Del Monte

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle Del Monte (in Italian: Castle of the Mount) is a 13th century castle situated in southeastern Italy. It was first built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II some time between 1240 and 1250; it has been despoiled of its interior marbles and furnishings in subsequent centuries. What is surprising about this castle is that it neither a moat nor a drawbridge and might in fact never have been intended as a defensive fortress.

In the 14th century, it was turned into a prison, and later used as a refuge during the Plague. It originally had marble walls and columns, but all were stripped by vandals.

The fortress is an octagonal prism with an octagonal bastion at each corner. Each floor has 8 rooms and an eight-sided courtyard occupies its centre.[1] The octagon is thought to be an intermediate symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky).

After having been abandoned for a considerable length of time, the castle was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian government, which began the process of restoration in 1928.

The castle was considered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, who described it as "a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture".

The castle appears on one of the sides of the Italian 1 Euro cent coin.

Löwenburg

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Löwenburg Castle (which means the Lion's Castle) is located in the mountain park in Kassel (Hessen, Germany).

This artificial castle was designed by Christoph Heinrich Jussow 1793-1800, centuries after the construction of real castles in Germany. This castle is the imitation of a medieval castle and was deliberately built as an artificial ruin.

It houses an armory of weapons and armor of the 16th and 17 Century.

The first owner was Wilhelm IX and the castle served as a residence for himself and his mistress, Caroline of Schlotheim, later Countess Hessenstein. In 1821 he was buried in a crypt beneath the chapel.

From 1940 to 1945 the Royal Air Force flew several raids on the defense industry for the war economy of National Socialism important city of Kassel. The dungeon of the castle was largely destroyed and large parts of the site were severely damaged. The reconstruction was done in the postwar years, quite useful and was characterized by functionality rather than by detail. The work is still not complete. The keep was not built again, but this is intended for the coming years.

In 1922, Georg Jacoby filmed part of his movie "So the Men are" in the castle. In this movie, Marlene Dietrich had her first small role.

Carrickfergus

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Shortened history of the castle:

Carrickfergus Castle was built somewhere between 1177 and 1195 by the Anglo Norman lord John de Courcy. It was then only a 3 storey square keep within a small enclosure, now called the Inner Ward, at the end of a rock jutting out into the sea, guarding the entrance to Belfast Lough. From here De Courcy ruled as a petty king over Ulster.

In 1210, after John De Courcy had died, Carrickfergus Castle was captured by King John. In 1216, after King John's reign, the second building phase to improve the castle started. The keep was raised to its present height and a second set of walls, now called the Middle Ward, was built. Only foundations of these walls remain at present.

A third phase of building took place between 1226 and 1242 when the castle and the region were under the rule of another Anglo Norman lord, Hugh de Lacy. The walls were extended to encircle the whole of the rock the castle stood on. This area is now called the Outer Ward. The entrance to the Outer Ward was guarded by a strong gate house formed by 2 large circular towers.

In the early 1600's Carrickfergus Castle was updated for artillery. However, by 1689 the castle had fallen into disrepair and was easily captured by General Schomberg in 1690.

In 1797 the castle became a prison and in the early 1800's, under the threat of a possible French invasion, its defences were considerably strenghtened with 22 cannons.

Until 1928 Carrickfergus Castle was used as a magazine and armory and during WW II it served as an air raid shelter.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Opening times:
From Easter until the end of September: 10am to 6pm (daily)
From October to Easter: 10am to 4pm (daily)

Fees:
Adult - £3.00
Child/Student - £1.50
Child under 4 - Free
Family Rate - £8.00 (2 Adults & 2 Children)

Pfalzgrafenstein

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Shortened history of the castle:

Burg Pfalzgrafenstein is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz", this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting.

Its keep, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected in 1326 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap.

The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored, as it worked in concert with Burg Gutenfels and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. A chain across the river forced ships to submit, and uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon until a ransom was delivered, or simply drowned.

Unlike the vast majority of Rhine castles, "the Pfalz" was never conquered or destroyed, withstanding not only wars, but also the natural onslaughts of ice and floods by the river. Its quarters held about thirty soldiers.

