Sevnica (castle)
Liechtenwald

13th century

Sevnica settlement is for the first time mentioned as Liehtenwalde in 1275. The castle itself is mentioned in land register of Salzburg for Brežice and Sevnica in 1309 as castellum Liehtenwalde. In the land register from year 1322 the castle is mentioned as castrum Liehtenwald and then in 1323 as ammannshaus - residence of a clerk, managing Sevnica castle. In later documents it is mentioned as die vest Lehtenwald in 1346 and in 1373 as (haus) Liehtenwald. Between 1479 and 1491 the castle was due to dispute between emperor Friderik III. and newly appointed archbishop of Salzburg Bernard Rohr in the hands of Hungaro-Croatian king Matthias Corvinus or by folk tradition king Matjaž. In 1494 when new emperor Maksimiljan has returned the castle, which was in Hungarian hands until 1491, to archdiocese the castle is mentioned as sloss Liechtenwald.
After that stewards took turns on the castle, Hans of Rajhenburg after his death followed by Ivan Ungnad in 1519 until his death, in 1558 Oswald Göriacher. In 1563 the dominion was leased by Boltežar baron noble Lamberg, in 1590 Ivan baron noble Khiessl and in 1595 Inocenc Moscon bought the dominion with right of succession against the will of pope Klemen VIII. He (Moscon) turned the castle into a comfortable residence: courtyard with arcade corridors was done and the exterior was given the uniform look. Because the issues about a purchase were not clear the estate again became a property of Salzburg at the accession of archbishop Paris Lodron in 1619 and has remained that way until 1803 however Moscons and their heirs still ruled the castle - they got it as a hereditary fief in 1637 for an increased purchase price of 40.000 fl. after a long quarrelling. In 1675 the owner of the castle was Ana Elizabeta, countess of Turjak née Moscon, in 1688 Draškovič family became owners through relationship by marriage and Turjaks again in 1725 and in 1769 it was bought by countess Jožefina Keglevič (countess Ana Sermage). Between 1803 and 1864 the castle's owner was Johann Händl noble Rebenburga, followed by Albert Gehrenböck and Ludvik Ratzesberg noble Wartenburg and in 1880 it was taken over by prof.dr. Karel Ausserer, who arranged a nice new road to the castle on northern side of a hill and enriched a tree part of castle garden. After that owners were rapidly changing, count Wallhofen, Schleinitz, captain Oton and from 1910 until WWII countess Matilda Arco Zinneberg who was from Habsburg family. At the time a lot of antiques and art works were stored in the castle.

Castle, wehe not long ago restoration works have finished, offers along with museum and gallery collections, solemn rooms, castle chapel, grannary and castle park also Grajska kavarna (»Castle's coffee shop«) with castle sweets. Most of the places and rooms is possible to hire, and couples can say their »I do« in the castle park in the context of magnificent wedding.

Literature:
Kos, Dušan, Dr.: "Vitez in Grad", Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, 2005, ISBN 961-6500-82-1
Komelj, Ivan, Dr.: "Sevniški grad in Lutrovska klet", ZSVS 1969
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Grajske stavbe v vzhodni Sloveniji - Med Kozjanskim in porečjem Save", Viharnik, Ljubljana, 1993, ISBN 961-6057-00-6
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Gradovi na Slovenskem", Cankarjeva založba, 1987, ISBN 86-361-0280-4
Contact details:
Address: Grad Sevnica, Cesta na grad 17, 8290 Sevnica, Slovenia
Phone: +386 (0)7 81 61 075 or +386 (0)51 680 289
e-mail: grad.sevnica@kstm.si

Owner of the castle: Municipality of Sevnica, Glavni trg 19a, 8290 Sevnica, Slovenia

Manager: KŠTM Sevnica, Glavni trg 19, 8290 Sevnica, Slovenia
Castle team:
Rok Petančič, steward
Karmen Tabor, cleaner and tour guide
Živko Poljšak, housekeeper
Ciril Dolinšek, tour guide

Working hours:
Monday - Thursday: by prior arrangement on phone +386 (0)51 680 289
Friday: 15.00 - 18.00
Saturday, Sunday and hollydays: 13.00 - 18.00 (1. 5. - 31. 10.) 12.00 - 15.00 (1. 11. - 30. 4.)

