ArtOfTheMystic on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/artofthemystic/art/Kreuzenstein-Fertility-Gate-96104823ArtOfTheMystic

Deviation Actions

ArtOfTheMystic's avatar

Kreuzenstein - Fertility Gate

Published:
988 Views

Description

Detail from the interiour of the Castle Kreuzenstein: This is supposed to be the Fertility Gate - touching the belly of the figure is supposed to work wonders!

A short drive from Vienna, we visited the picturesque castle Kreuzenstein. It was built painstakingly from remnants of castles and buildings from various parts of Europe by the eccentric Count Wiczek.
History : The first mention of the original owner Dietrich von Grizanestein can be identified in a document from the Melk Abbey, dated 1115 which names him as the great nephew of the original owner (from the house Fombacher) who was bequeathed with the castle in 1002 by King Henry II for sevices in the war.
For more info about the history of the area, consult the website of the Church of Leobendorf (German only).
In April 1645 a Swedish army under Field-Marshal Thorstenson occupied Kreuzenstein. The Swedish were defeated by Archduke Leopold's (younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand III) troops, and this sealed the castle´s fate: it was systematically levelled to the ground by the Swedish troops, all that remained was an uninhabitable pile of rubble. In 1874, it was Count Johann Nepomuk Wiczek who embarked upon the rebuilding and restoration of the castle . The new castle, which was completed in 33 years , is modelled on similar edifices dating from the time of the emperor Maximilian I. (1459 - 1519, called "The Last Knight").
Website (German only): Kreuzenstein
Image size
2880x2880px 6.05 MB
Make
SAMSUNG TECHWIN
Model
Pro 815
Shutter Speed
10/250 second
Aperture
F/2.5
Focal Length
9 mm
ISO Speed
100
Date Taken
Jun 22, 2008, 5:50:23 AM
© 2008 - 2024 ArtOfTheMystic
Comments1
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Diregram's avatar
Wow. What a fantastic doorway. Nice shot.