Feldsberg Castle (''Burgruine Feldsberg'') is a ruined
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in
Carinthia
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...
,
Austria. Its
ruins are situated on a wooded hilltop west of Pusarnitz in the municipality of
Lurnfeld near
Spittal an der Drau.
Description
The simple Romanesque fortification has fallen into disrepair. Feldsberg has an irregular quadrangular
ground plan, following the terrain of the hill plateau. There are only the low remains of a
tower in the form of a cone of rubble. On the north and west side there are walls, still up to 8 metres high, with
herringbone masonry (''opus spicatum''). Access was via the south-east side. A buried
cistern
A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by t ...
is indicated by a circular depression in the north angle.
History
The predecessor of Feldsberg Castle was the
Hohenburg Castle above Feldsberg.
The first documented mention was in 1189 by ''Hainricus de Veldisberc'', a Salzburg ''
ministerialis
The ''ministeriales'' (singular: ''ministerialis'') were a class of people raised up from serfdom and placed in positions of power and responsibility in the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire.
The word and its German translations, ''Minis ...
''. Feldsberg Castle was a bone of contention in disputes between the
Counts of Gorizia and the
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg (german: Fürsterzbistum Salzburg; Erzstift Salzburg; Erzbistum Salzburg) was an ecclesiastical principality and state of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised the secular territory ruled by the archbishops of ...
. In 1460, some of the negotiations for the
Treaty of Pusarnitz were conducted here.
The castle may have been in a state of decay since the end of the 16th century, after jurisdiction had been transferred from Feldsberg to
Sachsenburg. The last caretaker is documented for the year 1586, in 1658 the building was already described as a ruin.
See also
*
List of castles in Austria
{{Authority control
Castles in Carinthia (state)