AMADEUS Story
Richard the Lionheart - the prisoner of Dürnstein
On the Danube, you encounter him - the English King Richard the Lionheart. A ruler famous for his courage and feared for his wrath.
The battle-hardened general had been crusading in the Holy Lands, where Austrian Duke Leopold V was also present and keen to demonstrate his power. When Leopold conquered a town and raised his own standard, Richard angrily tore it down. The Duke demanded retribution and soon got his chance to take it.
When Richard was attempting to return to London from the Crusades, his ship was wrecked off the Italian coast, so he had to change his route – instead of travelling by sea, he had to make the treacherous journey overland via Vienna. Remembering the flag incident and Duke Leopold’s anger, he decided to travel through Austria in disguise. He and his men therefore posed as pilgrims and, one foggy December night, crept along the banks of the Danube – but they were betrayed and their disguises blown, allowing the Duke to strike and take his revenge.
Leopold had Richard arrested and brought to Dürnstein Castle. He held the King there for a quarter of a year before striking an accord with German Emperor Henry VI – they planned to ransom Richard and share the bounty. The two demanded 150,000 silver marks (100,000 pounds of silver) from the English for the release of their King. This was more than twice England’s annual income at the time. Their plan worked. The ransom was paid and Richard the Lionheart was freed, yet England fell into abject poverty as a result. Germany and Austria, on the other hand, were suddenly filthy rich …
Even today you can see how the money was spent. Leopold used it to found what would later become Wiener Neustadt, for example, and to expand Dürnstein Castle. As it happens, legend has it that a minstrel tried to track Richard down while he was in captivity – Blondel de Nesle travelled from castle to castle with his lute, performing a particular song that only he and the King knew. Of course, when he reached Dürnstein, he was successful. De Nesle sang his song and Richard replied by singing the second verse, confirming that this was where he was being held …
When you go ashore at Dürnstein, listen very, very closely. Who knows? Maybe you can still hear de Nesle’s song echoing between the walls.
Follow the footsteps of Richard the Lionheart:
