Brežice Castle, also known as Grad Brežice, is a fortress in southeast Slovenia with a rich history dating back to the 12th century. The castle, as it stands today, was completed in 1500 where a fortress once stood, demolished during a 1515 uprising. Today it plays a very important role, serving as a local museum. The Museum of the Posavje region is located inside the citadel, which is also the place of many cultural events, historical exhibitions and musical concerts.
Brežice Castle History
The castle was built in the 12th century by the people of Salzburg on the left bank of the Sava River, which determines the borders of Styria and Carniola. Next to the castle the town was built, which received its town rights in 1353. The word Brežice comes from the word "small bank" - in Slovenian "brežec", therefore the town on the small bank, on the rocky ledge that today rises above the dry bed of the Sava River. The two-storey castle is the most impressive building in Brežice. It was built in the middle of the 16th century, on the place of the old castle destroyed in 1515 due to the peasants' revolt.
In quieter times the noble Attems family turned the castle into a residential palace. Count Ignaz Maria Attems was a great promoter of artistic creation in the Baroque period, which is why many recognized Styrian artists painted in his castles at that time. He had the eastern wing rebuilt and installed the Hall, today known as the Knights' Hall (Viteška dvorana). The two-flight iteration of the stairs, the Chapel and the Knights' Hall are painted, the latter was renovated in 2011 and represents the only example of secular Baroque mural painting on Slovenian territory. The hall hosts concerts and other events, and by listening to them one can travel with the mind among scenes from Roman and Greek mythology.
They furnished the large castle courtyard with a fountain in the middle, arranged the castle surroundings, filled in the moats and turned them into a garden, and added an ice-house to the south-west part of the building. On the east side of the castle they kept a well-kept park, planted with trees of different species.
In the castle, the monument of the immovable heritage, since 1949 there is a museum of Posavje Brežice that represents the heritage of the Posavje region from the oldest days until today. The 70th anniversary of the museum's activity is part of the 80th anniversary of museum activity in the entire Posavje region. The Posavje Museum originates from the museum set up within the Museum Association for the Political Districts of Brežice and Krško, which was founded on 30 September 1939 in Krško.