Innsbruck Cathedral closed for six months for renovation
After that, all services will take place in the Innsbruck Spitalskirche until November 26th. According to cathedral provost Florian Huber, the planning for the renovation of the nearly three-century-old, former parish church of St the implementation of the work, which included, among other things, cleaning and repair work on the facade, repairs on the roof and a new gold plating of the tower balls and the casting of a new bell. So far, 2.7 million euros have flowed for this.
Furthermore, the stone floor, which was laid during the construction of the parish church from 1717 to 1724, now had to be renovated. In addition, the lighting was completely renewed and the entrance area on the cathedral square was renovated. According to the diocese, the costs for the work are significantly higher than initially assumed. Instead of 3.6, one now assumes 5.5 million euros.
“The cathedral concerns us all”
“The cathedral, which is on one of the major European pilgrimage routes to Santiago in Spain, concerns us all,” emphasized local bishop Hermann Glettler. It is not only available to the locals, “but also to the many guests and tourists who will come again in large numbers after the pandemic”.
Even during the closure, the cathedral is occasionally open for visits. From the end of June to mid-October, for example, there is a “chance of the century” to view the ceiling frescoes by the Asam brothers up close – on the scaffolding that WILL be erected to clean the interior.