Annasäule (St. Anne's Column)

The Annasäule, or St. Anne's Column, stands on Maria-Theresien-Strasse in the centre of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. It was erected between 1704 and 1706 to commemorate the retreat of Bavarian troops from Tyrol on 26 July 1703, the feast day of St. Anne. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Bavaria, allied with France, had invaded Tyrol, and the Tyrolean militia, together with the local population, resisted and forced the Bavarian army to withdraw. The victory was credited to the intercession of St. Anne, and the city decided to build a monument in thanks.

The column is made of red marble from the region, and it was financed by the Tyrolean estates. It carries a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon and a globe, with a serpent beneath her feet, a typical Baroque Marian iconography. At the base of the column stand statues of St. Anne, St. George, who is a patron saint of Tyrol, St. Vigilius and St. Cassian, while the pedestal bears an inscription describing the events of 1703. The design is attributed to the Tyrolean sculptor Cristoforo Benedetti and the stonemason Cristoforo Benedetti, working with local craftsmen.

The column is a typical example of a Baroque votive column, a type of monument that was common across the Habsburg lands. It stands in the middle of the street, in front of the Altes Landhaus and the Palais Trapp, and many cafes and shops line the pedestrian area around it. Maria-Theresien-Strasse itself runs south to the Triumphpforte, and the Nordkette mountains form a backdrop to the north. The column has been conserved and restored, and it remains in good condition. It is free to view at any time and is a common meeting point in the city.