Staudachhof Castle

The first documented mention of the location, then known as “Wilar,” occurred in 1107, when Acica, the widow of Margrave Burkhard of Istria, transferred the area to her daughter. Later, the property passed to the Counts of Spanheim, who in turn gifted it to St. Lambrecht Abbey. The estate's managers were known as the Lords of Wilaren. From 1315, Hermann von Staudach, a Gurk ministerialis, owned the property, which subsequently bore his family's name. A coat of arms stone of Marx von Staudach from 1544 can be found in the Dominican Church in Friesach. In 1596, Christoph Schmelzer acquired the castle. The Schmelzers were followed by the Aichelburg family as owners, before a rapid succession of proprietors began in 1786.