The island of the castle was used for the Rhine crossing by 60,000 Prussian troops under Blücher in the winter of 1814 in his pursuit of Napoleon, which symbolized the end of Napoleon's presence on the german soil.

The castle was acquired by Prussia in 1866, and toll collections ceased ayear later. In 1946, the castle became property of the State of Rheinland–Pfalz.


Opening times and additionnal information:

January & February : Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am to 5pm
March : everyday (except Mondays) from 10 am to 5pm
April - October : everyday (except Mondays) from 10 am to 6pm
November : Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am to 5pm
December : closed

It is accessible to the public via a ferry service from nearby Kaub as long as river conditions permit.

Victor Hugo said about the castle that is was "A ship of stone, eternally afloat upon the Rhine, and eternally lying at anchor before the town of Pfalzgrafen"

Chinon

Shortened history of the castle:

At the intersection of three provinces: Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the rocky outcrop on which stands the royal fortress of Chinon is a strategic site occupied since ancient roman times.

A castle was built there in the tenth century at the latest but it was Henry II Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and King of England since 1154, who will give the fort its present shape.

In 1205, after a long siege, the King of France Philip Augustus takes the fortress and builds the dungeon.

In 1308, the site is the scene of an important event in the history of the Temple Order: The Grand Master Jacques de Molay and some dignitaries of the order are imprisoned before being tried and burned in Paris.

During the Hundred Years War, the court of Charles VII moved to the castle of Chinon in 1427. In March 1429, he received Joan of Arc who came to him to ensure her legitimacy and convinced her to be crowned at Reims.

The decline begins in the seventeenth century fortress with Cardinal Richelieu, who becomes owner of the castle. In 1808, the monument was kindly given to the public administration.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Open all year except december 25 and JAnuary 1st.
From January to end of March : 9.30am to 5pm
From April to end of September : 9am to 7pm
From October to End of December : 9.30am to 5pm

Fees:
Adults - 7 €
Reduced rate - 4.50 €

Visits in english with reservation (from April to September)

Email: forteressechinon@cg37.fr

Loarre

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Shortened history of the castle:

Castillo de Loarre is a breathtaking castle. The castle has withstood time on a rocky prominence in the southern foothills of the Pyrénées.

The origins of Loarre can be traced back to ancient Rome, before the birth of Christ. Historians believe Loarre was the site of Calagurris Fibulariensis whose people offered Julius Caesar their aid by sending men to fight in the battle of Lérida in August 49 BC.

By 1016 Loarre is being used as a border fortress by the King of Aragon, Sancho el Mayor III. The oldest remaining part of the castle was built by him between 1015-1023, as a defense against the Muslim power. The castle was used as a royal residence for about 100 years. Loarre’s location gave it a mark of strategic importance, as it was one of several castles in a line of defense that covered the region of Huesca.

From approximately 1062 to 1070, Loarre was under Muslim rule. King Sancho Ramírez retook and expanded the castle in 1070-1071. King Sancho Ramírez continued to use the castle till around 1094, after which Loarre lost its importance as a royal residence, and became a seat for royal governors. In 1906 it had become a national monument.

Opening times and additional information:

Winter (1st of November until 28th of February):
from 11am to 1.30pm and from 3pm to 5.30pm

Summer (16th of June until the 15th of September):
from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm

Mid-seasons from the 1st of March until the 15th of June and from the 16th of September to the 31st of October):
from 10 am to 2pm and from 4 pm to 7pm

Castle closed on December 25 and 1st of January.

Fees:
Adults: 2 Eur (3,50 Eur with guide)
Students/Youngs: 3 Euros (with guide)
Under 12: FREE

Email : loarreturactiv@hotmail.com

Loarre Castle recently was filmed in the motion picture The Kingdom of Heaven.

Loches

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Shortened history of the castle:

Designed and occupied by Henry II of England and his son, Richard the Lionheart during the 12th century, the castle withstood the assaults of the French king Philip II during the wars for the control of France. It was finally captured by King Philip II in 1205. Construction work immediately upgraded Loches into a huge military fortress.

