Murol

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Shortened history of the castle :

A first fortress was raised on this basaltic promontory in the XIIth century by the family of Murol.

But it's only in 1380 that the castle which we see today was built, by William de Sam. The castle, built at the intersection of three major strategic roads, describes an irregular polygon, whose curtains are completely filled with earth to resist to the artillery.

The castle resisted to the League Wars and was not concerned by the disarmament policy of Cardinal Richelieu. It became a hiding place during the French Revolution and ended as a prison during the 19th century.

Thanks to the Murol family and to an association of passionnates, the castle still stands today even if badly damaged.

In 1958, the castle is classified as Historical Monument and it is only in 1998 that important renovation works are drived by the State.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Castle is open:

April: tuesday, thursday, saturday, sunday (10am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 6pm)
May and June: everyday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 6pm
July and August: everyday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 7pm (closed on 14th of July)
September: tuesday, thursday, saturday, sunday (10am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 6pm)
From October to March: saturday and sunday only (1.30pm to 5pm)

Every tuesday and thursday in July and August, a show (with light, sounds and actors) takes place at 8.30pm. The show tells the story of Guillaume de Murol, owner of the castle in the 14th century.
Price: 12,80€ for adults and 8,20€ for children.

Entrance price for the castle with a guide (duration of visit: about 1h30min)
Adults : 7,80€
Children : 6,20€
*entre 5 et 12 ans

Email : contact@chateaudemurol.fr

Aguilar

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Shortened history of the castle :

The castle of Aguilar dates back to the year 1020 and its name seems to be linked with the latin word "aquila" meaning "eagle".

After the crusade against the Albigeois, the castle falls into the hands of the french King. It is in fact for the french army a strategical position because it stands just in front of the recent border with the Aragonese Territory.

In 1260, the castle becomes a royal fortress, and is considered as one of the 5 sons
of Carcassonne.

Unfortunately, in 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrénées drives the franco-spanish border along the Pyrénées ridge.


Opening times and additionnal information :

The castle is open
- from the 1st of April to the mid-June (10am-6pm)
- from the 19th of June to mid-September (9am-7pm)
- from the 11th of September to mid-November (11am-5pm)
The castle is closed from mid-november to the end of March.

Entrance Prices :

Adults : 3,50 €
Children (from 10 to 15) : 1,50 €
Under 10 : FREE
Groups (from 10 persons on reservation only) : 11,50 €/person

Email : communedetuchan@wanadoo.fr

Aci

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Shortened history of the castle :

The origins of Aci seems to belong to the mysterious greek city of Xiphonia, which has today disappeared.

Very little is known about this city before the beginning of the roman empire. The only fact which has never been denied is the one that Aci has participated in Punic wars.

The castle itself was bult by the Byzantines before being renovated by the Normans. It is standing above the sea on a huge promontory.

Opening times and additionnal information :

Cardona

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Castle of Cardona is arguably the most important medieval fortress in the Principality of Catalonia. The fortress was initially constructed by Wilfred the Hairy in 886.

In 986, it was decreed that the local population could have salt every Thursday in return for one days work a week maintaining the fortifications.

In 1714, even after a Bourbon siege destroyed a good part of the castle's walls, the garrison was one of the last to surrender to the Bourbon troops which supported Philip V. As the Bourbons and their heirs would go on to suppress Catalonian national identity, the fort has become significant to Catalonian nationalism.

Today, the castle's main jewel is the torre de la minyona (from the 11th century) a tower which measures 15 meters in height and 10 meters in diameter. Additionally, there is the romanesque church of Sant Vicenç de Cardona adjacent to the fort. The fort is currently used as a parador, a state-run luxury hotel.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Closed on Mondays except public holidays
Guided tours at 11am, 1pm and 4:30pm on SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS (except in July, August and September: 5pm)

Price for Castle only : Adults 5€, Reduced 3,75€
Price for Castle and Historic center : Individual 7,5€, Reduced 5,5€

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.