Ferdinand II

Archduke Ferdinand II went down in history as an outstanding figure among the rulers of his generation. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation, but also a highly educated humanist and lover of the arts. The younger brother of the future Emperor Maximilian II, he became governor of the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1547, settling in Prague. In 1567, Archduke Ferdinand made a ceremonial entry into the city of Innsbruck, where he ruled the County of Tyrol and the Habsburg possessions in Further Austria for more than thirty years.

Re-creating the life and times of Ferdinand II of Tyrol, the superbly designed and richly illustrated exhibition catalogue provides a comprehensive account of the life and work of this multi-talented figure from one of Europe’s most important ruling dynasties. Readers are transported to the momentous era of the sixteenth century, on which Ferdinand II exerted a formative political and religious influence. The book pays tribute to the collector-prince with an exhaustive description of the masterpieces from his pervasive Chamber of Arts and Wonders, armouries and library. The exhibition catalogue is sumptuously designed and enriched with many colour illustrations.

The catalog is available in two languages – English and German.