Burgruine Landskron
Encyclopedia
Burgruine Landskron is a castle northeast of Villach
in Carinthia
, Austria
.
The estate near Lake Ossiach
was first mentioned in a 878 deed issued by the East Frankish king Carloman of Bavaria
, who granted it to the monastery of Altötting
he had established shortly before. About 1024 it was among the Carinthian
possessions of one Count Ozi of the Chiemgau
, probably a scion of the Otakar
dynasty, who founded Ossiach Abbey
nearby. In 1330 Landskron was acquired by the Counts of Ortenburg
, the castle was mentioned in 1351.
In 1355 the Austrian
House of Habsburg, dukes of Carinthia since 1335, purchased Landskron Castle. Temporarily pawned to the Counts of Celje
and the Lords of Stubenberg
, it was acquired by the Ortenburg
castellan Christoph Khevenhüller
in 1542. He made the castle his main residence and rebuilt it in a lavish Renaissance
style. In 1552 he even received the visit of Emperor Charles V
, who, on the run from the Protestant
troops of Elector Maurice of Saxony, had fled to Carinthia. Nevertheless the Khevenhüllers, themselves Protestant, were stripped of Landskron by order of Emperor Ferdinand II
in 1628.
The castle passed to the comital family of Dietrichstein
in 1639. After the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
the Khevenhüllers claimed it back and began a decades-long lawsuit, though without success. A blaze in 1812 finally devastated Landskron, which was not rebuilt and decayed. Not until 1953 the remains were preserved and a restaurant was opened within its walls. Today the castle is also known for its falconry
centre conducting regular flying demonstrations.
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The estate near Lake Ossiach
Lake Ossiach
Lake Ossiach is a lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia, situated in the Nock Mountains between the towns of Villach and Feldkirchen. It is the third largest lake in Carinthia, superseded only by Lake Wörth and Lake Millstatt....
was first mentioned in a 878 deed issued by the East Frankish king Carloman of Bavaria
Carloman of Bavaria
Carloman was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf...
, who granted it to the monastery of Altötting
Altötting
Altötting is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Altötting.This small town is famous for the Gnadenkapelle , one of the most-visited shrines in Germany. This is a tiny octagonal chapel which keeps a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary...
he had established shortly before. About 1024 it was among the Carinthian
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
possessions of one Count Ozi of the Chiemgau
Chiemgau
Chiemgau is the common name of a geographic area in Upper Bavaria. It refers to the foothills of the Alps between the rivers Inn and Traun, with lake Chiemsee at its center. The political districts that contain the Chiemgau are Rosenheim and Traunstein...
, probably a scion of the Otakar
Otakars
The Otakars were a mediæval dynasty ruling the March of Styria from 1056 to 1192.The dynasty began with Otakar I, probably a son-in-law of Aribo , margrave of Pannonia. Otakar was Count of Steyr in the Traungau, in what is today Upper Austria. Together with Margrave Luitpold, he may have been...
dynasty, who founded Ossiach Abbey
Ossiach Abbey
Ossiach Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Ossiach near Feldkirchen in Kärnten in the Austrian state of Carinthia.-History:...
nearby. In 1330 Landskron was acquired by the Counts of Ortenburg
Grafschaft Ortenburg
The Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
, the castle was mentioned in 1351.
In 1355 the Austrian
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
House of Habsburg, dukes of Carinthia since 1335, purchased Landskron Castle. Temporarily pawned to the Counts of Celje
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
and the Lords of Stubenberg
Stubenberg
Stubenberg is a municipality in the district of Rottal-Inn in Bavaria in Germany....
, it was acquired by the Ortenburg
Burgruine Ortenburg
Burgruine Ortenburg is a mediæval castle near Baldramsdorf in Carinthia, Austria.It was erected in the late 11th century by ministeriales of the Bavarian Prince-Bishops of Freising, who then held large possessions in the Duchy of Carinthia. Their descendants began to call themselves Counts of...
castellan Christoph Khevenhüller
Khevenhüller
Khevenhüller is the name of a Carinthian noble family documented there since 1356 which originally came from the Upper Palatinate in Franconia and which later had their prinicipal seat on Landskron Castle. In the 16th century the family split into the two branches of ...
in 1542. He made the castle his main residence and rebuilt it in a lavish Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style. In 1552 he even received the visit of Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, who, on the run from the Protestant
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
troops of Elector Maurice of Saxony, had fled to Carinthia. Nevertheless the Khevenhüllers, themselves Protestant, were stripped of Landskron by order of Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
in 1628.
The castle passed to the comital family of Dietrichstein
Dietrichstein
Dietrichstein was the name of a German/Austrian noble family.Maximilian von Dietrichstein was created Graf von Dietrichstein on 18 September 1612 and Fürst von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg on 24 March 1639...
in 1639. After the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
the Khevenhüllers claimed it back and began a decades-long lawsuit, though without success. A blaze in 1812 finally devastated Landskron, which was not rebuilt and decayed. Not until 1953 the remains were preserved and a restaurant was opened within its walls. Today the castle is also known for its falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
centre conducting regular flying demonstrations.