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Hohenzollern Castle (Burg Hohenzollern) is the ancestral seat of the imperial House of Hohenzollern. The third of three castles on the site, it is located atop Berg Hohenzollern, a 234-meter (768 ft) bluff rising above the towns of Hechingen and Bisingen in the foothills of the Swabian Alps of central Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Rappottenstein Castle is a medieval castle in Rappottenstein in north-western Lower Austria. The hilltop castle was never conquered and is therefore one of the best-preserved castles in Austria. Wikipedia
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Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It was established during the reign of Edward the Confessor and completed by Roger de Montgomery. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk.
Since the 11th century, the castle has been the seat of the Earls of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building.
The original structure was a motte-and-bailey castle. Roger de Montgomery was declared the first Earl of Arundel as the King granted him the property as part of a much larger package of hundreds of manors. Roger, who was a cousin of William the Conqueror, had stayed in Normandy to keep the peace there while William was away from England. He was rewarded for his loyalty with extensive lands in the Welsh Marches and across the country, together with one fifth of Sussex (Arundel Rape). He began work on Arundel Castle in around 1067.
The castle then passed to Adeliza of Louvain (who had previously been married to Henry I) and her husband William d'Aubigny. Empress Matilda stayed in the castle, in 1139. It then passed down the d'Aubigny line until the death of Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel in 1243. John Fitzalan then inherited jure matris the castle and honour of Arundel, by which, according to Henry VI's "admission" of 1433, he was later retrospectively held to have become de jure Earl of Arundel.
The FitzAlan male line ceased on the death of Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, whose daughter and heiress Mary FitzAlan married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, to whose descendants the castle and earldom passed.
In 1643, during the First English Civil War, the castle was besieged. The 800 royalists inside surrendered after 18 days. Afterwards in 1653 Parliament ordered the slighting of the castle; however "weather probably destroyed more".
Although the castle remained in the hands of the Howard family over the succeeding centuries, it was not their favourite residence, and the various Dukes of Norfolk invested their time and energy into improving other ducal estates, including Norfolk House in London. Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, was known for his restoration work and improvements to the castle beginning in 1787. The folly that still stands on the hill above Swanbourne Lake was commissioned by and built for the Duke by Francis Hiorne at this time.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, visited Arundel Castle for three days. Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, remodelled the castle in time for her visit to a design by an architectural firm, Morant: a suite of six rooms were built on the second floor of the south-east range at this time.
The 19th-century embellishments had not been completed when this picture was published in 1880. Soon after the 1846 Royal visit the 14th Duke began re-structuring the castle again. The work, which was done to the designs of Charles Alban Buckler and undertaken by Rattee and Kett of Cambridge, was completed in the late 19th century. The 16th Duke had planned to give the castle to the National Trust but following his death in 1975 the 17th Duke cancelled the plan. He created an independent charitable trust to guarantee the castle's future, and oversaw restorative works.
The extensive gardens had received significant improvements by early 2020 through the efforts of head gardener Martin Duncan and his crew. A horticulturalist and landscape designer, Duncan has been working at the Castle since 2009; in 2018, he received the Kew Guild Medal. The gardeners and volunteers "have worked wonders with their bold and innovative plantings", according to an April 2020 report by Country Life. Their most recent efforts led to a wild water garden around the ponds.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Castle, www.arundelcastle.org/gardens/ and www.arundelcastle.org/
Colorful houses in the town of Bosa, founded in 1112 along the Temo River on the west coast of Sardinia, Italy
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.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3+1⁄2 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 160 feet (50 metres) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site were listed buildings.
The Prague Castle is an important symbol of the Czech Republic.
The castle is one of the largest in the world. It contains historical palaces, offices, churches ... and it seems like a small town.
The panoramic view of Prague Castle at night is spectacular.
Montalcino takes its name from a variety of oak tree that once covered the terrain. The hill upon which Montalcino sits has probably been settled since Etruscan times. Its first mention in historical documents points to early 9th century. The fortress was built in 1361 atop the highest point of the town.
