Pazin Castle: the great cliff-edge fortress of inland Istria
Pazin Castle (Kaštel Pazin) is a medieval fortress built on a solid rock in the middle of Pazin, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is the largest and best-preserved castle in Croatia's westernmost county and overlooks a deep gorge where the karst river Pazinčica sinks underground. Today it houses two museums, which makes it an easy and rewarding stop in inland Istria.
Pazin Castle stands on the very edge of a cliff, and below it a river simply disappears into the ground. In more than a thousand years its walls were taken by force only once, in 1508.
The history of Pazin Castle
The castle first appears in writing as Castrum Pisinum, in a document issued on 7 June 983 by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, which confirmed its possession to the bishop of Poreč and an earlier grant of 931. In the 12th century the bishops handed it on to Meinhard of Schwarzenburg, and it then passed to Meinhard I, Count of Gorizia, and to Meinhard, Margrave of Istria, and his successors. The historian Camillo de Franceschi described the earliest building as a simple, strong structure: an elongated rectangle with a ground floor and two upper storeys, a square tower, and walls that also enclosed the castle chapel.
When Albert IV of Gorizia died without heirs in 1374, the castle fell to the House of Habsburg. Over the following centuries the Habsburgs leased or mortgaged it to noble families such as Auersperg, Walsee, Eggenberg, Khevenhüller and Fugger. For all that time it was the administrative seat of the County of Pazin, also called the County of Istria, which bordered Venetian lands in western and southern Istria and faced constant pressure from Venice. A sizeable garrison therefore lived behind the walls, and the complex was run by noble captains or castellans, because the owners rarely lived in Pazin themselves.
The walls are between 80 and 380 centimetres thick. Although the castle was attacked many times, it was taken only once, in 1508, when Venetian cannon fire badly damaged it; the Habsburgs won it back by military action the next year. As the threat of war faded, the tall towers, above all the dominant square keep, were lowered in the 18th century to the level of the other walls and roofs, some loopholes were walled up and windows were opened.
In 1766 the castle was bought by Antonio Laderchi de Montecuccoli, whose name it carries in Italian. After the Venetian Republic fell in 1797, Pazin belonged to the Habsburg monarchy, then briefly to Napoleon's French Empire, then again to the Habsburgs, to Italy in 1918, to Yugoslavia in 1945 and to Croatia since 1991. Today the Pazin Town Museum and the Ethnographic Museum of Istria are housed inside.
Curiosities about Pazin Castle
- Beneath the castle the small karst river Pazinčica disappears through a sinkhole and continues underground.
- In its long history the castle was conquered only once, by the Venetians in 1508, and the Habsburgs retook it in 1509.
- Its walls are up to 380 cm thick, a thickness that gave real safety to the people living inside.
- The same place has many names: Pazin in Croatian, Pisino in Italian, Mitterburg in German, and Castello di Montecuccoli after its 18th-century owner.
- The main facade carries five coats of arms, including those of the Walsee and of the De Pisino family.
- The private chapel built inside in the 16th century was consecrated to Our Lady of the Snow between 1740 and 1766.
Tours near Pazin Castle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Pazin Castle
- Two museums are inside the castle: the Pazin Town Museum and the Ethnographic Museum of Istria. Check the current opening hours before you go.
- The facade shows Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements side by side, and the central courtyard, the old parade ground, holds a cistern.
- From the Belvedere at the foot of the castle you can look down into the gorge where the river vanishes underground.
- The castle stands inside the town, so it is easy to combine with a walk through Pazin.
- Pietrapelosa, another castle high above a valley, lies about 19 km away and fits well into the same day.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Pazin Castle is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Pazin Castle
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Questions
Where is Pazin Castle and what is it?
Pazin Castle is a medieval fortress built on a rock in the middle of Pazin, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is the largest and best-preserved castle in Istria County.
What can you see inside Pazin Castle?
Two museums are housed in the castle: the Pazin Town Museum and the Ethnographic Museum of Istria. The courtyard with its cistern and the layered facade are also worth a look.
Has Pazin Castle ever been conquered?
Only once. Venetian forces took it in 1508 and damaged it with cannon fire, but the Habsburgs recaptured it the following year.
Why is Pazin Castle also called Castello di Montecuccoli?
The Italian name comes from Antonio Laderchi de Montecuccoli, who bought the castle in 1766 and whose family owned it afterwards.
How old is Pazin Castle?
The castle is first documented as Castrum Pisinum on 7 June 983, so its recorded history goes back more than a thousand years.
What is the gorge below Pazin Castle?
Under the castle rock the karst river Pazinčica disappears through a sinkhole and flows on underground. A belvedere at the foot of the castle looks into the gorge.
Also nearby
Pietrapelosa
Pietrapelosa · the 'hairy stone' castle near Buzet
19 km away
Euphrasian Basilica
Poreč · 6th-century cathedral covered in gold mosaics
26 km away
St. Euphemia's Basilica
Rovinj · Baroque hilltop church with a Venetian-style tower
29 km away
Nesactium
Nesactium · Histrian capital turned Roman town near Pula
36 km away