Petronell-Carnuntum

The village derives the second half of its name, Carnuntum, from the ancient Roman legionary fortress and headquarters of the Pannonian fleet from 50 AD, and later a large city of 50,000 inhabitants.[3][4]

Carnuntum Amphiteater

There is a 2000-year-old amphitheatre, which was built outside the city walls around the end of the 2nd century AD. The arena was originally surrounded by stadium seating for 13,000 spectators. There was an hexagonal basin speculated to be a baptismal font built in the 4th century AD, by which time the amphitheatre's usage had changed.[5]

The Romans gave up the city in the 5th century, but the settlement remained inhabited. Agnes of Poitou (d. 1077), the widow of Emperor Henry III, gave the lands, which extended to Rohrau Castle, to Count Palatine Rapoto V of Bavaria from the Counts of Vohburg, who died in 1099. He probably had the local church dedicated to the patron Saint Petronilla in honor of the empress dowager who later lived in Rome at the monastery of Saint Petronilla and also died there. The new town name Petronell was derived from this.

At the beginning of the 12th century his descandent Diepold III, Margrave of Vohburg, gave the lands to Hugo von Liechtenstein (d. 1156) who had come to Austria in his knightly entourage.[6] Hugo built Liechtenstein Castle about 45 km to the west on a fief that he received from the Babenberg margraves of Austria and named himself after it. He was the progenitor of the House of Liechtenstein, the ruling family of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Petronell and Rohrau, which became his own property in 1142 from feudal property, remained important Liechtenstein seats in the High Middle Ages.

Schloss Petronell

After the Liechtensteiners, the lords of Kranichberg took over the property by marriage in 1306. From 1496 the estate was in the hands of different owners until it came to Ernst III of Traun by marriage in 1650 who was made Count of Abensberg-Traun in 1653. Petronell Castle was rebuilt after previous buildings (medieval castle, Renaissance castle) from 1660 to 1667 by Dominico Carlone (around 1615-1679) in the form of a four-winged castle complex for the Abensperg-Traun family in the early Baroque style. It was owned by the Abensperg-Traun family for 17 generations and was sold to a private investor in 2006.

Petronell-Carnuntum lies in the Industrieviertel area of Lower Austria. About 26 percent of the municipality is forested. It lies on the southern bank of the Danube, southwest of Hainburg an der Donau.

The World Theatre Festival Art Carnumtum (German: Art Carnuntum Welttheater Festival[7]) is held each year in the ancient amphitheatre. Art Carnuntum is a cultural organisation that aims support the cultural and philosophical heritage of Europe and promotes classical drama in both traditional and contemporary styles.[8] The festival was founded around 1988[7] by Piero Bordin,[8] who died suddenly in March 2021. His daughter Constantina Bordin is artistic director.[9] Collaborators from Greece include Irini Pappas, Michalis Kakogianis, and Theodoros Terzopoulus, and the popular festival has become known as an international centre for ancient drama as well as European classical and modern music.[7]

The festival was held in August in 2021.[7]

• Carnuntum
• Heidentor
• Amber Road
• Art Carnuntum

• Official website