Castle Doorwerth is located on the banks of the Rhine River, between Wageningen and Arnhem. The castle’s immediate surroundings are beautiful; it is located at the point where the steep wooded lateral moraine of the Veluwezoom merges into the broad floodplains of the Lower Rhine. In between the two geological areas lies the beautiful medieval castle, surrounded by abundant moats. The castle is mentioned in historical documents dating back as far as 1260, making it one of the oldest castles in Holland.
The oldest tree in Holland
Since 1280, the castle has grown to become a picturesque complex of buildings with a ward and an outer ward. During the Second World War, the castle suffered major damage, and after undergoing restorations for a period of 37 years, it is once again the beautiful water castle it used to be.
One of the oldest trees in Holland is also located on the Castle Doorwerth grounds. The trunk of the Robinia (acacia) tree has a circumference of seven meters (almost 23 feet), and was planted around the year 1600. Two similar trees were destroyed during the Battle of Arnhem.
Esslemont Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located on the A920 west of Ellon and is designated a scheduled ancient monument
The first mention of Esslemont is as the 'manor of Eislemont' in the 14th century.
The lands of Esslemont were passed by marriage from the family of Mareschal by marriage of the heiress Janet to Francis le Chen of Straloch in the 14th century. The castle was burnt in 1493. John Cheyne obtained a licence to rebuild from James IV in July 1500. He was permitted to build a tower as high as he liked, with iron yetts, machicolations, portcullis, drawbridges, and other "strengths".
John Cheyne and his kin fought with Duncan Forbes in Aberdeen's Gallowgate in 1503.
In 1564 Patrick Cheyne was created baron of Esslemont by Queen Mary, who stayed here during her campaign against the Earl of Huntly, and a fortalice and tower were recorded in 1575–6.
The castle was then destroyed as the result of a feud between the Cheynes and the Hays. The name of the lands, now as "Essilmounthe", appears in Scottish records in 1609.
The castle ceased to be regularly occupied in 1625, when the estate passed to the Errol family. In 1728 it became the property of Robert Gordon and may have been partially occupied till 1769, when the existing mansion, Esslemont House, was erected in its vicinity
Situated at the confluence of the Molignée and Flavion rivers, Montaigle Castle stands proudly on a steep cliff face. Built on an older structure, the medieval fortress was erected at the beginning of the 14th century. Long before that, however, around 900 AD, a first castle already stood on this imposing rock. Only a few traces of this earlier structure remain, including a wall that follows exactly the contours of another wall from the Gallo-Roman period (the defensive wall of a castellum built in the 3th century).
Eilean Donan Castle sits on its small tidal island amid the lochs and mountains of the Scottish Highlands. Fresh green foliage and golden gorse frame the historic castle, while broken clouds and patches of sunlight add depth across the surrounding landscape.
Niedzica Castle (also known as Dunajec Castle) is a stunning 14th-century medieval fortress perched on a rocky cliff overlooking Czorsztyn Lake in southern Poland. Located in the Pieniny mountain region close to the Slovak border, it is one of the most picturesque and well-preserved castles in Central Europe.
The castle is famous for a mysterious legend involving a hidden treasure map of the Incas, allegedly brought there in the 18th century by a descendant of the castle's owners who married an Inca princess.
Balvaird Castle in Perthshire is a traditional late medieval Scottish tower house. It is located in the Ochil Hills, around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Abernethy. The name Balvaird is from Baile a' Bhàird, 'Township of the Bard' in Gaelic. Balvaird Castle is a scheduled monument, and is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
The spelling of its name has many variations, including Balverd, Balverde, Balward, Balwaird and Baleward.
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Balvaird was built around the year 1495 for Sir Andrew Murray, a younger son of the family of Murray of Tullibardine. He acquired the lands of Balvaird through marriage to the heiress Margaret Barclay, a member of a wealthy family and daughter of James Barclay of Kippo. It is likely that Balvaird Castle was built on the site of an earlier Barclay family castle. Substantial remnants of earthwork fortifications around the Castle may survive from earlier defences. Balvaird is first mentioned in the written historical record in 1498 as 'the place of Balward' in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland.
