The Grm Castle

The Grm Castle was built in 1586 by Krištof Mordax, its original structure being a square tower with a flanking single-storey wing on the right hand side. Its function has not been only residential, but also the observation and defence against the Turks. In 1636, after Krištof died, his son Hans Andreas and his grandson Wolfgang rebuilt the castle: the Northern wing on the left hand side of the tower as well as the two side wings of the castle have been added to the structure. The castle now maintains its rectangular shape and a central courtyard, surrounded by wings by arcade corridors both at the ground level as well as at the first floor. The wings come together in a single residential unity: the southern side of the rectangle is enclosed by a high stone wall.
In the early 18th century, the castle park was conceived, connecting the castle building to the Mordax family mausoleum on the flanking hill. In this way, an architecture of defence has opened up to its environment and lost its original function of a fortress. It has become an excellent example of a late Renaissance and early Baroque architecture, designed to be a comfortable and opulent residence of its masters.
Although Valvasor mentioned the castle to abound in frescoes, there is only the central hall fresco that remains in the castle tower. Its ceiling is painted with motives of battles, framed with opulent stucco frames.
The castle maintained its 18th century appearance until the 19th century when the southern wall was replaced by a residential wing. In the late 19th century, the castle was completely rebuilt to accommodate the needs of the Agricultural School, which also ruined its well-preserved late Renaissance and early Baroque architecture and interior design. Its arcade corridors were filled up with masonry in both the ground and the first floor, its large halls divided into smaller rooms, its ornamental murals repainted in white or destroyed and the concept of its park and the surroundings en