The Court Church was built by, Ferdinand I,  between 1555-65, then completed by his son, grandson of Maximilian I, Ferdinand II in 1584. The church was built to house the tomb of Maximilian I, where 28 larger-than-life-scaled bronze sculptures stand surrounding the cenotaph upon which a bronze sculpture of the emperor kneels. Three generations of Habsburg emperors participated in bringing this  grand vision to fruition, although the tomb was originally envisioned to have forty bronze figures surrounding it.  The  cenotaph, commissioned by Ferdinand I, brought the immortal work of Alexander Colin (1527-1612) to Innsbruck. The centotaph design, in the Flemish Renaissance style, includes an arrangement of bronze figures atop a sarcophagus paneled with marble reliefs depicting scenes from the victories and alliances of Maximilian I. The large bronze figures installed around the cenotaph were commissioned by Maximilian I himself, and were the work of late-15th and early-16th century artists including Albrecht Dürer, Hans Burgkmaier, Jörg Kölerer,  and Albrecht Altdorfer who worked on these bronzes following the ideas of the emperor. The particular sculpture that stands out as a master of the Renaissance period is that of Albrecht Dürer, whose contrapuntal pose and imaginative positioning of the figure’s right foot distinguishes it amongst all others. Many of the figures represent the ancestors, relatives, and wives of Maximilian I, while others, such as King Ferdinand  and Queen Isabella of Spain and King Arthur of England, represent other monarchs he admired.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Four bronze figures representing ancestors of Maximilian I:  King Albrecht of Austria,  Leopold IV, Grand Duke of Austria, Leopold III, Prince of Austria, and Friedrich, Prince of Austria. 2. Four bronze figures of queens, the near figure, with long braids, representing Bianca Maria Sforza, the second wife of Maximilian I. Center: 1. View of he Hofkirche and the cenotaph. 2.  The bronze sculpture by Albrecht Dürer, right. Right Column: 1. View of the Court Church as seen from the stairway to the Silver Chapel. The rows of bronze figures can be seen on either side of the sarcophagus. 2. Rear view of the bronze sculpture by Albrecht Dürer with its contrapuntal pose.