[4] The cathedral also contains in the north aisle the canopied tomb of Archduke Maximilian III of Austria, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, dating from 1620.

The earliest reference to a church at the site of the cathedral dates back to 1180 in a document drawn up between the Counts of Andechs and the Premonstratensian Abbey at Wilton, authorizing the market to be moved from the left to the right bank of the Inn river, signifying the foundation of the old town of Innsbruck.

In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the church was repeatedly destroyed or damaged by fire and earthquakes, making it necessary to repair and rebuild several times.

Under Archduke Ferdinand II, a number of notable artists worked on the church, including Jörg Ebert of Ravensburg who constructed a new organ in 1567, and Alexander Colyn who created the tabernacle of Obernberg marble in 1571.

[7] In 1650, the masterpiece Maria Hilf ("Mary of Succour") by Lucas Cranach the Elder was donated to St. James by Archduke Ferdinand Charles and entrusted to a well known Marien brotherhood.

[9] On 27 October 1717, Herkomer died suddenly, but he was replaced immediately by his nephew and first foreman, Johann Georg Fischer, who followed his uncle's plans, with only a few minor alterations.

[10] The dome and towers were completed on 16 November 1720, and two years later Cosmas Damian Asam of Munich was selected to decorate the ceiling with scenes from the life of Saint James.

On the occasion of the birth of her eldest son, Empress Maria Theresa donated a silver sculpture of a child in swaddling clothes, as well as festive vestments.

[13] Innsbruck Cathedral, with its two bell towers and impressive dome, creates a dominant profile over the Altstadt (Old Town) skyline amidst the many green copper roofs.

The round arched wall niches in the concave curve of the façade contain limestone statues of saints from the Tyrol: Hartmann, Cassian, Ingenuin, Albuin, Notburga, Romedius, Magdalena of Austria, and Heinrich von Bozen.

[13] The ground plan of the structure is traditional and cruciform with two west towers, a twin-bayed nave, a semicircle transept, and a straight-ended choir, framed by the sacristy and two concluding passages.

[14] The cathedral interior projects a "severe monumentality" based on a series of heavy pillars that create a repeated triumphal arch motif.

[15] The pillars support the saucer domes that are in fact mock vaults consisting of flat wooden ceilings with concave moulding that spans the width of the interior.

[17] The cathedral interior creates a "sweeping spacial unity", unlike the Baroque churches constructed in the Tyrol up to that time, which consisted of a tunnel vaulted nave of elongated multi-sectioned rooms with rows of chapels and galleries lining both sides.

[17] Herkomer rejected this partitioned design approach, and for the first time in the province, created an expansive interior with a spacial unity directed toward the domed choir and high altar.

[18] The cathedral interior receives its characteristic appearance from the frescos that decorate the vaulting, with their color fully realized by the abundant natural light from the clear windows.

In the main dome, Saint James is presented as a heavenly general with flag in hand, leading the Spanish Christian army against the Moors.

[18] The stucco work by the artist's younger brother, Egid Quirin Asam, reflects the visual vocabulary of the Renaissance in both form and color, and supports the dominant presence of the paintings.

[19] In concert with the harmony achieved between the frescos and stucco, and between the natural light and color, the design of the floors and walls plays a special supporting role.

Consisting of an imaginative display of geometric patterns, the marble floors of the cathedral—considered among the finest in Austria—were designed by Christoforo and Theodoro Benedetti from the Trentino region.

[22] The imposing marble structure of the high altar contains the cathedral's most precious treasure, the painting Maria Hilf (Mary of Succor) by Lucas Cranach the Elder from c. 1530.

Originally belonging to a gallery of paintings owned by the Electorate of Saxony in Dresden,[21] this unique image of the Madonna and Child is filled with "the dignity of the Queen of Heaven, the charm of the Virgin and the gentleness of the mother.

"[23] The painting, which typifies the Baroque veneration of the Virgin Mary, was a gift from John George I, Elector of Saxony to Archduke Leopold V, and has resided in the church since 1650.

The south transept side altar contains a copy of Grasmair's painting of Saint Anne with the infant Jesus—the original was destroyed during World War II.

[19] Gilded and silver-plated throughout, the pulpit is adorned by three divine virtues supporting the base, symbols of the four Evangelists, and a host of angels and cherubs on the sounding board.

[20] In the left arm of the transept stands the canopied tomb of Archduke Maximilian III of Austria, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights.

Commissioned by the ruler of Tyrol, this work of "great artistic and historical significance"[20] was modelled by Hubert Gerhard and Caspar Gras, and cast by Heinrich Reinhard in 1618.

[20] Acting as a type of ciborium, the canopy consists of four turned bronze columns, adorned with vine leaves, birds, and small animals.

The columns, which have fluted bases and finely cut composite capitals, support a heavy profiled marble entablature, which serves as both an abacus and as a stand for the group of four bronze figures.