Leuk Castle or Bishop's Castle is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Leuk Leuk (french: Loèche-Ville) is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Erschmatt merged into the municipality of Leuk.Canton of Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the Sw ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

History

The castle was originally built in the 13th century above the road from the Rhone valley over the

Gemmi Pass Gemmi Pass is a high mountain pass across the Bernese Alps connecting Leukerbad (on the south) in the canton of Valais with Kandersteg (on the north) in the canton of Bern. The pass itself lies within the canton of Valais, at a height of above ...

. It was built about west of the 12th century Viztum Tower, which had been built to guard the road. During the 12th century, the

Bishop of Sion The Diocese of Sion ( la, Dioecesis Sedunensis, french: Diocèse de Sion, german: Bistum Sitten) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the oldest bishopric in the country and one of the oldest north o ...

had gradually expanded his power in Valais. The local noble Leuk family built a small fort that was the foundation of the current castle. At the beginning of the 13th century they were forced to donate their lands in Leuk to the Bishop of Sion. They were then granted Leuk as a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

to hold for the bishop. Soon thereafter the Leuk family vanishes from the historical record. Around this time, the Bishop of Sion expanded the small castle into a much larger building that served as a home and administrative center. The fief of Leuk passed through the Ayent family, the Blonay and then around 1350 the

Raron family Von Raron (French ''Rarogne'') was an influential noble family in the Valais (the bishopric of Sion) in the late medieval period. Related to the lords of Ringgenberg, the family held possessions in the area of Raron (''Rarogne'') in the 12th cent ...

Castle site

The main tower is square tower with about long sides. The tower is surrounded by an irregular

ring wall A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town. Ancient fortifications Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical ...

. The complex includes two rectangular residential buildings. The tower was probably built in the 12th century while the residential buildings are from the early to mid 13th century.

References

Castles in the canton of Valais {{Switzerland-castle-stub

History

Castle site

See also

References