Castles of Europe

[Ferran]

I thought (mainly influenced by Franjo Malgaj's thread about the most beautiful Christan monuments) that opening a thread dedicated to castles would be great too, since castles also have been a main subject in European architecture and are practically inseparable of our history. Not to mention that castles outside Europe are almost anecdotical.

So well, just fill this thread with beautiful European castles.

I will start with Neuschwanstein Castle, built in Bavaria (Germany) during the XIX century:









Freaky note: If you want to see its interior you can also check this game.

[M.R.]

Slovenia

Castle Bled



The idyllic Castle Bled situated on a big rock above Lake Bled, and the arms of the Bishops of Brixen.

In 1004, in the city of Trent, Emperor Henry II donated the seigniory of Bled in Carniola (today Slovenia) to the Diocese of Brixen in Tyrol. At that time, the Bishop of Brixen (Prishna, i.e., Brizina in Slovenian) was Albin (Albuin), son of St. Hildegard (Liharda), a countess from Carantania (Carinthia). Bishop Albin transferred the See from ancient Sabiona (Säben), which was founded in Roman times by St. Ingenuin, to Brixen, where he died in 1006. He was a very pious man, and later he was declared Saint by the Church. Today, St. Albin and his saintly predecessor are protectors of the Diocese of Brixen.

In 1011, Emperor Henry II also donated Castle Bled to Bishop Adalbero, who was Albuin's follower. In this way, the castle above Lake Bled became the centre of an important seigniory. It was not directly managed by the Bishops of Brixen, but by their ministerials or knights. The administrator of the castle had a certain authority, because the records mention him as captain (Hauptmann, glavar) or castellan (Burggraf, gradnik). Since 1371, the castle was leased to various families, first to the Kraighs from Carinthia (until 1558), then to Auerspergs (until 1574). After that, it was administered by different families of more or less importance.

In 1803, the seigniory was taken over by the Austrian State, based on the peace treaty with France. The latter demanded that the domains of Brixen should be seized. However, in 1838 Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria issued a decree whereby all seized properties were returned to Brixen. But already in 1858 the Bishop of Brixen sold Castle Bled with all pertaining estates to an industrialist.

Castle Rajhenburg


Slovenia's first medieval castle mentioned in the records

Rajhenburg (Reichenburg) is a small town on the Sava River in eastern Slovenia (Lower Styria). After WW2 its German sounding name was erased from the map, and it has been called Brestanica ever since. Above the town, on top of a hill a castle is proudly overlooking its surroundings. It entered the records for the first time in 895, when Arnulf of Carantania, King of the Eastern Franks, allotted three "royal hides" (of land) near the castle Rîchenburch(Reichenburg, Rajhenburg) to his vassal Waltuni. The noble Waltuni was a predecessor of St. Emma, the well-known Carantanian Countess.

The original German name Rîchenburch contains the word rîch meaning "king" in the Medieval German language. Thus, the castle was at first a royal possession, before it changed hands and became the property of Waltuni and his successors at an unknown point in time. However, evidence provides us with the fact, that later on it formed part of the properties belonging to St. Emma. When she died in 1045, most of her lands and castles passed on to the Archbishop of Salzburg, including the Rajhenburg Castle.

The castle was not under the direct administration of Salzburg, but rather in care of its trustees, within the range of their ministerials or knights. In 1147, a certain Otto de Richenbvrc is mentioned in the records as the administrator of the Rajhenburg Castle - the beginner of a family that administrated the castle for some centuries. The last member of the house was Hans Reinprecht († after 1570). Then, the castle was taken over by the Welzers. They inherited also the Rajhenburg's coat of arms - Argent, a Wolf azure - which was later also born as an escutcheon (fess point) in the coat of arms of the Ecks family.

In the following centuries, the castle came into possession of other families, among them were the famous Gall von Gallenstein of Carniola. In 1884, it was taken over by the Trappist monks, who adapted it to an important religious and cultural centre. During the WW2, when the Nazi occupied Lower Styria, they changed it into a temporal camp (Lager) for Slovenian expellees from Styria, who were destined to be transported to Croatia and Serbia. Altogether approximately 45,000 persons in exile passed through the camp.

After WW2, the Yugoslav Communist regime in Slovenia refused to return the castle to the Trappist monks. It was abandoned and left to decay, when in 1968 the Museum of Slovenian Expellees made it to their headquarters. In this way the historical castle has a chance to be preserved.

