1838 print HABSBURG CASTLE, CANTON AARGAU, SWITZERLAND, #7

Print from steel engraving titled Chateau de Habsbourg (Canton de Lucerne), published in a volume of L'Univers Pittoresque, Paris, approx. page size 20.5 x 12.5 cm, approx. image size 14 x 9 cm.

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Habsburg Castle

Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aare River. It is listed as a heritage site of national significance.

Around 1020–1030 Count Radbot had the castle erected, allegedly named after a hawk (German: Habicht) sitting on its walls. The fortress became the ancestral seat of the House of Habsburg, one of the leading imperial and royal dynasties in Europe. Its importance diminished after Radbot's descendant Rudolph moved the family's power base to Austria in 1276, and in 1415 Duke Frederick IV of the Empty Pockets finally lost the Aargau to the Swiss Confederacy. Nevertheless the historic arms of Habsburg, a lion on a golden field, showed up in Austrian arms up to the end of the Imperial period. The modern arms of the municipality depict Habsburg Castle. The area around the castle was covered by forests that were only cleared around 1500.

Today the "large" and "small" towers of the original castle are preserved, attached to a residential building of the 13th century, while large parts of the complex lie in ruins. The extent of its eastern part is recognisable only by foundation walls. The palatial residence hosts a restaurant and a small exhibition.

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