Castles

Credit to and more photos found on the Fediverse here: https://mstdn.social/@Joletaxi@mastodonapp.uk/110781591243610371

https://herstmonceux-castle.com/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/8236206 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/MsWfcWNUqaTtJitw8

It seems to be open most days 10am-7pm, hosts occasional public events, and is available for lease for weddings, photography, and corporate events.

he first written evidence of the existence of the Herst settlement appears in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book which reports that one of William's closest supporters granted tenancy of the manor at Herst to a man named 'Wilbert'. By the end of the twelfth century, the family at the manor house at Herst had considerable status. Written accounts mention a lady called Idonea de Herst, who married a Norman nobleman named Ingelram de Monceux. Around this time, the manor began to be called the "Herst of the Monceux", a name that eventually became Herstmonceux.

A descendant of the Monceux family, Roger Fiennes, was ultimately responsible for the construction of Herstmonceux Castle in the County of Sussex. Sir Roger was appointed Treasurer of the Household of Henry VI of England and needed a house fitting a man of his position, so construction of the castle on the site of the old manor house began in 1441. It was this position as treasurer which enabled him to afford the £3,800 construction of the original castle.

In 1541, Sir Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre, was tried for murder and robbery of the King's deer after his poaching exploits on a neighboring estate resulted in the death of a gamekeeper. He was convicted and hanged as a commoner, and the Herstmonceux estate was temporarily confiscated by Henry VIII of England, but was restored to the Fiennes family during the reign of one of Henry's children.

The profligacy of the 15th Baron Dacre, heir to the Fiennes family, forced him to sell in 1708 to George Naylor, a lawyer of Lincoln's Inn in London. Bethaia Naylor, who became the heiress of Herstmonceux on the death of her brother's only daughter, married Francis Hare and produced a son, Francis, who inherited in turn, his mother's property. The castle eventually came into the possession of Robert Hare-Naylor, who, upon the insistence of his second wife, Henrietta Henckell, followed the architect Samuel Wyatt's advice to reduce the Castle to a picturesque ruin by demolishing the interior. Thomas Lennard, 17th Baron Dacre, was sufficiently exercised as to commission James Lamberts Jnr of Lewes (1741–1799) to record the building in 1776. The castle was dismantled in 1777 leaving the exterior walls standing and remained a ruin until the early 20th century.

Radical restoration work was undertaken by Colonel Claude Lowther in 1913 to transform the ruined building into a residence and, based on a design by the architect, Walter Godfrey, this work was completed by Sir Paul Latham in 1933. The existing interiors largely date from that period, incorporating architectural antiques from England and France. The one major change in planning was the combination of the four internal courtyards into one large one. The restoration work, regarded as the apex of Godfrey's architectural achievement, was described by the critic Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as executed 'exemplarily'.

http://www.burg-maus.de/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/884671476 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/XsWJfaLYeJ5wpdE88

There seems to be a ton of opportunities for visiting, from fairytale book readings to "moonlight wine tastings". You'd need to translate it to figure it out: http://www.burg-maus.de/burg/Aktuelles.htm#Fuehrungen

Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by Archbishop-Elector of Trier Bohemond II and was continued for the next 30 years by successive Electors of Trier. The construction of Burg Maus was to enforce Trier's recently acquired Rhine River toll rights and to secure Trier's borders against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (who had built Burg Katz and Burg Rheinfels). In the latter half of the 14th century Burg Maus was one of the residences of the Elector of Trier.

Unlike its two neighbouring castles, Burg Maus was never destroyed, though it fell into disrepair in the 16th and 17th centuries. Restoration of the castle was undertaken between 1900 and 1906 under the architect Wilhelm Gärtner with attention to historical detail.

The castle suffered further damage from shelling during World War II which has since been repaired. Today Burg Maus hosts an aviary that is home to falcons, owls and eagles, and flight demonstrations are staged for visitors from late March to early October.

Local folklore attributes the name to the Counts of Katzenelnbogen's mocking of the Electors of Trier during the 30 years of construction, who reportedly said that the castle was the "mouse" that would be eaten by the "cat" of Burg Katz. The originally intended name was Burg Peterseck (or St. Peterseck). A matched castle on the left bank (to control the bank north of Burg Rheinfels) that was to be named Burg Peterberg was never constructed. Other names by which Burg Maus is known are Thurnberg (or Thurmberg) and Deuernburg.

http://www.chateau-de-val.com/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/338836092 Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/CZGtNvCGKLnfQSU4A

Can be visited for a fee from early April until early November.