For groups it is possible to visit outside of working hours. For reservations please call +386 (0)51 680 289.
Web links:
Sevnica castle - burger.si
Sevnica castle - Wikipedia
Zavod za kulturo, šport, turizem in mladinske dejavnosti Sevnica
Sevnica castle
Shows and entertainment:
For events see kstm.si.
GPS coordinates:
N 46° 00.477' E 15° 18.880'

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Castle in its present form if four winged building with round towers on corners
Northern wall, view from parking, where once a part of park was located
Scarp at the parking
Path to the castle is on the east side leading pass places of radio amateur's club where a statue of a lion is near the staircase
In the middle of eastern wing a late-Romanesque tower is integrated which walls are 2,60 meter thick and its outlines are visible in the facade; in its south wall a late-Romanesque slit is located (visible on the inside)
Romanesque light slit on outer facade of Romanesque tower in eastern wing
Castle entrance is located on the south side of object
Entrance portal is semicircular, rustic formed
Above it a relief plate on which rising lions hold coat-of-arms of Moscons and Aichelburg; under the coat-of-arms is a writing which by naming owners at the time indirectly informs that the castle was reconstructed by Inocenc Moscon and his wife Ana
Opposite of the entrance a balcony is located at the sides decorated by stone lions
Close up of lion statue
In the first floor of southwestern wing (on right of the photo) a Renaissance castle chapel is arranged
Plateau on the west, once decorated with balustrade fence
Narrow portal in eastern facade of the castle
View of eastern facade from east part of park; in the corner at the left tower a wooden balcony was recently placed - see photo
View from the castle of a church of St.Nicholas and market manor
East from the casle a Renaissance building is standing - Luther's chapel, also called cellar
Portal to the courtyard
Atrium, view toward south, author: Rok Petančič
Renaissance entrance portal to the cellar
At the level of a lintel of portal a row of stone consoles which could be a remains of ceiling construction of wine cellar, which was in 19th century leaned on and removed after 1945, but more probable a part of a facade, remains of pergola, which can be found in Slovenian Littoral Karst architecture
Interior is equiped with tempera paintings from around 1600 (restored between 1963 and 1973)
Older photo of frescos with motifs from Holly Bible
Half-length depictions of Prudent and imprudent virgins on triumphal arch
Defence turret
If we look at Vischer's depiction (not shown) an graphics from codex Status familiae Patachich in greater detail, we will notice that this one was somewhat higher
Sevnica castle, vault of arcades before the renovation
Corridor after the renovation, author: Rok Petančič
Castle courtyard with a fountain and figurative part of another fountain
Fresco Pomladi in round tower
Gallant scene in castle park; fresco from beginning of 18th century in southeastern castle tower; made by copper engraved template by master Carl Remshardt (1678-1735)
Albert Felicijan's hall, author Rok Petančič
Baroque saloon, author: Rok Petančič
Gallery, author: Rok Petančič
Castle chapel, author: Rok Petančič
Conference hall, author: Bojan Dremelj
Wedding hall, author: Bojan Dremelj
School museum, author: Rok Petančič
Tower with frescos, author: Bojan Dremelj
Tower with frescos, author: Bojan Dremelj
Sevnica with a castle; collored lithography from Old Kaiser's suite, around 1830
Joseph Kuwasseg, Sevnica; collored lithography from around 1845 (outtake)
Renaissance cast iron fireplace tile with allegorical relief depiction of victorious death, embedded in castle entrance hall
C. Reichert: Sevnica around 1864
Sevnica castle, sgraffiti in teh walls of one of the windows
Sevnica castle; graphics from codex Status familiae Patachich, around 1740; Nacionalna i sveučilišna biblioteka u Zagrebu (National and university library in Zagreb)


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