Schloss Sigmundslust: A Baroque Jewel in the Austrian Alps

Schloss Sigmundslust, sometimes written Siegmundslust, is situated in the municipality of Vomp, in the Schwaz district of Tyrol, Austria. The castle, rising on a terrace directly above Vomp, began as a square residential tower built between 1472 and 1473. It was initially one of seven hunting lodges owned by Archduke Sigmund the Rich. In 1496, Blasius Hölzl purchased the property, followed by Peter Ruml von Lichtenau, the caretaker of Schwaz, in 1500, who renovated the small castle. Around 1520–1526, Jörg Stöckl, a wealthy miner from Schwaz, established Tyrol's first printing press at the castle. In 1582, Rochus Kastner added the castle chapel with its net-ribbed vault. During the Tyrolean Rebellion against Napoleon Bonaparte in 1809, fires destroyed the towns of Schwaz and Vomp, and Schloss Sigmundslust was also damaged. In 1859, the Riccabona family purchased the ruined castle and had it rebuilt in a historicist style by the architect Leopoldo De Claricini. A stair tower was added in 1862. Baron Rüdiger von Biegeleben, acquired Schloss Sigmundslust in 1890 and had the interior redesigned around 1900, adding a library with 3,000 books and numerous Japanese artworks. The castle features a square residential tower with corner oriel windows dating back to the early 15th century. The tower in front was built in the 19th century. Noteworthy features include the south-facing stepped gable, a projecting corner oriel, the entrance tower to the northwest, and the chapel with a small tower to the east. Today, the castle is privately owned by the Privatstiftung Familie Pöll, and can only be viewed from the outside.