St. Martin Castle

St. Martin Castle is located in Straßgang, which is the 16th district of Graz. It is situated on a southeastern spur of the Buchkogel.

St. Martin is mentioned as a possession of the Aribonen in historical records dating back to the early 11th century.The castle and the church have been recorded as a provost of Admont Abbey since 1144. However, some portions of the property were already given to the monastery in 1072.The building was reconstructed in 1557, transforming it into a Renaissance chateau.The castle underwent further renovations in 1638, led by the master builder Peter Fasoll.One of Joseph Stammel’s main works is the interior of the castle church, which was built separately between 1738 and 1740.During the 19th century, there was a spacious park known as Bei den Weihern (also referred to as ad Wiarn since 1185). This park was located near the source of the Bründlbaches, which is connected to the Eisbründl Cave. The park was designed with various ponds, avenues, and grottos, and it was part of the castle grounds.The building has served as a community education center since 1914.The castle was originally owned by the Admont Abbey until 1936. Since then, it has been under the ownership of the province of Styria.

The palace is a two-story building that surrounds a quadrangular courtyard with an arcaded design. The courtyard has a somewhat elongated trapezoidal shape.There is a tower located at each corner of the building.The buildings on the side facing the church, which have a portal arch, have a round floor plan. On the other hand, the buildings located on the north and east corners have an octagonal shape.The octagonal structures each feature two embrasures in the basement. These embrasures consist of bricked-up shaped stones that are visible from the outside.There is another round oriel located on the north-west side.The remains of the former moat systems can still be found today.Archaeological exploration was conducted on an air raid shelter that was constructed north of the castle in 1943/1944.Beneath the courtyard, there was a coal cellar that was later repurposed as an oil storage room. Currently, it serves as an art space known as KuKo – art in the coal cellar.

The church of St. Martin is widely believed to be the oldest documented church in Graz, with its founding dating back to ancient times.Evidence suggests that the existence of a sacred building dates back to the 9th or 10th century, and the church itself was officially documented for the first time in 1055.The ownership of the church changed hands over time. It was initially owned by the Aribonen, then it was transferred to the Archbishopric of Salzburg, and eventually it came under the ownership of the Benedictine monastery of Admont. In the year 1642, the monastery commissioned the construction of the church that still stands today.Josef Stammel, a renowned sculptor, was commissioned in approximately 1738 to create a high altar in the exquisite Baroque style.This work of art dominates an otherwise simple building.The side altars in the church are dedicated to the Holy Family and Saint Barbara.

In the church, on the right side, there is a remarkable bronze statue of Mary with the child Jesus. This exquisite sculpture was created by the talented sculptor Alexander Silveri and is definitely worth a visit.The church gate is adorned with four bronze reliefs, which are definitely worth seeing. These reliefs were created based on designs by Silveri.