Spittal an der Drau

Infobox Town AT
name=Spittal an der Drau
name_local=
image_coa =


state = Carinthia
regbzk =
district = Spittal an der Drau
population =16045
population_as_of = 01.01.2001
population_ref =
pop_dens = 330.75
area = 48.51
elevation = 560
lat_deg=46
lat_min=47
lat_hem=N
lon_deg=13
lon_min=29
lon_hem=E
postal_code = 9800, 9701, 9702
area_code =4762
mayor = Gerhard P. Köfer (SPÖ)
website = [http://www.spittal-drau.at www.spittal-drau.at]

Spittal an der Drau is located in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and the administrative center of the federal state's second largest district, Spittal an der Drau. It lies between the Lurnfeld area and the Lower Drava Valley. The city consists of the seven Katastralgemeinden "Amlach", "Edling", "Großegg", "Molzbichl", "Olsach", "Spittal" and "St. Peter-Edling". Despite its name the historic core of Spittal originated at the banks of the small Lieser River, which flows into the Drava in the south of the city. Within the subdivision of "Großegg" the area of Spittal extends to the southern shore of Lake Millstatt.

History

The first document mentioning a settlement dates from 1191, when a hospital ("Spittl") and a church were built by the Counts Hermann I and Otto II of Ortenburg. The first market was founded in 1242, while in 1457 the citizen were given the right to choose their judge and the council.

The city was ravaged by two fires in 1522 and 1729. It became a city more than 750 years ago.

Main sights

In the town centre is Schloss Porcia, considered one of the most important Renaissance castles in Austria. Built from 1533 on by Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg (1489–1539), treasurer of Emperor Ferdinand I, the castle in the style of an Italian palazzo from 1662 till 1918 was a residence of the Counts of Porcia. Today it hosts an annual festival for classic theatrical comedies ("Komödienspiele Porcia") and is also home of a museum of local history.

Opposite is the town hall, a former Renaissance Palais of the "Khevenhüller" noble family, built in 1537.

The late Gothic Catholic parish church Mary's Annunciation was built in 1584 upon foundations of the 13th century.

The "Spittl" (hospital), from which the city derived its name, was rebuilt by Gabriel von Salamanca in the 16th century at the bridge crossing the Lieser river. In 1919 during the occupation of Lower Carinthia by troops of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia it served as the provisorial seat of the Carinthian government. Since 1995 the "Spittl" is a seat of the Carinthian "Fachhochschule" (University of Applied Sciences) for Engineering ("Technikum").

East of the town, within the Drava Valley lies the village of Molzbichl, which is home of the remains of Carinthia's first monastery, established about 780 by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria and abandoned in the 10th century. A small museum nearby shows several artifacts of Carolingian origin. The foundation of the monastery church is visible south of the present parish church Saint Tiburtius, which itself has an altar including a Roman tombstone of an Early Christian deacon Nonnosus, who died here in 532.

On a slope above the valley, northeast of the town is "Schloss Rothenthurn", in the 11th century the "Red Tower" ("Roter Turm"), a fiefdom of the Counts of Ortenburg. The palace of today is a building from the 17th century and serves as a hotel.

Spittal is home of Austria's largest private collection of model railroads.

Transportation

The city has a railroad station on the "Tauernbahn" railway line from Villach to Salzburg. It lies also near the "A10" Tauern Autobahn as well as on the Bundesstraßen highways "B99 Katschberg-Straße" leading to the Katschberg Pass and the "B100 Drautal-Straße" to Lienz in East Tyrol. A cableway runs up to Mount "Goldeck" (2,142 m).

Twin cities

*flagicon|Germany Löhne, Germany (1973)
*flagicon|Italy Pordenone, Italy (1987)
*flagicon|Italy Porcia, Italy (1987)