This castle is situated on a coastal promontory 300m W of Rock Hall fishing-station; a tower, measuring 2.5m square within a wall 0.6m in thickness, stands on the seaward end of the promontory, and further remains of walling are visible across the neck, 40m to the NNE.
Allegedly the remains of a castle erected in the 15th century, on a rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus.
The isthmus was guarded by two rows of battlements, one of which still remains, well-preserved. There are traces around the greater part of the rock, and on its sea-ward extremity there are the remains of a square tower, accessible only by leaping over a chasm.
All that remains of the Kaim of Mathers are a ruined tower at the extreme seaward end of a promontory, and a part of a battlement along the east side of the isthmus: the remainder has been destroyed by erosion. Only the N and E walls of the tower remain, measuring 2.5m square internally with walls 4.5m high and 0.6m thick. The section of crenellated walling at the isthmus measures 8.0m in length, 3.0m high and 0.6m thick, with a relieving arch beneath.
Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most recognised castles in Scotland, and probably appears on more shortbread tins and calendars than any other. It is, without doubt, a Scottish icon and certainly one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Highlands. When you first set eyes on it, it is easy to understand why so many people flock to its stout doors year after year. Strategically located on its own little island, overlooking the Isle of Skye, at the point where three great sea-lochs meet, and surrounded by the majestic splendour of the forested mountains of Kintail, Eilean Donan’s setting is truly breath-taking.
Following their arrival in the ample car park, visitors arrive at the bright modern visitor centre which houses the Ticket Office, Gift Shop and Restaurant. The entire operation is operated by the Conchra Charitable Trust which was established back in the 1980s by the MacRae family, who own the castle, and whose primary role is to preserve the building and its artefacts for the nation and future generations.
Crossing the bridge to today’s castle, the fourth version, you can clearly understand why Bishop Donan chose the tranquil spot back in 634AD to settle on it and create a monastic cell. The first castle was later established in the 13th century by Alexander II in an effort to help protect the area from Viking incursions. At this stage in history the original castle encompassed the entire island and is believed to have been constructed with seven towers connected by a massive curtain wall. Over the centuries, the castle contracted and expanded for reasons that still remain a mystery to this day, until 1719 when it was involved in one of the lesser known Jacobite uprisings. When the British Government learned that the castle was occupied by Jacobite leaders along with a garrison of Spanish soldiers, three Royal Navy frigates were sent to deal with the uprising. On the 10th of May 1719, the three heavily armed warships moored a short distance off the castle and bombarded it with cannons. With walls of up to 5 metres thick, these cannons had little impact, but eventually the castle was overwhelmed by force. Discovering 343 barrels of gunpowder inside, the Commanding officer gave orders to blow the castle up; following which Eilean Donan lay in silent ruin for the best part of two hundred years.
The castle that visitors enjoy so much today was reconstructed as a family home between 1912 and 1932 by Lt Col John MacRae-Gilstrap, and incorporated much of the ruins from the 1719 destruction. At this point the bridge was added; a structure that is as much a part of the classic image as the very castle itself.
Visitors now have the opportunity to wander round most of the fabulous internal rooms of the castle viewing period furniture, Jacobean artefacts, displays of weapons and fine art. Historical interest and heritage are in abundance with informed guides happy to share a wealth of knowledge. Extremely popular with families, a visit to Eilean Donan promises lots of fun for the kids whether it be swinging a Claymore, spying through the spy holes, lifting the cannon balls, gazing at the fearsome portcullis or exploring the ancient battlements. Wildlife surrounds the island too, with regular viewings of porpoise, dolphins, otters and birdlife. For those feeling particularly romantic, weddings can even be arranged inside the beautiful Banqueting Hall.
In short, there are numerous reasons why Eilean Donan enjoys such romantic and iconic status in the hearts of our nation and its visitors, but to understand what’s at its core you have to go and discover it for yourself.
