Spittl - Fachhochschule, Spittal an der Drau, Protected heritage school building in Spittal an der Drau, Austria

Spittl is a school building with four wings surrounding a two-story arcade courtyard featuring Tuscan columns. The southern facade displays classical architectural elements including double half-columns and decorated window parapets.

Built around 1530 under Gabriel von Salamanca to replace the Ortenburg hospice beside the parish church, the Spittl was enlarged in 1580. A 1797 fire destroyed the hospital chapel and parts of the building; Josef and Konstantia Jackl restored it in 1843, and damage from the 1849 fire was repaired in 1850/1852. It later served as a district court, elementary school and barracks.

The gable of the south facade holds stucco figures dated 1843: a woman and two men with an anchor and a spade. They are read as allegories of the Rhine, Rhone and Ticino, or, given the setting, of the Drau, Lieser and Möll, standing for mining, craft and trade.

The location sits in the city of Spittal an der Drau and is accessible by public transportation. Visitors should remember this remains an active school building where access may be limited during teaching hours.

A comprehensive renovation overseen by architect Herbert Missoni took place in 1998, transforming the historical structure into a contemporary educational facility. The project skillfully merged the original building fabric with modern teaching requirements.