A visit to Porcia Castle

The castle stands in the middle of Spittal, right beside the town park with its fountain. From outside it is a bright, calm building. Then you walk through the gate and find yourself in the arcaded courtyard: three storeys of arches and balustrades, with the sky above. Most people stop here first and simply look up.

You are welcome to do that without a concert ticket. The courtyard is open to everyone all year round; access is limited only during events.

The story begins with Gabriel von Salamanca. He came from Burgos in Spain and was treasurer and confidant of Archduke Ferdinand I, who gave him the County of Ortenburg in Carinthia in 1524. In 1533 Italian master builders began to raise a palazzo for him here, the kind you would rather expect south of the Alps. Salamanca never lived in it. He died in 1539, and the building was finished only in 1597/98.

After the Salamanca family died out in 1620, the castle passed to the Widmann family, and in 1662 to Prince Johann Ferdinand von Porcia, a minister of Emperor Leopold I. It still bears his name. The princes stayed until 1918, gave the façade Baroque touches in the 18th century, and the park was laid out in the 19th. In 1951 the castle passed to the town of Spittal, which opened it to everyone.

And as befits an old house, it has its ghost: Katharina von Ortenburg-Salamanca is said to walk the rooms as the White Lady. So far she has not disturbed a single choir.

On the second floor and under the roof, the Museum für Volkskultur (Museum of Folk Culture) has shown since 1958 how people lived in Upper Carinthia: traditional costumes, household items, tools and religious folk art. It is open from April to October.

In summer the courtyard belongs to the theatre: the Komödienspiele Porcia, a comedy festival, has played here since 1961. There are also concerts, exhibitions and festivals. And if you need a coffee after your walk, you will find one in the café-restaurant in the castle, on the terrace when the weather is good.

Since 1964 this courtyard has belonged to the Choir Competition for a few days each time, in July. Then rows of chairs fill the courtyard, flags hang from the balustrades, and on stage stands a choir that has often come a long way. When it begins to sing, the sound rises between the arches.

In 2027 the time comes again: on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9 to 11 July, at 7 pm each evening. You are warmly invited.

Getting here and venues
Tickets

A short look into the arcaded courtyard, a visit to the museum and an impression of the Choir Competition in 2018.