Edzell Castle is a ruined 16th-century castle, with an early-17th-century walled garden. It is located close to Edzell, and is around 5 miles (8 km) north of Brechin, in Angus, Scotland. Edzell Castle was begun around 1520 by David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford, and expanded by his son, Sir David Lindsay, Lord Edzell, who also laid out the garden in 1604. The castle saw little military action, and was, in its design, construction and use, more of a country house than a defensive structure. It was briefly occupied by English troops during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1651. In 1715 it was sold by the Lindsay family, and eventually came into the ownership of the Earl of Dalhousie. It was given into state care in the 1930s, and is now a visitor attraction run by Historic Environment Scotland (open all year; entrance charge). The castle consists of the original tower house and building ranges around a courtyard. The adjacent Renaissance walled garden, incorporating intricate relief carvings, is unique in Scotland. It was replanted in the 1930s, and is considered to have links to esoteric traditions, including Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry.
Marksburg Castle stands above the town of Braubach in the Rhineland,Germany,in strong sunlight,surrounded by beautiful Autumn colour.It occupies a commanding position over the Rhine.The castle is virtually unchanged since medieval times and can be dated back to 1117, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Castle Doorwerth is located on the banks of the Rhine River, between Wageningen and Arnhem. The castle’s immediate surroundings are beautiful; it is located at the point where the steep wooded lateral moraine of the Veluwezoom merges into the broad floodplains of the Lower Rhine. In between the two geological areas lies the beautiful medieval castle, surrounded by abundant moats. The castle is mentioned in historical documents dating back as far as 1260, making it one of the oldest castles in Holland.
The oldest tree in Holland
Since 1280, the castle has grown to become a picturesque complex of buildings with a ward and an outer ward. During the Second World War, the castle suffered major damage, and after undergoing restorations for a period of 37 years, it is once again the beautiful water castle it used to be.
One of the oldest trees in Holland is also located on the Castle Doorwerth grounds. The trunk of the Robinia (acacia) tree has a circumference of seven meters (almost 23 feet), and was planted around the year 1600. Two similar trees were destroyed during the Battle of Arnhem.
According to local legend, Helfštýn is named after the robber Helfried of Linva, who founded it. The castle was probably built in the last quarter of the 13th century. Around 1320 Vok of Kravař, a member of a prominent Moravian noble family, became the owner of the castle. Helfštýn remained in the possession of the Kravař family for more than a hundred years and underwent far-reaching structural changes during this period. Construction work began on a larger scale in the first half of the 14th century, but the main reconstruction of the castle into a Gothic fortress did not take place until the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. The Kravařs mainly improved the fortifications of Helfštýn. They replaced the makeshift fortification of the old parkland with a thick stone wall with four bastions, built a prismatic tower over the entrance to the castle itself and secured it with a drawbridge, built a fortified forecourt on the south side and cut the ridge of the hill with a moat carved into the rock.
The era of the Pernštejn family
In 1474, William of Pernštejn took over the castle estate and proceeded to its further reconstruction. In the last quarter of the 15th century,
Helfštýn Castle was enlarged with a thoroughly fortified, extensive farm forecourt (completed in 1480) and another forecourt, which formed a new outpost defending the entire enlarged building. At the same time, the fortifications of the old Kravaře castle were improved with bastions and a new system of towers and gates. The castle's ground plan was definitively given an elongated shape, and in its external form the perfect fortification system significantly overlapped all the other architectural elements.
Renaissance reconstruction
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the inner core of the castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence. The old castle palace was demolished, along with part of its original Gothic fortifications, and a magnificent Renaissance palace was built on the vacant space, in sharp contrast to the extensive system of late Gothic fortifications that surrounded it.
The destruction of the castle
In 1656, quite extensive demolition work was carried out, which, although it did not damage the fortifications of Helfštýn too much, definitively deprived it of the character of a manor house. And thus began the long-term destruction of the castle. The destruction was accelerated in the second half of the 18th century by the Ditrichstein family with demolition works. These attempts culminated in 1817, when part of the inner castle was destroyed by artillery fire.