Val Castle was founded in the early 13th century by a young member of the Thynière family. He had moved out of his ancestral home, Thynières Castle, which had just been rebuilt on a hill opposite and above his new castle. At that time Val was called Enval. His castle incorporated an older 10th century keep which had been in his family's possession since 1150.

In the first half of the 15th century Val Castle was acquired by Guillaume IV d'Estaing from the Thynière family. Guillaume IV, also known as Guillot, was chamberlain to Charles VII of France. He then rebuilt the castle and gave it its present appearance, in 1450. The castle stayed in the Estaing family until 1660, when it was sold by a descendant who had been residing at the court in Versailles and needed the money.

Between 1660 and 1685, several owners restored the dilapidated castle. In the beginning of the 18th century, however, Val Castle had become uninhabitable after which it was abandoned and fell to ruin. The ruined castle was bought by Ignace Dubois de Saint-Etienne, a merchant, in 1779. He had the castle completely restored and made it his home. In 1793, during the French Revolution, it was confiscated and looted. His son Gaspard bought it back in 1805.

In 1814 it was bought by the merchant André Longueville. He just wanted to make money an cut down the castle's park to sell the wood. While planning to demolish the castle to be able to sell the stones, he was expelled by a court order in 1837.

A new owner then started to restore the castle. In 1865 it was bought by Jules Souchard, the French consul in Boston, USA. He completed the restoration started by the previous owner. The Arcy family inherited the castle in 1896.

In 1942 works started on the new Bort-les-Orgues Dam in the Dordogne river. Val Castle, situated on a hill on the east side of the river valley, was planned to disappear under the waters of a new reservoir. The Arcy family were then expropriated and moved out with all their belongings in 1946. Plans for the reservoir changed which meant the castle would not be flooded. The empty castle was left unattended and was burglarized in 1949, before a guard was installed in 1951.

The council of the town of Bort-les-Orgues bought the castle in 1953. They restored it and turned it into a tourist attraction. It now sits on a small peninsula in the waters of the Bort-les-Orgues Reservoir, its park having disappeared under the waves.

https://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/504422636 Street view (static locations): https://goo.gl/maps/RVDBhaebWA5u4Uu87

Castle is open year round for a ticket fee, times vary depending on season. Closures during Christmas and New years.

Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope") is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles (3 kilometres) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength.

Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.

An interactive map of all castles in Scotland with links to the relevant Wikipedia article of each

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g12585339-d2487389-Reviews-Gremi_Citadel_and_Church_of_the_Archangels-Gremi_Kakheti_Region.html

https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5981115568

Visitation details are sparse, but you can tell from comments that people do visit.

City of Gremi, capital of vanished Kachetian Kingdom of Georgia, located on the Gilian-Shemakha branch of the Great Silk Road, was destroyed by the army of Shah Abbas in XVI c. and never been restored since then. The ruins of Gremi city are now important Late Medieval archaeological site with ruins of churches, trading arcades, baths and dwellings. Gremi attracts visitors with the well-preserved architectural complex: Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the Royal Tower.

The Gremi Church was built and painted upon the order of King Leon in 1565. Peculiar relation of proportions to separate volumes of Gremi Church attaches new features to traditional structure of Georgian cross-cupola churches. The main cross of the building is very high and narrow. The arches are arrowed and have not capitals or tractions. The dome is supported on two free-standing piers and the extensions of the apse. The fabric is of so-called Georgian brick. The façades are samples of developed brick church decorative system characteristic to late feudal epoch in Georgia. The forms of décor are achieved through deepening of planes and turquoise fittings. The wall painting of construction period is preserved inside the Church. The Gremi Church has become a prototype for a whole group of other church buildings in Georgia.

A three-store tower is erected beside the Church of Archangels. The two bottom floors are built earlier than the Church itself. There is a big, wide and high room on the ground floor. Along the back wall of the room, there is a corridor, which leads to the first and second floors. There is a belfry on the top of the tower.

The aspiration and rush for height of the Kachetian architecture is shown in Gremi with force incomparable hitherto. Elegance of silhouette of a Church and a Tower is an attractive architectural dominant in vast space. Through its location and interrelation with the surrounding landscape, the Gremi Church acquires outstanding artistic importance and remarkable force.

https://www.icastelli.net/en/castello-orsini-hotel-nerola

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/391606440 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/ingGtXmvtAFcz2VP8

Apparently this castle is a hotel now. Link above shows booking details.

