Description of the attraction
St. Martin's Palace is located in the remote southwestern region of the large Austrian city of Graz, known as Strassgang. It is located at the same distance of 5-6 kilometers from both the city airport and the historic center.
The area itself has been known since the times of Ancient Rome - an important trade route passed here. And during the Early Middle Ages, a noble ancient clan of the Aribonids lived here, originating from Bavaria since the VIII century. They owned many of the local buildings, including a small fortified castle from the beginning of the 11th century. However, already in the middle of the XII century, he, like all the lands of the Aribonids, were transferred to another, more powerful owner - the Archbishop of Salzburg.
The modern palace was built already in 1557 in the Renaissance style. It is a powerful light-colored quadrangular building with pointed corner towers. In the 19th century, the building was surrounded by a spacious park with a pond, grottoes, fountains and long alleys. The castle itself rises on a hill.
Not far from the castle is the former palace chapel, which later grew into a free-standing small church, also consecrated in honor of St. Martin. It is believed that this is the first building in Graz, which received documentary mention in the chronicle - it happened in 1055, and the early church building was erected in the 9th century. Like the castle itself, it previously belonged to the Aribonid family, and then went to the Archbishop of Salzburg. Now it is under the auspices of the large Benedictine Abbey of Admont.
The modern church building was built in 1642. It is a fairly small structure with long but narrow windows and a red tiled roof. Its appearance is dominated by a high bell tower. The interior decoration was completed already in the 18th century. It is worth noting the magnificent Baroque main altar, a variety of bronze sculptures and an ancient organ that has been preserved since 1759.