Present day
The present-day character of the castle is that of a fortress with six gates and a series of 18th-century buildings and ramparts. Since the 19th century, the castle has been presented as a tourist and heritage site. Nowadays it has become a natural cultural centre of the region, with various cultural events taking place here throughout the season
Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It was established during the reign of Edward the Confessor and completed by Roger de Montgomery. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk.
Since the 11th century, the castle has been the seat of the Earls of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building.
The original structure was a motte-and-bailey castle. Roger de Montgomery was declared the first Earl of Arundel as the King granted him the property as part of a much larger package of hundreds of manors. Roger, who was a cousin of William the Conqueror, had stayed in Normandy to keep the peace there while William was away from England. He was rewarded for his loyalty with extensive lands in the Welsh Marches and across the country, together with one fifth of Sussex (Arundel Rape). He began work on Arundel Castle in around 1067.
The castle then passed to Adeliza of Louvain (who had previously been married to Henry I) and her husband William d'Aubigny. Empress Matilda stayed in the castle, in 1139. It then passed down the d'Aubigny line until the death of Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel in 1243. John Fitzalan then inherited jure matris the castle and honour of Arundel, by which, according to Henry VI's "admission" of 1433, he was later retrospectively held to have become de jure Earl of Arundel.
The FitzAlan male line ceased on the death of Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, whose daughter and heiress Mary FitzAlan married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, to whose descendants the castle and earldom passed.
In 1643, during the First English Civil War, the castle was besieged. The 800 royalists inside surrendered after 18 days. Afterwards in 1653 Parliament ordered the slighting of the castle; however "weather probably destroyed more".
Although the castle remained in the hands of the Howard family over the succeeding centuries, it was not their favourite residence, and the various Dukes of Norfolk invested their time and energy into improving other ducal estates, including Norfolk House in London. Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, was known for his restoration work and improvements to the castle beginning in 1787. The folly that still stands on the hill above Swanbourne Lake was commissioned by and built for the Duke by Francis Hiorne at this time.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, visited Arundel Castle for three days. Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, remodelled the castle in time for her visit to a design by an architectural firm, Morant: a suite of six rooms were built on the second floor of the south-east range at this time.
The 19th-century embellishments had not been completed when this picture was published in 1880. Soon after the 1846 Royal visit the 14th Duke began re-structuring the castle again. The work, which was done to the designs of Charles Alban Buckler and undertaken by Rattee and Kett of Cambridge, was completed in the late 19th century. The 16th Duke had planned to give the castle to the National Trust but following his death in 1975 the 17th Duke cancelled the plan. He created an independent charitable trust to guarantee the castle's future, and oversaw restorative works.
The extensive gardens had received significant improvements by early 2020 through the efforts of head gardener Martin Duncan and his crew. A horticulturalist and landscape designer, Duncan has been working at the Castle since 2009; in 2018, he received the Kew Guild Medal. The gardeners and volunteers "have worked wonders with their bold and innovative plantings", according to an April 2020 report by Country Life. Their most recent efforts led to a wild water garden around the ponds.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Castle and www.arundelcastle.org/
The imposing Muiderslot gives you a taste of real Dutch history. It is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam and included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its location at the former Zuiderzee, in the water-rich environments of the river Vecht is breathtaking.
The Muiderslot was built around 1285 by Count Floris V, an ally of the French Court and later of the British King Edward. While hunting with falcons one day in 1296, Floris was captured by his nobles and imprisoned in his own castle. In their flight from the advancing hordes, he was brutally murdered in the vicinity of Muiderberg.
Over 300 years later, Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft took up residence in the Muiderslot. This ‘Dutch Shakespeare’ is the castle’s most famous resident. Hooft was named bailiff of Muiden as well as bailiff of Gooiland in 1609 and held that position for almost 40 years until his death in 1647. He is best known for his proze, poetry and impressive voluminous history of the Dutch Revolt: De Nederlandsche Historiën.