A castle at the site likely dates to the 10th century, but documentation places the castle in the hands of the Orsini family by 1235. In that century, the outline of the castle, with merlonated walls, a moat, and towers was built. Ultimately, the castle would be sold in 1728 to Cornelia Barberini and Giulio Cesare Colonna. It was used as shelter by the Garibaldini in the 1867 attack on Rome.

https://www.nrw-tourism.com/a-castle-moyland

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/3322304 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/tw2tmy4ULuQC8veE9

Open Tue-Sun during the day

The former fortified farm was in 1345 to 1355 redesigned by Roland von Hagedorn into a classical gothic castle with a square floor plan. In addition to three round towers it had on the north corner of a more powerful, fourth round tower, which served as a dungeon. From the interior courtyard the third tower was accessible and provided all sorts of comforts, such as a well, toilet, light niches and a fireplace. The western side of the castle was at that time, a great hall, the other sides consisted of walls with battlements. South of the main castle was a bailey, the castle gate through which the main castle was reached.

In the 15th century in the courtyard of the main castle building new wings were built and a decorated chapel was added in the east tower. Moyland Castle in 1746

Alexander Baron von Spaen had the medieval fortifications expanded and rebuilt in 1662 as a baroque castle styled like the buildings from the capital city of Kleve by Pieter Post. Since only a year before the renovation work at Castle Ringberg was completed you can still today see architectural parallels between the two castles. The basement rooms received new, concave sides and the floor heights were changed. Also the windows of the main castle windows were arranged symmetrically and the approaching roads were moved so that they leads axially towards the main house.

Under Johann Nikolaus von Steengracht from 1854 to 1862 a remodeling of the exterior was done in the Gothic Revival style. The Baroque interior was maintained largely untouched during the work under the Cologne Cathedral architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner. The castle walls were covered with red brick and the three corner towers were fitted with battlements and pointed windows. The keep was set up with a historicist pointed roof. The gateway also experienced a reorganization and was made accessible via a newly built stone bridge. In the course of this work, the fore-castle was rebuilt on the foundation of its predecessor. Moyland Castle in Lithograph from the collection of Alexander Duncker

In addition, the builder replanted the parks in the "mixed style" of that time. In this can be found in the style of an English landscape garden and baroque structures typical of the so-called "architectural garden". Because of their importance, the park was in 2004 added to the tourist route Strasse der Gardenkunst (road of garden art).

The castle survived the last battles of the Second World War relatively unscathed, until the arrival of the Allies on February 25, 1945. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery took the castle as his headquarters. In this period Winston Churchill also came to Moyland. After they left almost all of the sumptuous interior went through theft and vandalism by Canadian soldiers, and the castle was devastated. The castle's owner Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland was Ribbentrop's state secretary and was tried for war crimes by the Americans, but in January 1950 he was given an amnesty and freed. A temporary repair was done in 1954 but a fire in the western roof truss in 1956 caused damage, so that the buildings gradually fell into disrepair, despite a temporary roof.

1987 began with repairs to restore the buildings. From 1990 to 1997 the newly formed Foundation Museum Schloss Moyland had responsibility for the restoration and extension of the historic buildings and a modern redesign of the rooms of the interior for use as a museum.

https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/museums-and-heritage-sites/chateau-de-carrouges/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/460918384 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/rG2ZXyUp1s3mvdJu8

Night tours are available some fridays in the summer, exibitions, concerts, individualized welcome (contact the castle to organize before). The last start for the guided visit is 45 minutes before the castle closes. The park stays open between noon and 2pm but closes in the evening.

Originally an oppidum, or defensive hill town, located at the southernmost border of the Norman duchy of William the Conqueror, Carrouges was vainly besieged by the Plantagenets in 1136. It was destroyed by the English in 1367, at the beginning of the Hundred Years War. Jean de Carrouges a vassal of Pierre II, Count of Alençon, became famous as one of the combatants in the last judicial duel to be permitted in France, in 1386. Following his victory, he was appointed a knight of honor to Charles VI.

The heiress of Jean de Carrouges married Guillaume Blosset, and their son Jean Blosset was appointed grand seneschal of Normandy. He made advantageous marriages with two wealthy heiresses from Brittany, first, Marguerite de Derval, and second, Francoise of Chastel, vicomtesse de Dinan et de La Bellière. These alliances gave Blosset the means of restoring and expanding the château, which had suffered great damage following its confiscation by Henry VI of England after the battle of Verneuil in 1424. Blosset built the north-eastern wing of the château, in which King Louis XI lodged on 11 August 1473.

