Water Castles
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Water Castles
A water castle is a castle whose site is largely defended by water. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle studies, mainly German ''Burgenkunde'', but is sometimes used in English-language popular science books and websites, and is mentioned in other more academic works. When stately homes were built in such a location, or a Wasserburg was later rebuilt as a residential manor, the German term becomes Wasserschloss, lit. "water palace/manor". Description Forde-Johnston describes such a site as "a castle in which water plays a prominent part in the defences." Apart from hindering attackers, an abundant supply of water was also an advantage during a siege. Topographically, such structures are a type of low-lying castle. Such a castle usually had only one entrance, which was via a drawbridge and that could be raised for protection in the event of a ...
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Kasteel Doorwerth Plattegrond-2
Kasteel is the Dutch language word for a castle or château. It can also refer to: * Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel, a football stadium * Joop Kasteel Joop Kasteel, also known as "de zwarte parel" ("the black pearl", born 27 August 1964), is a Dutch former mixed martial artist. He made his mixed martial arts debut on 15 June 1996. He is a veteran of the RINGS promotion and as he has fought t ... (born 1964), a Dutch mixed martial artist * Piet Kasteel (1901–2003), a Dutch journalist, diplomat, and colonial administrator {{disambig ...
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Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area, with over 11 million inhabitants. It is a university city and the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. Founded in the 1st century BC as a Roman settlement in the province Germania Inferior, Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities. It was the capital city of the Electorate of Cologne from 1597 to 1794, and residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne. From 1949 to 1990, Bonn was the capital of West Germany, and Germany's present constitution, the Basic Law, was declared in the city in 1949. The era when Bonn served as the capital of West Germany is referred to by historians as the Bonn Republic. From 1990 to 1999, Bonn served as the seat of government – but no longer capi ...
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Kajaani Castle
Kajaani Castle ( Finnish: ''Kajaanin linna'', Swedish: ''Kajaneborg'', ''Kajaneborgs slott'', older spelling ''Cajanaborg'') was built on the Ämmäkoski island of the Kajaani River in the centre of Kajaani, Finland, in the 17th century. Today, only roofless ruins remain of the castle. The castle functioned as an administrative centre, prison, and military strongpoint. The most famous prisoner was the historian Johannes Messenius, who was forced to live in the poor conditions of the castle from 1616 to 1635. Construction of Kajaani Castle began in 1604 and was completed in 1619. At first, the castle only consisted of a stone wall, two round towers, and wooden buildings in the yard inside the castle. Count Peter Brahe ordered major additional construction of the castle in the 1650s, which was completed in 1666. During this construction, many wooden structures of the castle were replaced with stone structures to form a fortress. During the Great Northern War (also known as the "G ...
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Spøttrup Castle
Spøttrup Castle ( da, Spøttrup Borg) is a well-preserved medieval defensive castle located northwest of Skive in Jutland, Denmark. History The estate was transferred to the Diocese of Viborg in 1404. It became the property of the Crown in 1536 and was sold to Henrik Below (1540–1606), a nobleman with the Danish court. The oldest section of the building is the south wing, which was constructed c. 1521. The east and north wings followed between 1525 and 1530. The western end of the north wing was destroyed by an incoming tidal wave in 1534. The large arched windows were walled up, leaving only narrow sighting slits. The oldest part of the building is the cellar with cross vaults supported by pillars. The ramparts and the double moat served to defend the castle from cannon fire. After Below acquired the castle, he fitted it out as a stately family home with towers and a ballroom. With the Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation o ...
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Egeskov Castle
Egeskov Castle ( da, Egeskov Slot) is located near Kværndrup, in the south of the island of Funen, Denmark. The castle is Europe's best preserved Renaissance water castle. History Egeskov was first mentioned in 1405. The castle structure was erected by Frands Brockenhuus in 1554. Due to the troubles caused by the civil war known as the '' Count's Feud'' (Danish: ''Grevens fejde''), general civil unrest, and a civil war introducing the Protestant Reformation, most Danish noblemen built their homes as fortifications. The castle is constructed on oaken piles and located in a small lake with a maximum depth of . Originally, the only access was by means of a drawbridge. According to legend, it took an entire forest of oak trees to build the foundation, hence the name ''Egeskov'' (oak forest). The estate has belonged to the Bille-Brahe family since 1784, when they acquired it from descendants of the Brockenhuus family. In 1882 it was inherited by the counts Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bil ...
