Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Courtyard:
Look over the courtyard for this quick history lesson: In the 11th century,
the archbishops of Salzburg built a fortress here. In the 12th century, the Lords of Ptuj,
who watched over the Salzburgers' land, moved in. The LoP's died out in the mid-15th
century, and from then on, the castle changed hands frequently. Over the next several cen-
turies, Ptuj Castle gradually acquired its current appearance: a Romanesque core (part of a
14th-century fortress, barely visible now) with a Renaissance arcaded courtyard (designed
by Italian experts who came to fortify the castle against the Ottomans), accentuated by an
austere Baroque addition (the outermost wing, with the decorated stone window frames).
Most of what you'll see in today's exhibit dates from the time of the Counts of Herberstein
(1873-1945).
Now look over the door at the end of the arcade to see the
castle seal,
a hodgepodge of
symbols representing previous owners. What's an English phrase (in the banner at the top)
doing on a seal for a castle in Slovenia? It's because of a Hungarian princess. In the Middle
Ages, when a princess of Hungary moved to Scotland to be with her new husband, she took
with her a particularly protective chamberlain. When the chamberlain buckled the princess
to her horse for a treacherous river crossing, he'd fasten her on with three belts instead of
