Germany · 14th century
Willibaldsburg ranks #4,642 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #390 of the 714 mapped in Germany. Founded 1353, it is older than 54% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 758 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,947 times in the last 60 days, more than 69% of the atlas. 5 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Munich, 89 km away. See how Germany compares in the castle statistics.
The Willibaldsburg is a spur castle, built around the year 1353, in Eichstätt in Upper Bavaria. Until the middle of the 18th century, it was the representative castle and seat of Eichstätt's prince-bishops.
This fortified palace lies west of the Old Town on an elongated hill ridge, the Willibaldsberg at an elevation of 464 m above sea level, overlooking the Altmühl valley, the eastern portion being referred to as the Frauenberg. To the east across the valley lies the cathedral city of Eichstätt, and on the western side of the valley loop, Marienstein. Its total length is about 420 metres and it is naturally well protected thanks to this location. The Altmühl river here forms a sharp bend which, due to the resulting ridge was an ideal spot for the medieval castle and later fortress. It derives its name from the first bishop Willibald von Eichstätt (c. 700 – c.787). The castle and city lie within the Altmühl Valley Nature Park in the cultural region of Franconia.
The first fortifications on the castle hill are mentioned as early as 1070. Under Bishop Berthold von Nürnburg, also known as Berthold von Zollern (1355-1365), expansion into a fortified residence for the bishops of Eichstätt began around 1355, the old bishopric being in the city next to the cathedral. This High Medieval edifice, which lay on the western spur of the hill was probably a large stone house, a tower and a chapel, protected by surrounding curtain walls and moats. After the Counts of Hirschberg died out in 1305, the bishops had to organize the military security of the diocese themselves. The cathedral chapter initially opposed the expansion plans because of the high costs, but the bishop was able to prevail.
Bishop Frederick IV of Oettingen (1383-1415) strengthened the fortifications by building a Zwinger kennel and had an "aestuarium magnum aestivale" built. This is likely to have been a hall building, a summer house, as seen in other castles of this time.
Under the bishops Albrecht II von Hohenrechberg (1429-1445) and Martin von Schaumberg (1560-1590), the castle vestment was expanded and strengthened. Within 50 years, the Willibaldsburg underwent a major transformation from a late mediaeval castle through a stately fortified Counter-Reformation edifice under Schaumberg, to a late Renaissance summer palace under Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen (1595–1612).
Text adapted from “Willibaldsburg” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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