The tour through the Golden Age with the impressive Knight’s Hall, towers and dungeon, the film in the Castle Chapel and, last but not least, the Armoury with its stunning armour collection is a fantastic experience for young and old alike. For children an interactive quest is available that will take them through a large portion of the castle.
The beautiful herb and vegetable gardens still retain the atmosphere of the Dutch Renaissance. A walk along the ramparts offers fantastic views of the water-rich environments and the Pampus island fortress.
The falconry is also inextricably linked to Floris V and the Muiderslot. In the summer months you can watch the soaring falcons and other birds of prey during live demonstrations, daily except mondays.
Stokesay Castle, a late 13th century fortified manor house near Craven Arms in Shropshire. Visible from the main Shrewsbury to Hereford rail route, it is exceptionally well preserved, with restorations over the centuries very sympathetic to the original.
www.spaceshipsrentals.co.uk/blog/england-roadtrips/top-10...
Udny Castle is a tower house in the parish of Udny, southwest of the village of Pitmedden and northeast of the hamlet of Udny Green, Aberdeenshire, in the northeast of Scotland. The area is generally flat but the castle is sited on the highest ground and can be seen for a considerable distance. Its exact construction date is unknown, but its foundations probably date from the late 14th or early 15th century. Additional storeys were added and a later extension, described as a "modern mansion", was incorporated but subsequently demolished. It is a Category A listed building.
Sited on the highest area in a generally flat terrain, the castle can be seen from a considerable distance. The exact construction date is not known but it was probably initially constructed by the Udny family in the 14th or 15th century. The property is first recorded when it is shown on a charter for David II instigated by Ronald of Uldney.
MacGibbon and Ross suggested a construction date of the turn of the 16–17th centuries, but the indentation of the upper floors and thickness of the foundation walls suggest a much earlier date. The main construction work of the keep is believed to have spanned over 100 years and been undertaken by three consecutive lairds; it is reported to have "ruined them all".
The Udny family also owned Knockhall Castle and lived there until 1734 when Knockhall was destroyed by fire; they then returned to Udny. Jamie Fleeman, the Laird's fool, was responsible for saving the family papers from being destroyed in the fire.
The castle was abandoned sometime around 1775 then repair work was undertaken in 1801.
Colonel John Robert Fullerton Udny inherited the estate in 1802. He had been an army officer since 1797 but retired after his marriage to Emily Fitzhugh in 1812. Thereafter he only visited the estate occasionally as his main residence was in London. The couple had one son, John Augustus Udny, but he died a bachelor in 1859. The Colonel's wife died in 1846 after which he had an affair with Ann Allat whom he married on 2 January 1854. However, the couple had a son, John Henry Udny, born out of wedlock on 9 May 1853. A legal case was heard by the House of Lords as to whether John Henry was entitled to inherit the estate as his parents had been unmarried when he was born. The legal arguments describe how the Colonel had wished to do restoration work on the castle but could not afford to do so "owing chiefly to his connection with the turf".
The Colonel died in 1861. The House of Lords had decided in favour of John Henry and he inherited the estate as "though illegitimate at his birth, [he] was legitimated by the subsequent marriage of his parents".
In 1887, it is recorded as owned by John Hay Udny and had been in the family's ownership for several centuries.
Bartizans were included when an extra storey was added in the 17th century.
A mansion house in the baronial style was added in 1874–75 to the design of architect James Maitland Wardrop (of the Wardrop and Anderson company) but was subsequently demolished during the 1960s. Wardrop's son, Hew, was also an architect and undertook some of the decorative work at the castle. He died suddenly of appendicitis while working at the castle on 4 November 1887.
In 1964, restoration work was begun on the original tower house and the mansion house was demolished. Historic Scotland listed the castle as a Category A listed building in April 1971.
The Bacon Tower (Speckturm in German) is a historic defensive structure, that served as a communal cold-storage facility for the local Saxon villagers.
During the centuries of Ottoman invasions, villagers fortified their central churches with high walls and towers to protect both their lives and their food supply.
The thick stone walls of the tower created a perfectly chilled, dark environment. Families stored their cured pork sides, sausages, and lard here to prevent them from spoiling.