The castle became the favorite residence of Charles VII of France who gave it to his mistress, Agnès Sorel. It was then converted into a State prison by his son, King Louis XI who had lived there as a child but preferred the royal castle of Amboise.

During the American Revolution, France financed and fought with the Americans against England and King Louis XVI used the castle of Loches as a prison for captured Englishmen.

At the time of the French Revolution, the château was ransacked and severely damaged. Some major restoration began in 1806 but today there are parts visible as ruins only.

Château de Loches has been recognised as a monument historique since 1861 and is listed by the French Ministry of Culture.

Opening times and additional information:

Open all year except 25th of December and 1st of January.

From 2nd of January to 31 of March : 9.30am - 5pm
From 1st of April to 30th of September : 9am - 7pm
From 1st of October to 31st of December : 9.30am - 5pm

Marksburg

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Shortened history of the castle:

In the early 12th century records mention for the first time the keep of the castle. The castle was built by the Eppsteins, a powerful family at that time; four of them were archbishops and electors of Mainz, and one of them held the same position in Trier.

The castle was bought by Count Eberhard II of Katzenelnbogen in 1283 and he built the Gothic part of Marksburg Castle, giving it its striking form.

When the last Count of Katzenelnbogen died in 1479, the castle passed to the Landgraves of Hesse, through the marriage of the heiress Anna to Heinrich of Hesse. Marksburg Castle was turned into a hill fortress with artillery batteries and ramparts.

When the old German empire broke up in 1803 the castle passed into the hands of the Duchy of Nassau. During this period our castle was only used as a home for disabled soldiers and as a state prison.

As a result of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 the castle was taken over by Prussia.

In the year 1900, with the help of Kaiser WilheIm II, the German Castles Association was able to purchase the Marksburg for the symbolic price of 1,000 Gold Marks, who carried out extensive restoration of the castle.

Opening times and additionnal information:

From 2nd November to 18th March (winter season): 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (first and last admission, guided tours each hour)
From 19th March to 1st November (summer season): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (first and last admission, guided tours start every 15 or 20 minutes)

The castle is closed only on December 24th and 25th.

Fees:
Adults € 5,00 (€ 4,50 in groups of 20 or more)
Students € 4,50 (€ 4,00 in groups of 20 or more)
Schoolchildren € 3,50 (€ 3,00 in groups of 20 or more)
Families (2 adults and 2 or more children) € 13,00

"Burgenticket" (including 10 castles between Rüdesheim and Koblenz)
Adults € 19,00
Children € 9,50

Reservations by Email : marksburg@deutsche-burgen.org

Kamerlengo

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Shortened history of the castle:

Kamerlengo Castle was built in the fifteenth century and it is also known as Gardina Kamerlengo.

Additional information and opening times:

Los Mendoza

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Castle of Los Mendoza (or Manzanares Castle) combines the strong aspect of a large fortress of the low Middle Ages and the elegance of a Renaissance residence.

Manzanares Castle lies 50 kilometers from Madrid on the southern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range. The castle is an impressive example of XV century Castilian military architecture, and one of the last of its kind in Spain. In fact, after initially being user as a fortress, it became a residential Palace of one of the noblest families in Castilla since the Middle Ages: the Mendozas. However, Manzanares Castle is also closely tied in with Madrid's recent history, because the process leading to the autonomy of Comunidad de Madrid (1981) was started there, as was the project for the Statute of Autonomy, which would be approved in Congress and the Senate in 1983.

The Mendozas used this Palace-Castle as a stately home for less than a century. In 1565, feuds between the inheritors resulted in its disuse and a slow process of deterioration until the architect, Vicente Lamperez Romera, took responsibility for the first restoration works in 1914. The castle was declared as s Historical Art Monument in 1931.

The Castle Los Mendoza is also a movie star! If you've ever seen the classic movie El Cid with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, then this castle - completed with towers, battlements and surrounded by an impressive medieval wall - is sure to have left a lasting impression.

Kamerlengo

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Fortress of Kamerlengo is located in the city of Trogir, and was built between 1420 and 1437 by the Venetians.

