The Pazin Castle ( hr, Kaštel Pazin it, Castello di Pisino, german: ''Mitterburg'') is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

built on a solid rock situated in the middle of the town of

Pazin Pazin ( it, Pisino, german: Mitterburg) is a town in western Croatia, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is known for the medieval Pazin Castle, the former residence of the Istrian margraves. Geography The town had a population of 8,6 ...

, the administrative seat of

Istria County Istria County (; hr, Istarska županija; it, Regione istriana, "Istrian Region") is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula ( out of , or 89%). Administrative centers in the county are Pazi ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It is the largest and best-preserved castle in that westernmost Croatian county. It overlooks the deep gorge of the Pazinčica

Foiba A foiba (from Italian: ; plural: foibe or foibas) — ''jama'' () in South Slavic languages scientific and colloquial vocabulary (borrowed since early research in the Western Balkan Dinaric Alpine karst) — is a type of deep natural sinkhole ...

river, a small

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

subterranean river A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth. It is distinct from an aquifer, which may flow like a river but is contained within a per ...

that disappears there through

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...

and continues underground. The fortified structure was constructed of hewn stone, and, during its 11-century-long history, subjected to several major reconstructions and renovations. There are two museums to be visited in Pazin's castle, the Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the Pazin Town Museum

History

The Pazin Castle was first mentioned as ''Castrum Pisinum'' on 7 June 983 in a document issued by

Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy ...

, confirming the possession of the castle to

bishop of Poreč A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. In the 12th century the bishops of Poreč ceded it to Meinhard of Schwarzenburg, owner of Črnigrad Castle (German: ''Schwarzenburg''), then to

Meinhard I, Count of Gorizia Meinhard I ( – 1142), an ancestor of the noble House of Gorizia (''Meinhardiner'' dynasty), was ruling count of Gorizia from 1122 until his death. He also held the offices of a Count palatine in the Duchy of Carinthia as well as ''Vogt'' gove ...

, and finally to Meinhard, Margrave of Istria (d. 1193) and his successors. In 1374 Albert IV, Margrave of Gorizia, died without successors and the castle was inherited by the members of the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

. They rented or mortgaged it many times during the next few centuries to various noblemen closely related to them, among which were members of families Auersperg, Barbo,

Della Torre The House of Della Torre (Torriani or Thurn) were an Italian noble family who rose to prominence in Lombardy during the 12th–14th centuries, until they held the lordship of Milan before being ousted by the Visconti. History The family originall ...

, Devinski, Durr (Dürrer), Eggenberg, Flangini,

Fugger The House of Fugger () is a German upper bourgeois family that was historically a prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and vent ...

, Khevenhüller, Mosconi, Swetkowitz, Turinetti de Prie and

Walsee The Lords of Walsee were a German nobility, German noble family between the 13th and 15th centuries. Taking their name from Bad Waldsee in Upper Swabia, they were originally ministerials (unfree knights) in the service of the Weissenburg Abbey, Al ...

. The castle was finally sold to Antonio Laderchi de

Montecuccoli The House of Montecuccoli is the name of an Italian noble family, descending from Montecuccoli Castle, Pavullo nel Frignano in the former Duchy of Modena. In later parts of its history, a branch of it became thoroughly Austrian in identity and loya ...

in 1766 for 240

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...

s and remained the property of his family until 1945. In the meantime, various countries around the castle changed many times over the last more than 200 years: after the end of the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

in 1797, Pazin belonged to the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

, then to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's French Empire, again to the Habsburg Monarchy, in 1918 to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, in 1945 to

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, and in 1991 to

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. For many centuries the castle was the administrative seat of the County of Pazin (Croatian: Pazinska grofovija/Pazinska knežija; Italian: Contado di Pisino; German: Grafschaft Mitterburg) or County of Istria (Croatian: Istarska grofovija/Istarska knežija; Italian: Contea d' Istria; German: Grafschaft Isterreich), governed either by a castle captain

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

, or the count himself.

Gallery

File:Pazinski kaštel - ploča.jpg, Entrance plaque of the castle File:Pazinski kaštel - ulaz.jpg, Entrance door with several coats of arms of the former owners File:Pazinski kaštel - jugoistok.jpg, Southeast side of the castle

External links

Present form of the Pazin Castle was built in the 16th century

Pazin Castle – the largest and best preserved medieval fortified structure in Istria County

Pazin Castle – one of the several fortifications in Pazin and its surroundings

Laderchi of Montecuccoli bought the castle in 1766

Pazin Town Museum
{{Castles in Croatia Buildings and structures in Istria County Pazin Medieval architecture Castles in Croatia Museums in Croatia

History

Gallery

See also

External links