Post by Windischer on Jun 5, 2020 12:01:58 GMT -5
The most famous castle in Slovenia might just as well be the one in Predjama, a place not far from Postojna in Inner Carniola. It was first mentioned in 1274 under the name Luegg, but today it is know as Predjamski grad or grad Prejama in Slovene. At that time it was smaller and built in the Gothic style. In the 16th century it was rebuilt in a more Renaissance style, which it still retains today. It is considered to be the biggest cave castle in the world.
Predjama castle is connected to several legends, some even claim it is haunted by ghosts. But perhaps the most famous is the story of Erasmus von Lueg/Erazem Predjamski, who was the last of his line to posess the castle. Erazem lived in the 15th century and was the son of the Imperial Governor of Trieste, Nicholas Lueger. He himself held the title of burgrave. According to legend his troubles began in 1483 at the Viennese Court, when he had an argument with Marshall Pappenheim, who dishonoured the late Andrej Baumkirchner, a famous condotierre from Vipava and Erasmus's friend. Erasmus defended Baumkirchner's honour and killed Pappenheim. Now Pappenheim was a relative of the Habsburg Emperor, so Erasmus escaped to his castle in Predjama to avoid punishment. He then allied himself with King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and started raiding Habsburg posessions in Carniola. He is still renown for his image of a robber baron today. The Habsburg Emperor Frederick III finally had enough of him and tasked the Governor of Trieste, Caspar Rauber, to deal with the rebellious Lueger. Interestingly enough, Caspar Rauber was married to a certain Katarina Lueger, a relative of Erasmus. Caspar laid siege to Predjama Castle and panned on starving Erasmus until he would surrender. The cave behind the castle however holds a secret passage through which Erasmus and his men could access the land behind his enemies' lines and bring in supplies. After a long siege Caspar still managed to kill Erasmus. The Emperor wanted to dishonour the memory of the last robber baron of Carniola, so a rumour was started, that Erasmus was betrayed by one of his men, who lit a light and placed it in a window when Erasmus was on the toilet, where the wall was the thinnest and no match for the Triestine mortars. Luckily for Erasmus though, he wasn't killed on the potty (that part of the castle wasn't built yet) and today we know that the rumour holds no truth.