Ptuj Castle

Abstract

Work on the medieval fortress began in the first half of the 12th century under Archbishop Konrad of Salzburg, then feudal lord of Ptuj, whose imposing residence (today's Leslijev wing) still survives today. The Archbishops subsequently rented the castle to the lords of Ptuj, nobles who had won fame fighting the Hungarians. During the 300 years that they lived in Ptuj, the lords also left their mark as founders of Minorite and Dominican monasteries, and as builders of the pilgrimage church at Ptujska Gora. The tombstone of the last lord of Ptuj, Friedrich IX, was built into the castle's ground floor.

From 1656 to 1802 the castle was inhabited by the Leslies. The last owners, the Counts of Herberstein, occupied the castle from 1873 until 1945; the Herbersteins thoroughly renovated the castle in 1912, supported archaeological excavations in the castle precinct and maintained their own archaeological collection. Following the nationalisation of the castle in 1945 the building, together with its rich furniture and fittings, was incorporated into the Ptuj Museum.

Major reconstructions in the Renaissance and Baroque periods left a strong stamp on the castle. Today, Ptuj Castle functions as a museum. On the ground floor visitors can inspect musical instruments used in the past by wealthy Ptuj noblemen and citizens. The instruments reflect various faces of the musical past, and recordings of the music once played on them enliven the exhibit. The most beautiful castle chambers are on the first floor. Displays of period furniture, tapestries, paintings and small everyday objects present household furnishings from the second half of the 16th century to the second half of the 19th century. On the second floor, visitors encounter traditional carnival costumes and masquerade figures from Ptujsko polje, Dravsko polje, Haloze, and Slovenske Gorice. The castle art gallery boasts some of the most beautiful examples of Gothic and Baroque art in Slovenia.

Ptuj Castle

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