Discover the castle
History of the Castle
Slovenska Bistrica Castle, originally a manor house, was first mentioned in 1227 as the seat of the Pohorje County. Later, it served as the Bistrica office and provincial court. In 1313, it was first mentioned as a Burg – a castle, which burned down in 1384. Among its many administrators were also the Counts of Celje. In 1587, the castle passed from princely ownership into private ownership.
The first private owners were the Vetter family, later known as von der Lilie. Between 1590–1623 and in 1651, they began construction and renovation works on the castle, after which it reached approximately its present form and size.
After 1681, the castle was taken over by the Counts of Wildenstein, who also arranged a French-style park next to the castle, with a geometric layout of avenues, water features and sculptural decoration.
The most important owners of the castle were the Counts of Attems. Ignac Marija Attems bought the castle in 1717 and thoroughly renovated it by 1721. In 1721, the works were completed with the painting of the chapel, staircase and Knights’ Hall.
After the end of the Second World War, the castle was nationalised and its interior furnishings were removed. At first, the premises were used by the army; later, the castle became a residential building and gradually fell into decay. In 1985, comprehensive restoration and revitalisation began, which continues uninterrupted to this day, with the aim of preserving the castle’s historical and cultural value.
Frescoes
The castle preserves frescoes by Franz Ignaz Flurer, the court painter of the Attems family, created between 1717 and 1721. The Knights’ Hall, the castle chapel and the representative staircase are decorated with paintings. Frescoes can also be found in the pre-wedding and wedding halls, as well as above the doors in the rooms of the Castle Gallery, but their authors and time of creation are unknown.
The most extensive and magnificent frescoes adorn the Knights’ Hall, which is entirely painted. They depict the Apotheosis of Hercules – his acceptance among the gods. On the northern wall is the coat of arms of the Attems family, and on the southern wall the coat of arms of the Herberstein family. The artist signed and dated the frescoes above the entrance door.
The frescoes on the representative staircase are the second largest and depict two interconnected allegorical scenes, the meaning of which has not yet been fully explained.
The chapel frescoes are dedicated to Mary. Although they are among the youngest and smallest in scope, in terms of content and detail they are among the most interesting examples of such paintings in Slovenian Styria.