The word kamerlengo (Italian: camerlengo) refers to the title of a Venetian administrative official (a chamberlain).

It was named after kamerlengo (camerarius), the public servant in charge of financial and economic affairs in the state of Venetia.

The fortress is today beautifully preserved and its battlements and top became accessible a decade ago from where the view of the city is beautiful.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Open from mid-June to mid-September : 9am - 8pm

Price of tickets:
adults: 10kn
children, students & groups (from 10 people): 5kn

Arques

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle was mentioned for the first time in 1011, but the original lords of Arques were dispossessed in the 12th century in favour of the powerful family of Terme
In 1217, Simon de Montfort, chief of the Crusaders against the Albigensians, apparently took and burned the castle and the village. Then, in 1231, he gave the lands of Arques to his lieutenant, Pierre de Voisins. In 1265, this new lord of Arques made a terrible impression by condemning a 60-year-old woman, accused of witchcraft, to be burned alive in the village.

At the end of the 13th century, his son, Gilles de Voisins, rebuilt the town as a bastide (planned town) and started the construction of the present castle. His own son, Gilles II, finished the construction in 1316.

The castle was sold as national property during the French Revolution and sustained some damage. It was listed as an Historical Monument in 1887.

Opening times and addtionnal information:

Closed in January, february and December

March, October, November : 10:00am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm
April to June, September : 10:00am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-6:00pm
July and August : 10:00am-7:00pm

Fees
Adult: 5 €
Child: 2 €
Reduced: 4 €

Group Prices (10 people minimum)
- simple visit: 3.50 €
- guided tour (on reservation only): 5.50 € / person

Email: site.arques@wanadoo.fr

Bourtzi

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle of Bourtzi is located in the middle of the harbour of Nafplio. The Venetians completed its fortification and installed canons in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders from the sea.

It is at this time that a strong chain pulley was attached from the harbour to the castle where food and supplies where transferred. Remnants of the chain holdings are still visible.

The Greeks regained it from the Turks on June 18, 1822, from where they assisted in the siege of Nafplio. Until 1865 it served as a fortress. It was then transformed into residence of the executioners of convicts from the castle of Palamidi.

From 1930 to 1970, it served as a hotel. Since then, it is mainly a tourist attraction hosting occasionally parts of the Summer Music Festival.

Opening times and additionnal information:

The castle is said to be open on spring and summer days.

Small taxi-boats will carry you over for a visit to the Bourtzi leaving and returning frequently from the harbour front.

Bonaguil

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Shortened history of the castle:

Located in the Lot-et-Garonne department of south-west France, Bonaguil was the last of the great fortified castles to be constructed in France. It is built in an impressive location on a high rocky spur between two rivers. Hence the name of the castle, which comes from the French 'bonne aiguille' (good needle).

The original 13th century castle was a much simpler castle than the one we now see. Bonaguil was on the side of the English during the Hundred Years War, which led to the original castle being plundered and damaged.

At the end of the 15th century, the damaged castle was transformed by Béranger de Roquefeuil into a highly defensive one. He was quite a character and said, "I will raise a castle that my villains subjects will not be able to capture, nor the English if they are audacious enough to come back, and even the king of France’s most powerful soldiers." His castle took over forty years to construct and comprised of 13 towers and 1167 feet of defensive perimeter, all adapted for use of gun powered weaponry. When it was complete, it was said an entire army would have been necessary to capture the castle.

The castle contained all the innovations to deal with an artillery attack, the new force at that time - the main effort being to prevent enemy artillery approaching too closely to the castle, while also permitting retaliatory artillery fire from the castle itself. This effort involved extensive building of a further perimeter of defensive walls, the construction of tall towers, and the creation of a deep moat, crossed by a drawbridge, on the land-facing side of the castle.

However, at around the same time, other castles further north in France were starting to be converted from fortresses to more comfortable residences, and as it turned out de Roqeufeuil was too late - he expected an attack that never arrived and the fortifications were unnecessary.

