Jesuit Church Innsbruck

The Jesuit Church Innsbruck is a historical and religious landmark in the city of Innsbruck, Austria. It is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and serves as the University Church for the Innsbruck University. It was built by the Jesuits between 1627 and 1646, with the support of Archduke Leopold V and his wife Claudia de Medici, who are buried in the Crypt. The church has a baroque style, with a crossed-dome structure and a facade inspired by the Salzburg Cathedral. The interior was renovated in 2003-2004, restoring the original high altar and adding a new stone and metal altar in the center. The church also houses the tombs of the Jesuits who died in Innsbruck, a painting of the Sacred Heart, a shrine of St Pirminius, and sculptures of St Ignatius Loyola and St Francis Xavier.

The Façade: A Gift of Gratitude

The Jesuit Church has a striking façade, which was donated by Johann von Sieberer, a wealthy merchant, in 1901. Sieberer was grateful to the Jesuits for saving his life during a cholera epidemic in 1892. He contracted the disease and was given up by the doctors, but the Jesuits prayed for him and nursed him back to health. As a sign of his gratitude, he commissioned the façade, which cost 300,000 crowns, a fortune at the time.

The façade was designed by Friedrich Schachner, a renowned sculptor and architect, who also created the statues of the four evangelists on the towers. The façade features a central portal with a triangular pediment, flanked by two smaller portals with curved pediments. The façade is decorated with pilasters, cornices, and niches, creating a harmonious and elegant composition. The central niche contains a statue of the Holy Trinity, while the side niches have statues of St Peter and St Paul. Above the central portal, there is a large window with a stained glass depicting the coat of arms of the Jesuits. The façade is crowned by a balustrade with vases and statues of angels.

The Interior: A Splendor of Baroque Art

The interior of the church is equally impressive, with a cross-domed plan inspired by Il Gesù in Rome and the new cathedral in Salzburg. The church has a single nave with six side chapels, a transept with two chapels, and a choir with an apse. The vaults are adorned with frescoes by Cosmas Damian Asam, a famous painter of the Bavarian Rococo. The frescoes depict scenes from the life of Jesus, the Trinity, and the saints. The main altar, designed by Egid Quirin Asam, the brother of Cosmas Damian, is a masterpiece of Baroque sculpture. It features a large painting of the Trinity by Johann Georg Schmidt, surrounded by angels and cherubs. The altar is crowned by a golden glory with the dove of the Holy Spirit.

The side chapels are dedicated to various saints and devotions, such as St Joseph, St Anne, St Aloysius Gonzaga, St John Nepomucene, St Anthony of Padua, and the Immaculate Conception. The transept chapels are dedicated to St Ignatius Loyola and St Francis Xavier, the founders of the Jesuit order. The choir has a beautiful wooden choir stalls, carved by Johann Martin Gumpp in 1640. The choir also has a painting of the Last Supper by Paul Troger, a prominent Austrian painter of the 18th century.

The Organ: A Musical Wonder

The Jesuit Church also boasts a magnificent organ, which was built in 1959 by the organ manufacturer EF Walcker & Cie. The organ has 34 registers, distributed over three manuals and a pedal. The organist Anton Heiller, a famous composer and teacher, was responsible for the disposition of the organ. The organ was slightly modified during a thorough restoration in 2004 and again in 2007-2008. The organ is used for concerts and liturgical services, and attracts many music lovers and tourists.

The organ case, which dates back to 1640, is a work of art in itself. It was designed by Christoph Gumpp, the brother of Johann Martin, and is decorated with gilded carvings and paintings. The paintings show scenes from the life of King David, who was considered the patron of music in the Bible. The carvings depict musical instruments, such as harps, trumpets, and lyres. The organ case is topped by a statue of King David playing the harp, surrounded by angels.

The Shrine of St Pirminius: A Relic of the Past

One of the most revered treasures of the Jesuit Church is the corpse of St. Pirminius, who became the patron saint of the city. St. Pirminius was a Benedictine monk and bishop, who founded several monasteries in Germany and Switzerland in the 8th century. He died in 753 in the Palatinate monastery of Hornbach, where he was buried. However, in 1558, the monastery was dissolved by the Protestant Reformation, and the last abbot, Anton von Salm, rescued the relics of St. Pirminius and sent them to Speyer, where he was the bishop.

From there, the relics were transferred in 1575 by Count Schweikhard von Helfenstein, the former president of the Imperial Chamber Court of Speyer and the governor of Tyrol, to Innsbruck, where he had a special devotion to the saint. The relics were placed in a shrine designed by Rudolf Millonig, a local artist, in the Jesuit Church. The shrine is located in the left transept chapel, and is decorated with silver and gold. The corpse of St. Pirminius is dressed in a bishop’s robe and mitre, and holds a crozier and a book. The shrine is opened every year on November 3, the feast day of St. Pirminius, for the veneration of the faithful.

The shrine of St. Pirminius is a rare example of a preserved corpse of a saint, which is usually displayed in a glass coffin or a reliquary. The corpse is remarkably well-preserved, despite being over 1200 years old. The corpse has been examined by several experts, who have confirmed its authenticity and its historical value. The corpse is also considered a miracle, as it has survived several fires, wars, and thefts, without suffering any damage.

Innsbruck, Austria