Loosdorf Castle

Loosdorf Castle stands in the rolling farmland of Lower Austria, near the village of Fallbach. The building began as a medieval fortress in the 10th century and was first recorded in 1320. After damage in the Thirty Years’ War and a great fire in 1645, the Liechtenstein family took charge in 1740. Between 1760 and 1810 Duke Emmanuel of Liechtenstein rebuilt and decorated the castle, blending medieval walls with classical and Renaissance details. In 1834 Count Friedrich Piatti moved his family and their porcelain collection from Dresden to Loosdorf, and the castle has belonged to the Piatti family ever since. The castle is best known for its porcelain collection, one of the largest in central Europe. During the Second World War much of the collection was smashed, and the surviving shards have been kept on site. About seventy to eighty per cent of the pieces come from Japan and China, including fine examples of old Imari ware. In 2018 a team led by Masaaki Arakawa, professor at Gakushuin University, began to study and restore the fragments. Parts of the restored collection were shown in Tokyo in 2020 and later at the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum in 2021. Visitors walk through rooms that still hold the Piatti family’s everyday furniture and art. The porcelain shards are displayed in glass cases, telling the story of how the pieces travelled from Asia to Austria. Outside, the castle is surrounded by a broad gravel forecourt and mature lime trees. Beyond the walls lie fields and vineyards, giving a quiet rural setting. The contrast between the damaged treasures inside and the peaceful landscape outside makes the visit memorable.