Triumphal Arch

The south end of Innsbruck's main artery, Maria-Theresien Street, is spanned by a Triumphal Arch, modelled after those in Rome. The imposing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with three arched passageways is one of the major attractions in Innsbruck. Empress Maria Theresa ordered it built in 1765 with a twofold purpose: To honour the marriage of her son, the Duke of Tuscany, later Emperor Leopold II, to Maria Ludovica from Spain, and to mourn the death of her beloved husband, Francis I Stephen of Lorraine, who died during the celebrations. The marble friezes were created by Balthazar Moll in 1744. One side of the Arch symbolizes the joyful aspect of the event, the other side the sadness.