The castle dates back to the 11th century, but was later enlarged by the counts of Gorizia, whose dominion came to include a territory extending from Tyrol to Istria.

Following alternating military and family events, in 1500, upon the death of the last Count Leonardo, the fiefdom passed to Emperor Maximilian I, effectively becoming part of the Habsburg Empire. Despite new fortifications, the castle was captured and occupied for a brief period, between 1508 and 1509, by Venetian troops. Used as a barracks and prison, in the 17th century it lost much of its medieval appearance, with the construction of bastions and powder towers to the north and northwest. At the beginning of the 18th century, a new bastion was erected and the long wall towards Castagnevizza was raised. Further defensive works were subsequently carried out under the direction of the famous engineer, astronomer, and mathematician Edmund Halley, discoverer of the comet of the same name.

Largely destroyed during the First World War, it was completely rebuilt and today presents itself as a true museum of medieval Gorizia, with furnished rooms, a collection of weapons and the permanent exhibition Theatrum Instrumentorum, entirely dedicated to the musical instruments used in Europe between the late Middle Ages and the early Baroque period.

On the upper floor, in addition to a breathtaking view, which can be admired by walking along the Cammino di Ronda, there is the Hall of the Middle Ages of Gorizia, where, with models and multimedia systems, the history of the Ancient County of Gorizia is narrated.