Palace of St. Martin (Schloss St. Martin) description and photos - Austria: Graz (Topic)

Schloss St. Martin description and photos - Austria: Graz. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Schloss St. Martin.

Photo and description

St. Martin's Palace is located in the remote southwestern region of the large Austrian city of Graz, known as Strassgang. It is located at the same distance of 5-6 kilometers from both the city airport and the historic center.

The area itself has been known since the times of Ancient Rome - an important trade route passed here. And during the Early Middle Ages, a noble ancient clan of the Aribonids lived here, originating from Bavaria since the VIII century. They owned many of the local buildings, including a small fortified castle from the early 11th century. However, already in the middle of the XII century, he, like all the lands of the Aribonids, were transferred to another, more powerful owner - the Archbishop of Salzburg.

The modern palace was built already in 1557 in the Renaissance style. It is a powerful, light-colored quadrangular building with pointed corner towers. In the 19th century, the building was surrounded by a spacious park with a pond, grottoes, fountains and long alleys. The castle itself rises on a hill.

Not far from the castle there is a former palace chapel, which later grew into a separate small church, also consecrated in honor of St. Martin. It is believed that this is the first building in Graz, which received documentary mention in the chronicles - it happened in 1055, and the early church building was erected in the 9th century. Like the castle itself, it previously belonged to the Aribonid family, and then went to the Archbishop of Salzburg. Now it is under the auspices of the large Benedictine Abbey of Admont.

The modern building of the church was built in 1642. It is a fairly small structure with long but narrow windows and a red tiled roof. Its appearance is dominated by a high bell tower. The interior decoration was completed already in the 18th century. It is worth noting the magnificent Baroque main altar, a variety of bronze sculptures and an ancient organ that has been preserved since 1759.

We also recommend reading Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior description and photo - Crimea: Yalta

Topic: Palace of St. Martin (Schloss St. Martin) description and photos - Austria: Graz.