Virgil von Graben


Virgil von Graben was an Austrian noble and knight, who was stadtholder of Lienz and East Tyrol and Regent and stadtholder of Görz. He also ruled four Burggrafschaften in the County of Tyrol, the Duchy of Carinthia and in the Archbishopric of Salzburg. Virgil von Graben was a powerful advisor to count Leonhard of Gorizia and emperor Maximilian I.

Biography

Virgil von Graben was a descendant of the Von Graben von Stein family, who sprang out from the Meinhardiner dynasty, who ruled the County of Görz, County of Tyrol and the Duchy of Carinthia. His father Andreas von Graben was his predecessor as Burggraf of Sommeregg, the refuge of the Von Graben family. His mother was Barbara Hallecker, daughter of Jörg Hallecker.
Von Graben was lord, Burggraf and "Pfandherr" of Lienz, Lengberg and Heinfels and Burggraf of Sommeregg. At Lengberg in East-Tyrol, Von Graben was a Burggraf in the name of the Archbishops of Salzburg. He rebuilt the old castle "Veste Lengenberch" into a new representative palais. After the year 1487, Virgil rebuilt the castle of Sommmeregg, because it was destroyed by an attack by Matthias Corvinus. In the name of Maximilian I he ruled as stadtholder and captain the lands of Lienz, East Tyrol and between 1490 and 1507 the county of Görz. He had played a vital role in the convergence to Habsburg. In 1500 Virgil von Graben, Leonhard of Gorizia's former deputy in Gorizia, took the position as a Stadtholder in Lienz and East Tyrol from him. Virgil von Graben made his residence at Sommeregg, castle Bruck and at castle Heinfels.
Virgil von Graben's daughter Rosina was married to Freiherr Haymeran von Rain zu Sommeregg; she was his successor as Burggräfin of Sommeregg. His son Lukas von Graben zum Stein became the lord of Stein. He also had four children from a morganatic marriage with a wife called Agnes.