Tag Archives: Castles

History, Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

French Views: ‘Castle Of The Counts Of Perche’

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The #castle of the counts of #Perche stands on a hill overlooking the #French town of Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the central Eure-et-Loir department. This thousand-year-old fortress, testament to a wealth of local history, is now a museum. Through nearly 400 objects, it takes visitors on a journey through time, from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour.

The castle of Saint-Jean dominates the town and is a fine example of medieval architecture and of the history of Nogent-le-Rotrou. The rectangular keep is 30 metres high and is 60 metres above the Huisne valley. Its construction began in the first years of the 11th century after the first Lord of Nogent, Rotrou I. The end of 12th century and beginning of the 13th saw the construction of the circular enclosure and 7 defensive towers. The castle of Saint-Jean has withstood many sieges in its time, the most violent was probably in 1428 when the Count of Salisbury burnt the keep and destroyed the inside of the building. In 1624, de Sully became the owner and built the attractive Louis XIII pavilion against the north rampart. The interior has been completely renovated since the 1960s and now houses a local history museum with exhibits and documents about country life in Perche, as well as on the history of the town and the castle. It also houses various temporary exhibitions.

Architecture, Buildings, History, Travel, Views

Scottish Country Houses: 18th C. ‘Wedderburn Castle’ In Berwickshire

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Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, is one of Robert Adam’s less familiar commissions — yet just as extraordinary as many of his more famous buildings. Recently rescued from neglect by owners David Home Miller and Catherine Macdonald-Home, it has a fascinating story to tell about the development of his castle style.

Roger White, September 5, 2021

The ‘castle style’ of the Georgian era might be said to have been invented by Vanbrugh, who aimed to give ‘something of the castle air’ with his additions to Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire, in 1707–10 .

In practice, that amounted to little more than a battlemented parapet applied to a completely symmetrical building. In the late 18th century, the architect Robert Adam was undoubtedly influenced by Vanbrugh, whose mastery of what he called ‘movement’ in architectural composition — ‘the rise and fall, the advance and recess with other diversity of form, in the different parts of a building’ — he admired (although he deplored the Baroque master’s ‘barbarisms and absurdities’).

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Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

Walks: Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Germany

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Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour of Richard Wagner. 

Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

Aerial Views: Castles & Palaces Of Europe (8K)

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Most Beautiful Castles and Palaces in Europe in 8K Ultra HD.

Video timeline: 00:00–00:05 Intro 00:06–00:37 Cochem Castle, Germany 00:38–00:54 Buchlovice Castle, Czech Republic 00:55–01:01 Leeds Castle, England 01:02–01:08 Niedzica Dunajec Castle, Poland 01:09–01:24 Rumeli Hisar Castle, Istanbul, Turkey 01:25–01:44 Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland 01:45–01:56 Torgau castle, Germany 01:57–02:03 Wittenberg, Germany 02:04–02:23 Neuschwanstein, Germany 02:24–02:55 Trakai castle, Lithuania 02:56–03:02 Schloss Belvedere, Vienna, Austria 03:03–03:27 Conwy, North Wales, United Kingdom 03:28–03:35 Bouzov Castle, Czech Republic 03:36–03:46 Chillon Castle, Montreux, Switzerland 03:47–03:57 Segovia Castle, Spain 03:58–04:14 Castle Sigmaringen, Germany 04:15–04:34 Versailles Palace, France 04:35–04:52 Puslovsky Castle, Belarus 04:53–05:08 Alcazaba Fortress, Malaga, Spain 05:09–05:19 Lisbon Fortress, Portugal 05:20–05:42 Tallinn Fortress, Estonia 05:43–05:54 Orava Castle, Slovakia 05:55–06:15 Rundale Palace, Latvia 06:16–06:26 Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg, France 06:27–06:45 Riga Castle, Latvia 06:46–06:54 Swallow’s Nest, Crimea 06:55–07:04 Madrid Palace, Spain 07:05–07:15 Peniscola fortress, Spain 07:16–07:26 Peles Castle, Romania 07:27–07:47 Dracula Castle, Bran, Romania 07:48–08:09 Corvin Castle, Romania 08:10–08:36 Pena Palace, Sintra, Spain 08:37–09:18 Malbork Castle, Poland 09:19–09:30 Lichtenstein Castle, Germany 09:31–09:56 Nesvizh Castle, Belarus 09:57–10:07 Hohenzollern, Germany 10:08–10:17 Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, Germany 10:18–10:27 Schloss Benrath, Dusseldorf, Germany 10:28–10:37 Frombork, Poland 10:38–10:50 Gradara fortress, Italy 10:51–10:59 Bled, Slovenia 11:00–11:08 Tower of London, United Kingdom 11:09–11:15 Buda Castle, Hungary 11:16–11:35 De Haar, Netherlands 11:36–11:54 Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine 11:55–12:05 Vranov Nad Dyji, Czech Republic 12:06–12:22 Ljubljana, Slovenia 12:23–12:34 Buchloc Castle, Czech Republic 12:35–12:45 Salzburg, Austria 12:46–13:05 Pieskowa Skala, Poland 13:06–13:19 Kilarney, Ireland 13:20–13:43 Eilean Donan, United Kingdom 13:44–14:30 Nowy Wisnicz, Poland

Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

River Views: Castles Of The Rhine Valley, Germany

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Imbued with the spirit of German Romanticism, the Rhine River has inspired fairy tales, fables, poetry, and paintings. Its mythical underwater maidens and their magic gold provided the muse for Wagner’s “Ring” opera cycle. The evocative voyage from Mainz to Koblenz has been a favorite with travellers since the 19th century. The stretch from Bingen, west of Mainz, runs through a steep and narrow gorge, and has more castles than any other river in the world. Below these cliff-top fortresses sit villages of half-timbered houses, like the settlement of Bacharach, which owe their existence to the Riesling grape grown along the hillsides.

00:00 Intro / Upper Middle Rhine Valley 00:38 Klopp Castle, Bingen 01:04 Mouse Tower, Bingen 01:46 Niederwald Monument, Rüdesheim 02:15 Rheinstein Castle, Trechtingshausen 02:52 Stahleck Castle, Bacharach 03:23 Pfalzgrafenstein Castle, Falkenau island near Kaub 03:51 Loreley Rock, St. Goarshausen 04:27 Katz Castle, St. Goarshausen 04:54 Maus Castle, St. Goarshausen 05:08 Rheinfels Castle, St. Goar 05:34 Marksburg Castle, Braubach 06:01 Stolzenfels Castle, Koblenz

Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

Tours: Seven Stunning Castles In Germany (Video)

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Discover seven of Germany’s beautiful palaces and castles from a bird’s-eye view! Our Flying Guide takes you to Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Heidelberg Castle, Schwerin Castle, Marienburg Castle, Sigmaringen Castle, Ludwigsburg Palace and Lichtenstein Castle. Come check out these architectural gems in Germany!

Books, Landmarks, Photography, Reviews, Views

Photography: Frédéric Chaubin’s ‘Ancient Castles of Europe’ (Taschen)

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Shot on film with a Linhof view camera, the collection is the outcome of five years of travel and investigation. Complete with a practical map and explanatory essay, its castles tell the story of 400 years, unfolding through the feudal Middle Ages into the 15th century.

Follow photographer Frédéric Chaubin as he embarks on a unique, century-spanning journey through Europe. Featuring images of more than 200 buildings in 21 countries, Stone Age presents the history and architecture of the most magical medieval castles of the continent in an unprecedented collection.

Building on the success of his foray into Soviet design with CCCP, Chaubin once again documents the afterlife of highly rational structures that seem out of place in a modern-day world. Precursors of Brutalism, these castles value function over form and epitomize the raw materials and shapes that would go on to define so much of architectural history.

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Homes, Travel, Videos, Views

Tuscan Castles: ‘Mugello – Florence, Italy’ (Video)

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In #Mugello​, a green area at the outskirts of Florence, there is this ancient 11th-century complex for sale. This complex dates back to the Lombard period, and in 1370 was converted into a country villa. Its grounds measure approximately 53 hectares made up of cultivable lands and forests, and features several buildings which measure approximately 4,600 m2 overall. This complex is entirely protected by the Cultural Heritage Office and includes the main #villa​, called the #castle​, which measures approximately 1,600 m2, a lemon conservatory and a farm: these make up what is called a “court”, which is located on a high position and surrounded by five hectares of grounds adorned with wonderful Italian-style gardens designed by Swissman Louis Dapples in the early 20th century.

Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

Castle Walks: ‘Castello Ursino – Catania, Sicily’

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Castello Ursino, also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known for its role in the Sicilian Vespers, when it became the seat of the Sicilian Parliament.