| Situated high above town and visible from a great distance, Freundsberg Castle sits majestically on top of a hill. The castle was originally the ancestral seat of
the Freundsberg Lords who, according to historic artefacts, were first mentioned in 1122. These lords were ministers of the Counts of Andechs and later ministers of the Tyrolean Provincial Sovereign and therefore soon enjoyed power and prestige. The Keep (Tower) of Freundsberg Castle, whose oldest wall remains date back to the 12th century, is the only remaining part of the original construction.
In 1230, a new castle was built on these ancient, roman remains. In 1467 during a trade, the castle changed ownership and came into possession of the Tyrolean Provincial Sovereign Sigmund der Münzreiche who, between 1472 and 1475, had the castle expanded
into a hunting seat. Major changes on the castle buildings were carried out around 1630 when the palace and the chapel were renovated and turned into a new, Renaissance style castle church. In 1812, during the Bavarian rule in Tyrol, King Ludwig I of Bavaria
gave Freundsberg Castle to the Township of Schwaz as a present.
The Castle Church is a rare monument of the Renaissance in Tyrol. The figurative paintings of the symbols of the apostles (by Christoph Anton Mayr, around 1750) date
back to a time after the Renaissance. Since the last extensive renovation and another consecration of the Castle Church in 1977, it is now mainly used for events such as weddings, services and prayers as well as cultural purposes like theatres, concerts and readings. |