To be privately owned
CastleHelfenberg
Helfenberg Castle
Helfenberg Castle, today also called Revertera Castle, is a castle complex in Upper Austria and is located above the town of Helfenberg in the Mühlviertel region. The castle was built around 1250 as a fortress, rebuilt around 1607, and today the castle is privately owned.
Helfenberg Fortress
Around 1224, a Wirint de Helfenberch is mentioned as the owner of the Helfenberg defensive complex in a document from Hohenfurt Monastery, today in the Czech Republic. The predecessor building of the current castle, probably a fortress, was only built around 1250 and expanded in 1270. Allegedly, the war memorial of Helfenberg was erected on the earth substructure of this fortress.
Around 1269, a Wulfing von Helfenberg is mentioned as owner in the documents of Schlägl Abbey, and around 1277 an Arnold von Piber. Around 1285, the fortress belonged to the Lords Piber zu Piberstein. The next documented mention is around 1430, when the fortress came into the possession of the Neundlinger family. In 1491, the fortress passed to Erasmus Greisenecker, then as a free property. His widow inherited the castle around 1500; since they had no descendants, the castle went to her brother and nephew. Due to inheritance disputes, Helfenberg fell to Christoph Künast in 1586, who sold the fortress to Christoph Artstetter von Wartberg.
Helfenberg Castle
From 1593 to 1630, the Lords of Ödt zu Götzendorf owned the fortress and had it completely rebuilt in 1607. However, the tower construction of the castle had already been planned as an extension of the fortress during the time of the Piber family. The current appearance was designed at that time. Furthermore, an extensive library was established in the now castle. Johann Elias Goedeler was a famous painter of that time, who was born in the castle in 1620. From 1630 to 1655, the Schifer family lived in the castle. In 1655, Siegmund Schifer, husband of Barbara Regina von Oedt, sold the castle to Johann Friedrich Mörk von Gneisenau. From the Mörks, the castle passed to the Seeau family in 1680. During this time, the castle chapel was also built. The Seeau family remained in the castle for about 200 years and formed a fideicommiss with Piberstein Castle in 1705. Around 1750, the dominion had 210 subjects.
The daughter of the last Count of Seeau sold Helfenberg Castle and dominion to Countess Olympia Revertera-Salandra. This family came from Spain via Naples under Emperor Charles V; its members often served as diplomats, politicians, and high officials. At the end of the 19th century, several alterations were made to the castle. The lord of the castle around 1930 was Peter Revertera-Salandra, security director of Upper Austria, who played a significant role in homeland security. After him, Hippolyt Revertera-Salandra-Schwarzenberg was the owner of the castle until his death in 1989. The Revertera family still owns the castle today.
Building Today+
The castle, built in 1607, is located almost 300 meters above the old fortress, of which nothing remains. The north wing has a stately gate tower, the east wing is a two-story building with corner turrets. The square gate tower is covered with a steep hip roof and is older than the rest of the building. It has a bell from 1592, and below the clock, the coat of arms of the Revertera family is displayed. Above the round arch portal, an inscription mentioning the builder is affixed. On the southeast side of the north wing stands a round tower. The east wing is the actual residential building of the family, while the staff lives in the north wing.
The interiors are partly equipped with Renaissance wooden ceilings. In the inner courtyard stands a hexagonal fountain, created in 1625. The chapel, closed in 1785, was restored under the Revertera family and provided with a new altar. Around the castle, there is a well-maintained landscape park with native and exotic trees, which is publicly accessible. The former entrance was a yew avenue that still exists today. The figures in the park are by the sculptor Magnus Angermeier, who lives in Eschelberg.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schloss_Helfenberg-1.jpg
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 48.5433, 14.1369