The Château de Carrouges is rectangular in plan, surrounded by a moat. The central courtyard opens on to a terrace to the south-west. Although elements survive from the 15th and 16th centuries, the majority of the architecture is in the Henri IV and Louis XIII styles. The frontage is constructed of red brick and granite, the roofs are of blue slates. The château also has a keep of the 14th century, two storeys high and topped by machicolations.

The 16th century châtelet, or gatehouse, comprises four circular turrets, and was probably built by Jean Le Veneur. It is constructed of red and black bricks.

Jean de Carrouges mentioned above is the character in the historical novel and film The Last Duel.

https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/cahir-castle/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/162602114 Street view (where you can walk right in!) https://goo.gl/maps/5ZUodtgRvanv1Bw27

Open all year except for a few days around Christmas.

Cahir Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Cathrach), one of the largest castles in Ireland, is sited on an island in the river Suir. It was built from 1142 by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond. Now situated in Cahir town centre, County Tipperary, the castle is well preserved and has guided tour and audiovisual shows in multiple languages. Construction

The castle was sited on and near an earlier native fortification known as a cathair (stone fort), which gave its name to the place. The core structure of the castle dates to construction in the 13th century by the O'Brien family. The castle was built in two parts, with the side now by the street being built 200 years before the side now housing the audio-visual show.

Granted to the powerful Butler family in late 14th century, the castle was enlarged and remodelled between the 15th and 17th centuries. It fell into ruin in the late 18th century and was partially restored in the 1840s. The Great Hall was partly rebuilt in 1840.

Recently rendered to protect the badly weathered local Septaria from which it was built - and which is both scarce these days and difficult to work with. The render is similar to the lime mortar that the castle was originally covered with when built in the 12th century.

https://www.guidebook-sweden.com/en/guidebook/destination/kaernan-castle-tower-look-out-helsingborg

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/236992894 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/7WfPU8iTkQ91z1HB8

The tower is in a public park. Apparently you can climb up for a view but I can’t find mention of any cost.

The origins of the Helsingborg fortress are disputed. Danish legend places its origin to the reign of the legendary King Fróði. However, this legend has not been supported by archaeological proof. Dendrochronological dating has shown that the core was built in the 1310s, when Eric VI of Denmark was King of Denmark. It was considered the most important fortress in Denmark, and was integral in securing control over the strait between Scania and Zealand.

It was surrendered to Sweden along with the rest of Skåneland as part of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The fortress was retaken by Danish forces in 1676 during the Scanian War, and its capture celebrated by flying a giant Flag of Denmark above it. This flag was later captured by the Swedish army and is preserved in the Army Museum (Armémuseum) in Stockholm. The fortress returned to Swedish control by the Treaty of Lund in 1679. Charles XI of Sweden ordered most of it demolished fearing that it was too exposed to a sneak attack from Denmark. The only thing that was saved for posterity was the old medieval tower core. The tower continued to serve as a landmark for shipping through Øresund.

In 1741, the tower was donated by the government to the city of Helsingborg.

The castle was restored starting during 1893–94, under instructions from Oscar Ferdinand Trapp, a Swedish businessman and engineer (1847–1916). Architect for the restoration was Josef Alfred Hellerström (1863–1931), Helsingborg city architect from 1903 to 1928. The objective of the restoration was to restore, to the extent possible, the appearance the structure had based upon the oldest known medieval illustration. The building's crenellation dates from these repairs.

Formerly know as Castle Gloom, the castle is situated in a high vantage point in the Ochil hills. It is protected on either side of the castle by two large gorges, through which thunder streams ('burns' in Scots) the Burn of Sorrow and the Burn of Care.

https://www.discovertuscany.com/monteriggioni/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/42413 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/9BhsDFomRzqs1zdq5

The commune is free to walk through. There is a Medieval festival in July.

Monteriggioni is a medieval walled town, located on a natural hillock, built by the Sienese in 1214–19 as a front line in their wars against Florence, by assuming command of the Via Cassia running through the Val d'Elsa and Val Staggia to the west. During the conflicts between Siena and Florence in the Middle Ages, the city was strategically placed as a defensive fortification. It also withstood many attacks from both the Florentines and the forces of the Bishop of Volterra. In 1554 the Sienese were able to place control of the town's garrison to Giovannino Zeti, who had been exiled from Florence. In 1554, in an act of reconciliation with the Medicis, Zeti simply handed the keys of the town over to the Medicean forces— considered a "great betrayal" by the town's people.

