Group 4 | Station 27B | Fürstenhof
Image Gallery 1
Fürstenhof
The medieval building complex includes a monumental building, a granary and a courtyard.
Today, the Fürstenhof houses the town hall of Friesach.
History
– Fürstenhof was built in the 13th century CE for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg (and his Carinthian representative). It functioned as an administrative centre for managing the goods in Friesach’s granary.
– Fürstenhof remained the property of the Archbishopric of Salzburg until the secularisation of Salzburg in 1804. It then became state property and was later privatised.
– In 1999/2000, Fürstenhof was renovated to host the Carinthian state exhibition. The renovation work, the glass-covered steel pergola and the steel walkway on the town wall were planned by the architects – Manfred Kovatsch, Josef Klingbacher and Herbert Douschan.
– Today, Fürstenhof houses the town hall of Friesach.
Fürstenhof | Building
The Fürstenhof has two main wings at right angles to each other (north and west wings).
North Wing
The medieval north wing is an elongated three-storey building. It includes a tower, an administrative building and a chapel.
In the late Middle Ages, the 13th century CE building was renovated. The tower was partially demolished, and the upper floors of the north wing were rebuilt.
Bischof Gerald von Gurk commissioned the building of a gothic chapel in the 14th century.
Initially, the Gothic chapel (dedicated to Saint Virgil) extended over the two upper floors. The chapel was profaned and rebuilt in 1826.
The cellars in this wing were vaulted around 1560.
In the 16th century, a three-storey arcade front was added to the courtyard side of the north wing.
West Wing
The west wing is slightly curved and has an irregular distribution of floors.
The main facade of the west wing underwent renovation and is now in the early Baroque style.
The passage (a high four-bay hall) was created in the 17th century to connect the two originally separate wings. There are two Roman inscription plaques on the walls of the passage.
A two-storey, single-bay loggia was added in the 16th century to the courtyard front of the west wing.
Image Gallery 2
Labelled Images
Map: 27B
Stations: 5 | 6B | 27A | 27B | 27D
Station 5 | “Rad Der Fortuna”
Station 6B | Granary (West Face)
Station 27A | Plague Column
Station 27B | Fürstenhof
Station 27D | Music School