When attackers laid siege to Biertan, the entire community retreated inside the church fortress. The centralized food supply in the tower allowed them to survive for weeks or months.
To prevent theft and rationing issues, the tower was strictly locked. It opened only once a week—usually on Sunday morning before church services.
Each family had a unique iron stamp or marking tool to brand their specific pieces of bacon, ensuring no one took another family's rations. A designated community official oversaw the weekly cutting.
The Plaza del Triunfo is a unique place, surrounded by such iconic and historical buildings as the Cathedral, the Convent of La Encarnación, the Archive of the Indies, the Reales Alcázares Palace and the building housing the Casa de la Provincia, formerly the Provincial Government Building, as well as being the entrance to the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, formerly the Jewish Quarter.
This irregularly shaped square was called the "Plazuela de la Lonja" in the Archive of the Indies, but since the 18th century it has been called the "Plaza del Triunfo".
The name is the result of the devastating earthquake suffered in Lisbon on 1 November 1755, which caused no personal damages to the faithful who went to the Cathedral to hear mass, so they decided to pay homage to this by naming the square. The "Triumph" is a magnificent testimony to what happened during the earthquake and was installed in the square as a symbol of thanks for divine protection.
Two years after the earthquake a monument was erected that should be attributed to José Tomás Zambrano. It is crowned by a figure of the Virgin with Child, called Virgin of the Triumph or Virgin of the Patron Saint.
At the beginning of the 20th century the square was remodelled in accordance with a project by Juan Talavera y Heredia and with a monument to the Immaculate Conception, the work of Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. It was sculpted in Carrara marble and the figure of the Blessed Virgin was inspired by La Inmaculada by Murillo who painted it for the Hospital de Los Venerables.
The pedestal of La Inmaculada is surrounded by four 17th-century characters who were renowned as defenders of the Dogma of Mary's Immaculate Conception. These are the Jesuit theologian Juan de Pineda, the poet Miguel Cid, the sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés and the artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Every year on the night of 7 December there is a floral offering to the virgin by the traditional university players of Seville.
stari grad Veliki Kalnik, Hrvatska / old town Veliki Kalnik, Croatia
ruševine srednjovjekovnog grada (13. stoljeće) / ruins of the medieval town (13th century)
The Castle of Füzér located in a wonderful natural environment is one of those few private landlord castles in the country, which is most likely to have been there before the Tatar invasion. The Castle Hill of Füzér is one of the seven natural wonders of Hungary, located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, on a steep side volcanic cone in the easternmost part of the Zemplén Mountains. The castle was built at the beginning of the 13th century, making it one of Hungary’s earliest stone castles.
It underwent a major renovation between 2014 and 2016, during which the so-called Lower Castle was built, the Chapel of the Upper Castle, the Palace Wing and the Lower Bastion were renewed.
Constructed in 1795, the staircase allows visitors to transition smoothly from the village central square directly into the fortress's interior fortifications. It spans approximately 100 meters in length.
The trapezoidal castle oriented to the southeast rises 79 metres (259 ft) above sea level and is situated on the extreme northwest of the walled fortifications.[1] It is reinforced in the north by three semi-circular and rectangular corbels; in the east and west of the wall by rectangular corbels, known as the towers of D. Dinis and D. Fernando; to the south by two semi-circular corbels, one with machillitions; and a barbican in the north and west. Along the wall dividing the two courtyards is a gentle, rectangular arch, known as the tower of Albarrã.[1] The castle's architecture shows elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Manueline influences spread over two main areas: the Castelejo (current Inn Castle, or Pousada de Obidos) and the intramural district. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_%C3%93bidos
One of the most iconic elements of the vista of the Danube Bend is the castle rising out of the steep mountainside above Visegrád. From within its walls we can marvel at the breathtaking view of the city below and the serpentine of the Danube in front of the lush, mountainous landscape. As one of Hungary’s largest fortifications, its size and splendor were considered exceptional even at the time of its building, in 1250.