Goldenes Dachl
Front view of Goldenes Dachl © Innsbruck Tourismus / Christof Lackner
For this week's #Wahrzeichen, we travel to #Innsbruck, the capital of the mountainous province of Tyrol in western Austria. Centrally located in Innsbruck's Altstadt (old town), the Goldenes Dachl (Golden roof) is the city's most iconic and famous landmark.
Top view of Goldenes Dachl © Österreich Werbung / Sarah Dawalibi (Le Blog de Sarah)
The building itself was built in the early 15th century as the residence of the princes of Tyrol (Landesfürsten). Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I commissioned the golden roof in 1493 in honor of his marriage to his third wife Bianca Maria Sforza of Milan. The golden roof was built with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles and was meant to to serve as a royal box where the Emperor and his entourage could sit and enjoy festivals, tournaments, and other events that took place in the square below.
Front view of Goldenes Dachl © Ufficio del Turismo di Innsbruck / Christof Lackner
Today, the building is a museum but the golden roof remains one of Austria's most iconic #Wahrzeichen. See the last three photos for examples of the Goldenes Dachl memorialized in stamps from 1960, 2013, 2015.
photo 1: 2013 postal stamp; photo 2: 1960 postal stamp; photo 3: 2015 postal stamp © Austria-Forum / Österreichische Post