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Castles of the XVIth century |
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Known as the "Pearl of the North", Ballindalloch Castle dates from at least the 16th century and is a warm and welcoming castle set in the magnificent Spey Valley in Highland Scotland.
The Castle is very much a lived-in family home, which adds to its appeal to visitors. The Castle is filled with family memorabilia, as well as a fine collection of 17th century Spanish paintings collected by Sir John Macpherson-Grant in the mid 19th century.
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The Castle was greatly enlarged between 1550 and 1600, at which time it was embellished with magnificent plaster ceilings, splendid panelling and fine fireplaces. Arms and armour for the Civil War and from other periods are displayed in the Great Hall.
Visitors may see the gatehouse, gardens and park. The garden area consists of mixed herbaceous and shrub borders containing may old roses. In addition, there is a formal walled garden with beds of roses surrounded by box hedging and lined by more mixed borders.
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The Castle of Magona was built during the first decade of the 16TH century and became the residence of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, during the reclamation of the Maremma land. It then passed into the hands of the Merciai family, and has been recently transformed into a "Historical House" open to all those whose wish it is to allow themselves a different type of break, to discover the beautiful surroundings rich in history and art. The aim is to provide all of the castle's guests with the opportunity to live as the nobility of the 16TH century with all the modern comforts of the 21ST century.
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Gothic castle, raised during the Renaissance, frescoes, gallery of portraits and horses, wonderful stable, Palladio's well, chapel with sculpture by Lombardo, garden with grotto by Sorte, archive and library.
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Renaissance Milan in all its glory, this castle was constructed by Francesco Sforza as his residence and fortress in 1450. Much loved by the Sforza family, especially Galeazzo Maria Sforza and Ludovico il Moro who added many decorative features to the castle. After its abandon, the castle nearly became victim to an urbanization scheme calling for its demolition - luckily the plan was defeated and the castle restored by Luigi Beltrami, at the turn of this century. The castle houses many museums and collections.
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The biggest castle of Europe is in in Italy, in Vigevano, 30 km from Milan. In the main square, you will find a big stair...above it, you will discover the Castle Sforzesco di Vigevano. Jump in the Renaissance, leave your eyes and your soul taste the art.
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Built around 1540 by Duncan Stewart of Appin, this much-photographed castle was gifted by him to James IV for use as a hunting lodge. In fact, its Gaelic name Caisteal Stalcair translates literally as 'Castle of the Hunter'. It sits at the mouth of Loch Laich on a rocky islet known as the Rock of the Cormorants.The castle, like so many in Scotland, has had a turbulent history. One 17th century Stewart gambled it away to a Campbell for an eight-oared galley. During the 1745 Jacobite Rising it was used as a garrison for troops. Abandoned around 1780, it lost its roof shortly before 1831 and was restored from its ruinous state in the late 1960s by the late Lt. Col. Stewart Allward whose family still owns the castle.
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Built in 1600 and decorated mainly in the 18th century, the chateau of Breteuil is located 35km south west of Paris at the heart of the magnificent Chevreuse valley.
It is surrounded by a listed park of 75 hectares.
You can visite park and gardens and discover the charm of times past, the history and the Fairy Tales of Perrault.
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In the middle of the sixteen century, Raoul Moreau wanted a castle which could create an harmony between him and the world, and a favourable climate to lead his alchemical studies and esoteric research. Thoiry's site, a small hill, surrounded by hills of the same height at the same distance, corresponded to his vision.
The White lounge is part of the museum of the records, in which you can find the equivalent of two trunks of records, amongst which 500 private letters of the royal family of France and Spain.In these records, you can also find two waltzes composed by Chopin and several manuscripts written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Châteaubriand, Lamartine, Alfred de Vigny, George Sand and Alexandre Dumas.
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A wall of elegance built over the Cher river, the Chenonceau chateau is one of the highlights of Renaissance architecture.
5 women are responsible for the wealth of decoration both inside and outside that make Chenonceau the most popular chateau in France
Not to be missed are the Kitchen, the Green Cabinet, and the rooms of Louise de Lorraine, Diane and the room of the Five Queens.
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A visit to Colchester Castle Museum takes you through 2000 years of the most important events in British History. Once the capital of Roman Britain, Colchester has experienced devastation by Boudica (Boadicea), invasion by the Normans and Siege during the English Civil War.
Since the 16th century, the Castle has been a ruin, a library and a gaol for witches. Today it is an award winning museum featuring many hands on displays to help explain the towns-peoples' experience of Colchester's varying fortunes.The Castle itself is the largest keep ever built by the Normans. It was constructed on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, which can still be seen today.
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Egeskov Castle was built in 1554 by Frands Brockenhuus, married to Anne Tinhuus.
He built his castle in the middle of a lake on a foundation of oak pilings, according to legend, in such quantities that "it took an oak forest".
The building, which look so peaceful and idyllic to the visitors of today was built for defence purposes. It consists of two long houses connected by a thick double wall.
The only access to the house was across a drawbridge.
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Gwydir Castle is situated in the beautiful Conwy Valley and is set within a Grade 1 listed, 10-acre garden.
Built by the illustrious Wynn family c1500, Gwydir is a fine example of a Tudor courtyard house, incorporating re-used medieval material from the dissolved Abbey of Maenan. Further additions date from c1600 and c1826. The important 1640s panelled Dining Room has now been reinstated, following its repatriation from the New York Metropolitan Museum.
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Himeji-jo is the most spectacular example of a Japanese castle in existence.
The history of the castle began by the construction of a fort in 1333.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi first built a small donjon on this site for his campaigns in western Japan from 1577-1580. Ikeda Terumasa, an ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, was awarded this province for his alliance during the war. Ikeda Terumasa built the donjon of Himeji-jo and erected the castle as it is known today. Himeji-jo's nickname Shirasagi-jo means "White Heron Castle" because the main donjon with its three smaller donjon resembles a white heron.
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The legendary castle was given its present-day appearance during the 16th century, when the Vasa kings restyled it into a Renaissance palace, with furnishings in the continental taste.
Kalmar Castle plays and integral role in Sweden's cultural heritage.
The walls of this fantastically preserved castle whisper the tales of royal feasts, political intrigue, bloody battles, knights in shining armor and of course beautiful princesses in spired towers.
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Kronborg Castle is one of north Europe’s most important Renaissance castles. The many foreign guests mainly associate Kronborg with Shakespeare's drama about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Frederik II’s Kronborg - an elegant Renaissance castle and a monumental military fortress at one and the same time - is surrounded by powerful fortifications with bastions and ravelins. Some of the historical rooms house the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ collections of Renaissance and Baroque interiors. Among the most important attractions are the huge ball room, the chapel and Holger Danske.
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The mere mention of the name Villandry evokes splendor and perfection.
The castle of Villandry is renowned for the harmony of its architecture and its gardens, inspired by the gardens of the 16th and 18th centuries. Villandry is the last of the great Renaissance Chateau built on the banks of the Loire.You will be impressed by the splendour of its courtyard, the elegance of its facades reflected in the still water of the moat and the charm of its XVIIIth century state rooms.
8 gardeners work full time in the gardens of Villandry, and plant about 60,000 vegetables and 45,000 plants in its gardens each year.
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