Vaduz Castle stands on a hilltop above the town. The counts of Werdenberg-Sargans are presumed to have built it, and the article names no architect. The oldest parts are the 12th-century keep and portions of the eastern side. The Chapel of St. Anna's main altar is late Gothic, the only style the article names.
The keep has a footprint of 39 by 43 feet (12 by 13 m), with ground-floor walls up to 13 feet (4 m) thick. Its original entrance was 36 feet (11 m) up. The Swiss Confederacy burned the castle in 1499 during the Swabian War. Count Kaspar von Hohenems expanded the western side between 1613 and 1640.
The Liechtenstein family acquired the castle in 1712 along with the countship of Vaduz. A major restoration ran from 1904 to 1920. It has been the family's primary residence since 1938 and is not open to the public.
Comments