Wolkenstein, story of, 217-220
Vorarlberg, words and expressions used in, 54
W
Wagram, defeat of Austrian forces at, 43
Waidbruck, 272
War, Civil, 21
of the Schmalkald, 29
of the Spanish Succession, 33
Thirty Years', 33
Wasser, Heilig, story of, 128
Wealth, vast mineral, 27
Wedding, a Tyrolean, 65
customs, 64
Weisslahn-Bad, 278
Welser, Philippine, character of, 119
death of, 122
romantic story of, 115-120
tomb of, 102
Westphalia, Peace of, 160
Wildsee, Pragser, 269
Wilten (Veldidena), 8
abbey of, 17
a legend of, 109
story and description of abbey of, 105
Woodcarvers of St. Ulrich, 222, 223
Wrestling, Tyrolese, 67
Z
Zillerthal maidens, 59
Zirl, 311-316
Calvarienberg of, 312
Maximilian at, 313-315
painted houses of, 312
Zuglio (Julium Carnicum), Roman station of, 9
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