Castles....

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Braunfels Castle, Germany
The first traces of Braunfels Castle go all the way back to the year 1246.
The palace's appearance has changed much over the years, with new additions to the complex as well as the destruction of other parts. In 1679, much of Braunfels was incinerated in a terrible fire. Count Heinrich Trajektin was responsible for the reconstruction.

In 1845, Braunfels Castle underwent a renovation at the hands of the "Hunter Prince" Ferdinand who rebuilt parts of it in the Gothic Revival style and added its famous Knights Hall.

The castle got yet another makeover just 35 years later by Prince George. He is the man to thank for the castle's present look. Much of its unique features, like the towers and bay windows, can be attributed to him.

Photo: jackbrownth85

 

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Leeds Castle is an English castle in medieval and Renaissance style, built between the 12th and 16th centuries on two islets in an artificial lake (formed by the dam of the River Len) in the village of Leeds, a locality in Kent (south-east England ) located near Maidstone and part of the homonymous borough.
Defined by many "the most beautiful (or the most romantic) castle in England", if not "the most beautiful castle in the world" (definition that is due, among other things, to Lord Conway) and nicknamed "Lady's Castle "to be historically linked to female figures, it was built in 1119 by the Normans and was a royal residence for almost three centuries, from 1278 to 1552 (Tudor era), as well as a prison (especially during the Napoleonic Wars, but not only) and garrison and "theater" of numerous clashes to fight for the succession to the throne of England. The castle is surrounded by a large park, where one of the main attractions is the labyrinth.

Photo: jbeea310

 

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Finstergrün Castle is a castle in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Burg Finstergrün is 1,087 metres above sea level. The castle is believed to have been built in 1296-97 by Rudolf von Fohnsdorf.

In 1300 it was described as "a border fortress" between the Archbishopric of Salzburg and the Duchy of Styria. During the 14th and 15th centuries it became the seat of the administrator who was in charge of managing the silver mines in Ramingstein. The first documented mention of the name Burg Finstergruen occurred in 1629.

Photo: DM

 

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Phoenix Castle, Aosta Valley, Italy....

 

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Castillo de Almodóvar del Río is a castle of Muslim origin in the town of Almodóvar del Río, Province of Córdoba, Spain.
Previously a Roman fort, the current structure is of Moorish origin, in the year 760. During the Middle Ages, it underwent several renovations and reconstructions.

Photo: dronne_eca

 

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The Bobolice Castle is a 14th-century royal castle in the village of Bobolice, Poland. The complex is located within a semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura. The castle is situated on a steep rocky hill. Up till now, only the upper part of the stronghold (the residential building with at least two storeys and remnants of the cylindrical wall tower) has survived. The castle was accessible through a drawbridge over the dry moat, and the entire construction was surrounded by walls with battlements, made of local white limestone. Currently reconstruction works are under way in order to restore the entrance gate and the circumferential wall around the castle grounds. The castle in Bobolice was built by King Casimir III the Great in the middle of the 14th century, probably in place of an earlier wooden structure.The castle was a part of the defence system of royal strongholds protecting the western border of Poland on the side of Silesia.

Photo: bokehm0n

 

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[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[A4K]

With Hugh! Good stuff Jan.

 

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Bodiam Castle is a picturesque medieval castle located in East Sussex, England. It was built in the 14th century by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, as a defensive stronghold during the Hundred Years' War with France. The castle is renowned for its symmetrical design and its moat, which surrounds the structure, giving it a fairy-tale appearance.

Key features of Bodiam Castle include its quadrangular layout with round towers at each corner, connected by curtain walls. The castle was strategically positioned along the River Rother, which provided both defensive advantages and access to transportation routes.

Despite its formidable appearance, Bodiam Castle was primarily built for residential purposes rather than pure military defense. It featured comfortable living quarters, a great hall, a chapel, and other domestic facilities typical of a medieval noble residence.

Throughout its history, Bodiam Castle changed hands multiple times and underwent various modifications and renovations. It fell into disrepair during the English Civil War in the 17th century but was later partially restored in the 19th century by the famous architect Anthony Salvin.

 

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The Château de Sully-sur-Loire, located in France, served as the seat of the Dukes de Sully, notably hosting King Henry IV of France's minister Maximilien de Béthune. The last Béthune departed in 1962 when the castle was sold to the Loiret local council. Situated on the south side of the Loire, where it meets the River Sange, the castle spans three islands: the keep occupies the northwestern island, the Inner Courtyard with defense towers and residences lies on the southwestern island, and the eastern island housed the Outer Courtyard and other buildings, though the ditch that once separated these islands is no longer present. Notably, in the early 18th century, Voltaire found refuge in the castle, seeking shelter from the scrutiny of Philipp II, Duke of Orleans, regarding his satire.

Photo: daftintin_drone

 

[A4K]

Love that last photo Jan (Chateau de Sully-sur-Loire)

 

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Château de la Salle Vieure.
The castle is located in the territory of the commune of Vieure , in the department of Allier (in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region , formerly Auvergne).

Photo: daftintin_drone

 

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Callenberg Castle, Germany....

 

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The New Hummelshain Castle is a castle in the municipality of Hummelshain in the Saale-Holzland district in Thuringia .
It was built in 1880–85 as a hunting and residential palace for the Dukes of Saxony-Altenburg by the Berlin architects Ernst von Ihne and Paul Stegmüller and is considered an outstanding testimony to the architecture of historicism . It is the last lordly new residence in Thuringia and thus marks the end of a cultural era. In 2017 it was classified as a monument of national importance by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media and included in the conservation program " Nationally valuable cultural monuments " in order to enable sustainable security measures for the castle, which is threatened with decay.In 1998 the Free State of Thuringia sold the castle to a Leipzig company that wanted to establish a research facility here. The plans failed, however; as the company failed to meet its redevelopment obligations, the castle began to fall into disrepair.

Photo: steffen.rittmeier

 

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Burg Kreuzenstein is a castle located near Leobendorf in Lower Austria. The origin of the castle dates back to the 12th century. Located 265 meters above sea level, it was built on the remains of an earlier early medieval castle which fell into ruin and was then demolished during the War of the thirty years. It was rebuilt in the 19th century by Count Nepomuk Wilczek with proceeds from the large Silesian coal mines.

Photo: tom_juenemann

 

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The Chateau of Berzè it's a mediaval fortified fortress located in the french town of Chatel in Saône-et- Loire and Burgundy-Franche-Comté region .

Photo: nik_piekhotnyi