Trifels Castle is of considerable historical importance. Originally a Salesian monastery, it became an imperial fortress for the Hohenstaufens who kept their imperial insignia here in the 12C and 13C. Henry IV held Richard the Lionheart prisoner in the castle upon his return from the Third Crusade. The huge ransom the Emperor received in exchange for Richard's release enabled him to fund a military campaign against the Normans in southern Italy, an expedition that set off from Trifels.