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The origin of the former Fala Castle may date back to the 15th century. Oton Der Pergauer ruined the old castle around 1407, but there is no written data on this. The first written record of the old castle however dates back to 1311. The structure and the land was at that time owned by a Benedictine monastery St. Paul’s Abbey from Carinthia. Upon valuation of assets in 1542 the castle was evaluated at 200 pounds and was thus for the first time directly certified.
The building and the Drava blockade, the so called Turkish Wall, which could be closed in times of danger, were fortified by St Paul’s Abbey prior Jakob Pachler in 1550 because of continuous Ottoman attacks. To be able to pay off the money used for fortification, Pachler rented the castle to Luka Szekely of Viltuš for 6 000 florins. The Abbot Vincenc Lechner gave the castle to his brother Niklas, and only Abbot Hieronim (1616-1638) managed to get it back from the Lechner family after a long process. Hieronim appointed a prefect and turned the castle into a monastery. The castle housed monks, people employed at the castle and its lands, as well as professors and clergy studying at the monastery.
Today the castle is furnished in the 17th century style and open to the public.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.