The town is architecturally and culturally significant; it hosts several piazzas, and is referenced in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.

https://www.burg-grimmenstein.at/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/352734946 Street view (very far off): https://goo.gl/maps/4GLAH1ftcydDGyKj8

Visitation details taken from a translation of the site above. During opening hours on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, From February 11, 2023 to December 17, 2023, the Grimmenstein Castle Museum can be visited independently (duration approx. 15-20 minutes). Advent opening days from November 4th to December 17th

Apparently it can be rented out for events as well.

Very little about the castle's history is publicly available on the web. The best I could find is this small write-up:

The museum-castle Grimmenstein is the most famous sight of the village of the same name. The building consists of a so-called high castle on the rock and a hillside castle below. The name of the castle dates back to the 12th century, but its foundations and parts of the masonry are much older. Some sources point to a much older history of the castle, for example, part of the preserved keep is said to date back to a Roman watchtower around 2,000 years old. After years of decay, it has been undergoing extensive renovation by the Grimmenstein family since 2014.

https://www.brittanytourism.com/offers/chateau-de-la-hunaudaye-pledeliac-en-1993918/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/218909263 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/bfLCGTmZY5DJmcrL9

Seasonal opening, entrance for a fee. Occasional temporary exhibitions and a shop. Openings in 2023: From April 1, 2023 until September 17, 2023 From October 21, 2023 until November 5, 2023

Hunaudaye Castle, locally known as Château de la Hunaudaye, lies southwest of the village of Pléven, in the Côtes-d'Armor department in France.

Hunaudaye Castle dates back to 1220 when it was founded by an Olivier Tournemine. He built the castle to monitor the nearby Arguenon river, which was at that time a border river between two lands. It was situated on or near the site of a 4th-century Gallo-Roman military camp.

The castle was first attacked during the War of the Breton Succession in the mid-14th century. The Tournemine family had chosen the side of the Penthièvre family, who were allies of the Counts of Blois. This caused their castle to be attacked by the Montforts of Brittany, allied by the English. The castle did not hold and was destroyed.

Between 1367 and 1474 Hunaudaye Castle was rebuilt by the Tournemine family. It was built as a castle with an irregular pentagonal plan, 5 round towers connected by curtain walls, a drawbridge and a surrounding moat. It lacked a keep.

The Tournemine family stayed owners of the castle until the end of the 16th century when they died out. After that, the castle was gradually abandoned. In 1783 it was sold to Marquis de Talhouet.

In 1793, during the French Revolution, the area was threatened by marauding Chouans (counter-revolutionaries). To prevent these Chouans from setting up base in Hunaudaye Castle, the castle was burned and dismantled. From then on, up until the beginning of the 20th century, the castle ruin was used as a stone quarry.

During the 20th century and early 21st century the castle underwent several restorations campaigns; some parts were rebuilt and the moat was dug out again.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenilworth-castle/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/26003437 Street view lets you walk all around: https://goo.gl/maps/Ls7hzKbSkf3q9ev7A

Entrance for a fee, there seems to be very many events such as jousts and the like. Check the site before visiting.

The castle was founded during the Norman conquest of England; with development through to the Tudor period. It has been described by the architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant for its scale, form and quality of workmanship".

Kenilworth played an important historical role: it was the subject of the six-month-long siege of Kenilworth in 1266, thought to be the longest siege in Medieval English history, and formed a base for Lancastrian operations in the Wars of the Roses. Kenilworth was the scene of the removal of Edward II from the English throne, the perceived French insult to Henry V in 1414 of a gift of tennis balls (said by John Strecche to have prompted the campaign that led to the Battle of Agincourt), and the Earl of Leicester's lavish reception of Elizabeth I in 1575. It has been described as "one of two major castles in Britain which may be classified as water-castles or lake-fortresses...".

The castle was built over several centuries. Founded in the 1120s around a powerful Norman great tower, the castle was significantly enlarged by King John at the beginning of the 13th century. Huge water defences were created by damming the local streams, and the resulting fortifications proved able to withstand assaults by land and water in 1266. John of Gaunt spent lavishly in the late 14th century, turning the medieval castle into a palace fortress designed in the latest perpendicular style. The Earl of Leicester then expanded the castle during his tenure in the 16th century, constructing new Tudor buildings and exploiting the medieval heritage of Kenilworth to produce a fashionable Renaissance palace.