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Švihov Castle
The Švihov Castle (german: ''Burg Schwihau'') is a water castle, which was built in the Gothic period. It is located in the town Švihov in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. History Švihov castle was built by the House of Rýzmberk ze Skály (noble family). It was besieged by the Hussites during Hussite wars, the garrison surrendered after their water moats were siphoned. It was rebuilt between 1480 and 1489 by the order of the castle's owner, Puta Schwihau von Riesenberg, in the Late Gothic style. His sons continued in rebuilding the castle after he died and invited a famous architect Benedikt Reid. In 1598 Kavkové z Říčan (noble family) took the control of the castle, but were forced to sell it to Czernins of Chudenitz 50 years later in 1598, due to their poor management. Then the Thirty Years' War came and the castle was unsuccessfully besieged by the Swedish army. Benedikt Reid invented the castle's moat system with massive bastions (horseshoe shaped gr ...
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Červená Lhota Castle
Červená Lhota (German: ''Roth-Lhotta'') a château in Červená Lhota village of the Pluhův Žďár municipality, in the South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies about north-west of Jindřichův Hradec. It stands at the middle of a lake on a rocky island. Its picturesque Renaissance building is a destination of thousands of tourists every year. Its name Červená Lhota meaning "red '' lhota''" can be explained by the colour of the château's bright-red roof tiles. There is also a park, where the Chapel of the Holy Trinity ( cs, Nejsvětější Trojice) is located. History The existence of an original fortress on the site of today's château is assumed from sometime around the middle of the 14th century. It was built on a rocky granite outcrop, which, after the damming of a stream and the filling up of a fishpond, became an island. The first written source is an entry into the land records from 1465, mentioning the division of the property of deceased Ctibor of Zásmuk be ...
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Blatná Castle
Blatná (; german: Blatna) is a town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,400 inhabitants. It is known for a water castle in the centre of a pond, and a landscape garden around it. The town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Villages of Blatenka, Čekanice, Drahenický Málkov, Hněvkov, Jindřichovice, Milčice, Řečice and Skaličany are administrative parts of Blatná. Etymology The name Blatná is derived from the Old Czech word ''blata'' (meaning "marshes"). It got its name from the marshlands among which it was founded. Geography Blatná is located about north of Strakonice and southeast of Plzeň. It lies in the Blatná Uplands. The town is situated on the Lomnice River. The territory is rich in fish ponds, built here since the Middle Ages. History The first settlement of the area is documented by archaeological finds up to the 4 ...
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Wijnendale Castle
Wijnendale Castle (French: Château de Wynendaele, nl, Kasteel van Wijnendale) is a historic residence in Wijnendale, West Flanders in Belgium which was once a medieval castle. The present buildings largely date to a nineteenth century restoration, though parts of the north wing still date to the fifteenth century. One wing is currently inhabited by the present owners of the castle, while another is open to the public as a museum. History Counts of Flanders and Namur, 11th–14th century The first castle was built by Robert I, Count of Flanders, at the end of the 11th century and used as a base for military operations. In the 12th and 13th century, Wijnendale became a regular place of residence for the Counts of Flanders and for Philip, Count of Flanders, in particular. In 1297 Guy of Dampierre signed a treaty here with the English King Edward I. In 1298 Wijnendale was inherited by the Counts of Namur, and besieged and damaged in 1302 and 1325. It is probable that Blanche o ...
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Trakai Island Castle
Trakai Island Castle ( lt, Trakų salos pilis; pl, Zamek w Trokach) is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance. The castle was rebuilt in the 1950s–1960s by Lithuanian initiative, although it had received resistance from Soviet authorities. The Trakai History Museum was established after the reconstruction. Construction First phase Trakai Island Castle was built in several phases. During the first phase, in the second half of the 14th century, the castle was constructed on the largest of three lake islands by the order of Grand Duke Kęstutis. The construction of Trakai Island Castle was related to the expansion and strengthening of the ...
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