Despite occasional efforts to improve the comfort in Bonaguil, the castle was only fully occupied in the 18th century when fortunes started to arrive in order to the castle into more comfortable living accommodation.

Following the French Revolution the castle became a national property, and suffered from the immediate impact of the revolution, as did many castles in France - much of the carpentry and roofing was destroyed, and the towers damaged and reduced in height. From 1862 however it has been a classified National Monument and has undergone maintenance and restoration.

Opening times and additional information:

- February and Mars : from 11am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm
- April and May : from 10.30am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm
- June, July and August : from 10am to 6pm non-stop.
- September : from 10.30am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5pm
- October : from 11am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5pm
- November, December and January during the school holidays.

Adults : 7,00 €
Children (6 to 12) : 4,00 €
Groups (20 visitors minimum) 6,00 €

If you are planning a visit to the castle, there is an impressive night-time firework display (embrasement) held towards the end of July each year with stunning lighting and sound effects giving an extra dimension to a visit to Bonaguil.

Caen

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle was built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror, who successfully conquered England in 1066. His son Henry I then built the Saint Georges church and the keep (1123).

At Christmas 1182 a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula of Caen Castle brought together Henry II and his son, Richard the Lionheart, receiving more than a thousand knights.

Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. Philip II reinforced the fortifications. The castle saw several engagements during the Hundred Years' War (1346, 1417, 1450).

The keep was pulled down in 1793 during the French Revolution, by order of the National Convention.

The castle, which was used as a barracks during World War II, was bombed in 1944 and seriously damaged.

Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses
- the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen (Museum of Fine Arts of Caen)
- the Musée de Normandie (Museum of Normandy)
- a garden showing plants cultivated in the middle-ages.

Opening times and additionnal information:

July and August: tuesday to sunday, from 9.30am to 6.30pm (guided visits everyday at 2.30pm and 4.30pm)
Rest of the year: from 10am to 5pm

Fees:
Adults : 5 Euros
Students : 3,50 Euros
Children (less than 10 years old) : FREE

The top of the ramparts offers a splendid view of Caen. Some parts of the curtain walls were built during the 12th century, most of them date from the 15th century.

Coca

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle was built Built in 1453 by Don Alonso de Fonseca and formed, along with Cuellar, Arevalo and Olmedo, a strategical square of much importance to Spain. Coca Castle is one of the most important and beautiful castles in Spain.

The castle is built of brick and stone with a protective 560 meter-long moat surrounding it.

In 1505, after Alonso's death, his brother Antonio de Fonseca greatly increased the defensive elements of the castle.

In 1521, the castle was besieged but the attackers miserably failed to take it. In 1808, The French under Napoleon were able to successfully besiege it and took the castle for the first time in its long history.

In more recent years, the castle has been used as a school.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Aigle

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Castle of Aigle (eagle in french) was built in the late twelfth century by the family of Saillon. At the beginning, the castle consisted essentially of a square tower.

The castle served to stop troops from Italy via the Great St. Bernard, the armies then went north to Savoy. The new occupants will then give it its present appearance by rebuilding in 1489, they destroy a round tower and replace it with a square tower.

Surrounded by vineyards, the castle houses the cellars of confederate but also a prison, a role he held until 1972.In 1804, the town of Eagle acquires and converts it into an administrative building and health. He served as a hospital until 1832 but also the court.

The Museum of Vine and Wine was established in 1971 by the Brotherhood of Guillon in order to save the local winemaking heritage. A total of 17 rooms enhold thousands of items related to viticulture and wine making, for example a press of 1706, but also stills, bottles, corks, wine tasters, glasses and decanters.

Opening time and additionnal information:

The castle is opened from the 21st of March until the 31st of October, from Tuesday to Sunday and from 11am to 6pm (open on Easter Monday and Pentecôte)

Entrance price:
Adults - 11 CHF
Students - 9 CHF
Children (6-16): 5 CHF
Family - 18 CHF
Groups (from 10 visitors) - 7 CHF

Guided visit + Appetizer (3 wine tastings + 1 souvenir wine glass to take away) - 23 CHF per person + 80 CHF for the guide.

Email : info@chateauaigle.ch