Stein Castle

The origins of Stein Castle date back to the late 12th century, around 1190, when it was mentioned as being in the possession of Haidenrichs de Lapide, a ministerialis of the Counts of Ortenburg. In the 13th century, the dominion passed to the Meinhardiners, the Counts of Görz. The first documented mention of the castle dates to 1440, at which time it was owned by the Counts of Cilli. In 1456, it came into the possession of the Habsburg territorial princes. Emperor Maximilian I granted Stein in 1500 to Virgil von Graben and his son Lukas von Graben zum Stein, leading this branch of the family to adopt the name "Von Graben zum Stein". Following the death of Christof David von Graben zum Stein in 1664, an inheritance dispute erupted over the heavily indebted dominion. Despite claims from the Tyrolean Von Graben and the Lords of Lamberg, the inheritance reverted to the Habsburg territorial princes, as neither line was considered a direct heir of Lukas von Graben zum Stein. In 1668, the castle was sold to Balthasar de Pervellis and in 1681, it came into the possession of the Orsini-Rosenberg family, in whose private ownership it remains to this day.