Spiez Castle (German: Schloss Spiez) is a castle in the municipality of Spiez in the Swiss canton of Bern. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
According to Elogius Kiburger, the author of the Strättliger Chronicle, in 933 the King of Burgundy, Rudolph II, built the castle. Shortly thereafter, the Freiherr von Strättligen settled in the castle. Portions of the current castle curtain walls and main tower were built during the 12th century and by the 13th century, the town of Spiez existed outside the castle walls. By 1280 the castle was listed as an Imperial fief under Vogt Richard de Corbières. In 1289 the Freiherr von Strättligen was co-owner of the castle along with a succession of other noble families. In 1308 King Albert I of Habsburg was murdered at Windisch on the Reuss, by his nephew Duke John Parricida.
Credit and thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial footage.
According to Elogius Kiburger, the author of the Strättliger Chronicle, in 933 the King of Burgundy, Rudolph II, built the castle. Shortly thereafter, the Freiherr von Strättligen settled in the castle. Portions of the current castle curtain walls and main tower were built during the 12th century and by the 13th century, the town of Spiez existed outside the castle walls. By 1280 the castle was listed as an Imperial fief under Vogt Richard de Corbières. In 1289 the Freiherr von Strättligen was co-owner of the castle along with a succession of other noble families. In 1308 King Albert I of Habsburg was murdered at Windisch on the Reuss, by his nephew Duke John Parricida.
Credit and thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial footage.
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TravelTranscript
00:00Spies Castle, German. Schloss Spies, is a castle in the municipality of Spies in the
00:15Swiss canton of Bern. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. According to
00:21Elegius Kibberger, the author of the Stratlager Chronicle, in 933 the king of Burgundy, Rudolf
00:27II, built the castle. Shortly thereafter, the Freiherr von Stratlagen settled in the
00:33castle. Portions of the current castle curtain walls and main tower were built during the
00:3712th century and by the 13th century, the town of Spies existed outside the castle walls.
00:43By 1280 the castle was listed as an imperial fief under Vote Richard de Corbiers. In 1289
00:50the Freiherr von Stratlagen was co-owner of the castle along with a succession of other
00:54noble families. In 1308 King Albert I of Habsburg was murdered at Windisch on the Reuss,
01:01by his nephew Duke John Parasita. As part of their retaliation for the murder, the Habsburgs
01:07withdrew half of the Spies fief from Turing von Brandes and granted the whole fief to
01:11Johannes von Stratlagen. Thirty years later, in 1338, Johannes sold the castle, town, church,
01:19and surrounding villages to Johann II von Bubenberg who was the Schultheis of Bern.
01:24By 1340, the Bubenberg-appointed Vote took orders from Bern but was obligated to raise
01:29troops for the Habsburgs. As Bern was de facto independent from their former overlords, the
01:36Habsburgs, this created an unstable situation that remained for over 40 years.
01:41After the Bernese and Swiss Confederation victory over the Habsburgs in the Battle of
01:45Sempach in 1386, the Habsburgs gave up their land claims west of the Arée, which included
01:51Spies. The castle and surrounding land remained with the Bubenberg family until their extinction
01:56in 1506 when it was acquired by Ludwig von Diesbach. Von Diesbach held it for ten years
02:02before Ludwig von Erlach acquired the castle and lands. The von Erlach family ruled the
02:07town and villages until the 1798 French invasion. After the invasion and the creation of the
02:13Helvetic Republic, the von Erlach family lost their land rights and jurisdiction over
02:18the village but retained ownership of the castle until 1875.
02:23The old castle was expanded in several stages during the late Middle Ages but little is
02:27known about the specific dates or what was changed. In 1600 the Great Hall and the northern
02:33buildings were expanded and renovated. During the 17th and 18th centuries the south, new
02:39castle, was built and then expanded and redecorated in the late Baroque style. The castle was
02:44surrounded by gardens, vineyards, and forests. After 1875, the castle passed through several
02:50owners until a foundation bought the castle and associated church. The gardens are now
02:55open to the public and the castle rooms are used for conferences, concerts, exhibitions,
03:01and other events. Spies Castle and the neighboring castle church
03:05The massive square keep was built around 1200. The lower walls are about 3 meters thick
03:10though they become thinner higher up. At the bottom, it is 11.3 meters times 11.2 meters.
03:17The tower increased in height several times over the following centuries before the final
03:22construction phase in 1600. In this final phase, the tower was raised and crowned with
03:28a hipped roof that brought its total height to 39 meters. The keep was originally surrounded
03:33by several freestanding wooden buildings. Over the following centuries, these buildings
03:38were replaced with a stone curtain wall and a ring of two concentric ditches. A gatehouse
03:43was built adjacent to the keep, which opened toward the west. From the 15th to the 18th
03:49century, the castle was gradually renovated to its present appearance. The truel was added
03:54to the northwest side of the keep in the 16th century. Then, in the 17th and 18th centuries,
04:00the baroque, new castle, was built on the south side of the gatehouse.