Castle Jama


A Picturesque and Legendary Fort near Postojna (Slovenia)

Present-day Castle Jama (Predjama) near Postojna, Slovenia. In the picture wee see two coat of arms. The first is that of the Burgraves of Lienz, the second of the Cobenzls. On the right, from top to bottom are in turn the arms of the owners of Castle Jama : the family arms of the Logars, the second arms of the Cobenzls, the family arms of the Coronini, and the family arms of the Windischgrätz.

Castle Ptuj


The most remarkable of all Slovenian castles

Castle Ptuj (Pettau) and the arms of its owners.
On the right are presented the three arms of the Seigniors of Ptuj:
I) a toothed shield with fur (Kürsch)
II) Or, a dragon Sable
III) Gules, an anchor Argent.

Bottom, from left to right are presented the arms of the families:
Eggenberg, Tannhausen, Leslie and Herberstein, who were owners of the castle after the extinction of the Ptuj family.

Ljubljana Castle


Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia

First it was a castle of the Carantanian dukes.

Castle Lublana in his present-day renewed surface. In the left corner on top is the silver coin from 1240, called a denaric, which was issued by Duke Bernard of Carinthia (Carantania), from the mint of Lublana. On the right, the figure of Belin (Belenus), unearthed at Lublana castle (2nd century BC).

Castle Podsreda (Hörberg)



Castle Podsreda (Hörberg) in the proximity of the Croation border. In the picture we see the arms of Tattenbach (left), the arms of Apfaltern and Barbo (right), i.e., the families who possessed the castle for a certain period.

Castle Sneznik



Castle Sneznik (in the records also described as Schloss Schneeberg - in German) is situated not far from the medieval town of Loz (Laas) in the south-western part of Slovenia. A particular charm is resting upon the castle, which it owes to its surrounding untouched romantic landscape - nowadays converted and used as a park. The original mediaeval fortification from the 15th century had disappeared, and the new castle was erected instead on the same place. The ground behind the castle rises slowly to the mountain Sneznik (1796 m), whose snowy peak lifts far above the large stretched forests.

The castle is mentioned in the historical records for the first time in 1286, and was built by the Counts of Ortenburg, the well-known family of Carinthia. However, they left the administration of the castle in the hands of their knights (ministerial). One of those particular dwellers was the Schneeberg family, whose name appeared already in 1321. When in 1462 the Emperor Frederic III was beleaguered by his brother Albert in Wiener Neustadt, Nicolas Schneeberg was among those, who came to the rescue of the menaced ruler.

The coat of arms of the Schneebergs' signifies their name: Argent, a snowball Azure. A lineage of the family dwelt at the castle in Loz (Laas), and consequently was called Laas-Schneeberg, bearing the following arms: Argent, a left top corner Azure. (Compare the arms at the above picture of the castle).

At the end of the 15th century the Lambergs obtained possession of the castle, and a sub-lineage called Lamberg-Schneeberg came into existence for a certain time. Then the castle passed ownership to the Pranks, the Raumschüssels, the Eggenbergs, the Auerspergs and the Schönbergs. Today it is a museum and it also serves its purpose for representative functions.

Castle Rihemberg



An important Monument in Slovenian History.

Castle Rihemberg in the Branica Valley, and the arms of the Lantieri family.

Top left: the original arms.

Bottom right: this coat of arms was probably granted to the descendants of Anton Lantieri, when they received in pledge Vipava and Rihemberg in 1528.

[Ferran]

Château de Chambord, France (XVI century):

[Ferran]

Eilean Donan castle, Scotland (built in 1220 as a defense against the Vikings):

[Theobald]

Versailles

[M.R.]

Here's a nice Slovenian site, also in English.

The web site gradovi.net is an overview of Slovene castles, mansions and palaces on the territory of Republic Slovenia (in the future there will also be some monasteries and churches included). It is the intention of the author to include an overview of all such buildings or their ruins, in due time.

Slovenian Castles,

gradovi.net

[Ferran]

Alcázar de Segovia, Castile, Spain (XII century):











Freaky note 2: It's said to have influenced the castle of Disneyworld.

[Carnyx]

FRANCE






Chenonceaux



Cheverny



Azay-le-Rideau



Chaumont



Langeais



Saumur




Pierreponds

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Ferran

Alcázar de Segovia, Castile, Spain (XII century):

Freaky note 2: It's said to have influenced the castle of Disneyworld.

And this one Disneyland's?



Neuschwanstein

[Cirrus]

Vaux-le-Vicomte, France

[Ferran]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

And this one Disneyland's?



Neuschwanstein

Oh well... I'm not that familiar with Disney castles.

[Cirrus]

Château des Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes (Brittany)

[Ferran]

Alhambra de Granada, Spain (XIII century):

[Carnyx]

France





Bazoches










Commarin










Sagonne