Although now ruined as a result of the slighting, or partial destruction of the castle by Parliamentary forces in 1649 to prevent it being used as a military stronghold after the English Civil War, Kenilworth illustrates five centuries of English military and civil architecture. The castle is built almost entirely from local new red sandstone.

https://rolandia.eu/en/blog/places/the-corvin-castle/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2634651896 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/qHY6aet2sJys8L248

The castle is open daily for an entrance fee.

Corvin Castle was laid out in 1446, when construction began by order of Voivode of Transylvania John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János, Romanian: Iancu or Ioan de Hunedoara), who wanted to transform the former keep built by Charles I of Hungary. The castle was originally given to John Hunyadi's father, Voyk (Vajk), by Sigismund of Luxembourg, king of Hungary and Croatia, as severance in 1409. It was also in 1446 that John Hunyadi was elected as the regent governor by the Diet.

The castle has three large areas: the Knight's Hall, the Diet Hall and the circular stairway. The halls are rectangular in shape and are decorated with marble. The Diet Hall was used for ceremonies or formal receptions whilst the Knight's Hall was used for feasts. In 1456, John Hunyadi died and work on the castle stagnated. Starting with 1458, new commissions were being undergone to construct the Matia Wing of the castle. In 1480, work was completely stopped on the castle and it was recognised as being one of the biggest and most impressive buildings in Eastern Europe.

The 16th century did not bring any improvements to the castle, but during the 17th century new additions were made for aesthetic and military purposes. Aesthetically, the large new palace was built facing the town. A two-level building, it hosted living chambers and a large living area. For military purposes, two new towers were constructed: the White Tower and the Artillery Tower. Also, the external yard was added for administration and storage.

The current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken after a disastrous fire and many decades of total neglect. It has been noted that modern "architects projected to it their own wistful interpretations of how a great Gothic castle should look". In 2021 Corvin Castle attracted around 276,000 tourists.

https://www.lovevda.it/en/database/8/castles-and-towers/fenis/fenis-castle/979

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/11976193 Street view: https://goo.gl/maps/75o4rBcHii6445Fo6

The castle is open for a small entrance fee Tue-Sun throughout the year, and every day in July and August. Closed Jan 1 and Dec 25.

The castle first appears in a document in 1242 as a property of the Viscounts of Aosta, the Challant family. At that time it probably was a simple keep surrounded by walls. From 1320 to 1420, under the lordship of Aymon of Challant and of his son Boniface I of Challant, the castle was expanded to the actual appearance.

Under Aymon's lordship the castle got its pentagonal layout, the external boundary wall and many of the towers. In 1392 Boniface of Challant began a second building campaign to build the staircase and the balconies in the inner courtyard and the prison. He also commissioned Piedmontese painter Giacomo Jaquerio to paint frescoes on the chapel and on the inner courtyard. Under Boniface I the castle reached its greatest splendor: it was a rich court surrounded by a vegetable plot, a vineyard and a garden where the lord and his guests could relax.

The castle belonged to the lords of Challant until 1716, when Georges-François of Challant had to sell it to Count Baldassarre Castellar of Saluzzo Paesana in order to pay his debts, and for the castle was the beginning of a period of decline. It was turned into a rural dwelling and became a stable and a barn.

In 1895 architect Alfredo d'Andrade purchased it and started a restoration campaign to secure the damaged structures. In 1935 a second campaign by De Vecchi and Mesturino completed the restoration and gave the castle the current appearance. The rooms were also provided with wood period furniture.

The castle is today owned by the Autonomous Region Aosta Valley, which turned it into a museum.

https://reichsburg-cochem.de

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/185586738 Street view aerial shot: https://goo.gl/maps/nycfD98yFDfyYdNu6

Visit seems to be by tour only, so gather as much info about languages available on the day when planning a visit. On Fridays and Saturdays, a “Knights‘ meal“ feast can be booked.

The Reichsburg Cochem had its first documentary mention in 1130. In 1151, it was occupied by King Konrad III, who declared it an Imperial castle. In 1688, the castle was overrun by French King Louis XIV's troops in the course of the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession), and the following year, they destroyed it. The castle complex long lay in ruins before in 1868 it was bought by the Berlin businessman Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené for 300 Goldmark and then reconstructed in the Gothic Revival style. Since 1978 it has been owned by the town of Cochem and is administered by a company named Reichsburg GmbH.