Wednesday, November 16, 2011

European Beautiful Castles III

Ada ribuan kastil di Eropa. Banyak dari kastil kastil ini telah direnovasi & terpelihara dengan baik sebagai museum, rumah atau galeri. Berikut adalah daftar kastil kastil indah di italia, hungaria dll.


Buda Castle (Hungary)
Buda Castle (Hungarian: Budai Vár, Turkish: Budin Kalesi) is the historical castle complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace (Hungarian: Királyi-palota) and Royal Castle (Hungarian: Királyi Vár). Immediately after the war archeological research was begun to unearth the remains of the medieval castle. It came out that important parts of the former Sigismund and Matthias palace survived under the thick level of earth fill. Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, next to the old Castle District (Hun: Várnegyed), which is famous for its medieval, Baroque and 19th century houses and public buildings. It is linked to Adam Clark Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. King Sigismund of Hungary greatly enlarged the palace




Vajdahunyad Castle (Hungary)
Vajdahunyad Castle, or Vajdahunyad-vár, is a castle in City Park, Budapest, Hungary, that was built between 1896 and 1908, designed by Ignác Alpár. It is a copy in part of a castle in Transylvania, Romania, that is also called Vajdahunyad, though it is also a display of different architectural styles: Romanic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Originally it was made from cardboard and wood for the millennial exhibition in 1896 but it became so popular that it was rebuilt from stone and brick. The statue of Anonymus, also displayed in the Castle court, was a chronicler in the XII century (probably of King Béla III). He wrote the first history books on the ancient Hungarians, mostly based on legends. Superstition says that by touching his pen you will receive good luck.




Ashford Castle (Ireland)
Ashford Castle is a medieval castle near Cong in County Galway, Ireland on the shore of Lough Corrib. Geographically the castle is located in Co. Galway on the southern side of the Cong River but has a Co. Mayo postal address. The castle was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family following their defeat of the O'Connors, the Royal House of Connacht, who are still extant in the person of the O Connor Donn. The de Burgos would build several such castles throughout the province, including one on the mouth of the River Corrib around which was to grow the City of Galway, but Ashford would remain their principal stronghold in the vastness of a wild and untamed province. The principal legacy of the native O'Connors is to be seen at the gates of the estate in the form of the magnificent Romanesque Augustinian Abbey of Cong.




Aragonese Castle
The Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese, Ischia Ponte) was built on a rock near the island in 474 BC, by Hiero I of Syracuse. At the same time, two towers were built to control enemy fleets' movements. The rock was then occupied by Parthenopeans (the ancient inhabitants of Naples). In 326 BC the fortress was captured by Romans, and then again by the Parthenopeans. In 1441 Alfonso V of Aragon connected the rock to the island with a stone bridge instead of the prior wood bridge, and fortified the walls in order to defend the inhabitants against the raids of pirates. Around 1700, about 2000 families lived on the islet, including a larisses Convent, the Abbey of Basilians from Greece, the Bishop and the Seminar, the Prince with a military garrison. There were also thirteen churches. In 1912, the Castle was sold to a private owner.




Castel del Monte, Apulia (Italy)
Castel del Monte (Italian: Castle of the Mount) is a 13th century castle situated in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II some time between 1240 and 1250; it has been despoiled of its interior marbles and furnishings in subsequent centuries. It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge and might in fact never have been intended as a defensive fortress. The castle has a diameter of 56 m. Its main entrance faces due east. Castel del Monte is situated on a small hill close to the monastery of Santa Maria del Monte, at an altitude of 540 m. It lies in the comune of Andria, occupying the site of an earlier fortress of which no structural remains exist. It was completed in 1240 and was used primarily as a hunting lodge by Frederick until his death in 1250.




Castel Nuovo (Italy)
Castel Nuovo (Italian: "New Castle"), often called Maschio Angioino, is a castle in the city of Naples, southern Italy. It is the main symbol of the architecture of the city. Castel Nuovo has been expanded or renovated several times since it was first begun in 1279. However, when the capital was moved to Naples, Charles ordered a new castle, not far from the sea, built to house the court. Works, directed by French architects, began in 1279 and were completed three years later. Due to the War of the Sicilian Vespers, the new fortress remained uninhabited until 1285, when Charles died and was succeeded by his son, Charles II. Castel Nuovo became soon the nucleus of the historical center of the city, and was often the site of famous events. For example, on December 13, 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the castle.




Castel Sant'Angelo (Italy)
 
The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. Legend holds that the Archangel Michael appeared atop the mausoleum, sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the plague of 590, thus lending the castle its present name. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian, also called Adrian's mole, was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 AD and 139 AD. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in Baiae in 138 AD, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138 AD.




Castello dell'Imperatore (Italy)
Castello dell'Imperatore (Italian: "Emperor's Castle") is a castle in Prato, Tuscany, Italy. Located near the church of Santa Maria delle Carceri, it is the northernmost castle built for the medieval emperor and King of Sicily Frederick II. The castle was erected by order of Frederick II starting from 1240, over a fortress of the Alberti family, of which today two towers (missing their upper sections) remain. It is one of the four major structures on which the reputation of Frederick as the builder-Emperor rests, and the only one north of the Kingdom of Naples.Its original destination was as Imperial residence, which was annexed to the second (12th century) line of walls of Prato. It was partially surrounded by a moat and was connected to the jails (carceri) from which the nearby sanctuary is named.




Castle of Melfi (Italy)
The castle of Melfi in Basilicata is a monument owned by the Italian State and one of the most important medieval castles in Southern Italy. His construction, at least the components still visible, dates back to Norman times and has undergone significant changes over time, especially in Angevin and Aragon time. The origin of the castle of Melfi dating back to the late XI century by the Normans, built in a strategic location that serves as a gateway between Campania and Apulia. His placement was essential to defend itself from external attacks and as a refuge for the Allies. The structure was a place of "historic" events during the Norman period. In Melfi, seat of the County of Apulia, there were five ecumenical councils, organized by five different Popes between 1059 and 1137.




Castle Tyrol (Italy)
 
Castle Tyrol or Tirol castle (German: Schloss Tirol, Italian: Castel Tirolo) is a castle near Meran, Italy. It was the ancestral seat of the counts of Tyrol and gave the region of Tyrol its name. The castle hill has been inhabited since ancient times. Several artefacts and one field of graves from the early Middle Ages have been identified. Archeologists have excavated a church with three apses dating from the early Christian period. The first castle was built before 1100. The second construction phase including the keep dates to 1139/40. A third phase of construction took place in the second half of the 13th century under Count Meinhard II. The castle was the seat of Tyrol's sovereigns until 1420, when Duke Frederick IV moved the seat to Innsbruck. In modern times parts of the castle fell into the so-called "Köstengraben", a steep gorge




Fénis Castle (Italy)
 
Fenis Castle (Italian: Castello di Fenis) is an Italian medieval castle located in the town of Fénis, not far from Aosta. It is one of the most famous castles in Aosta Valley, and for its spectacular architecture and its many towers and battlemented walls has become one of the major tourist attractions of the region. The castle first appears in a document in 1242 A.D. as a property of the Viscounts of Aosta, the Challant family. At that time it probably was a simple keep surrounded by walls. It was from 1320 A.D. to 1420 A.D., under the lordship of Aimone of Challant and of his son Bonifacio of Challant, that the castle expanded to the actual appearance. Under Aimone’s lordship the castle got its pentagonal layout, the external boundary wall and many of the towers.




Miramare Castle (Italy)
The Miramare Castle (Italian: Castello di Miramare; Slovene:Grad Miramar, German: Schloß Miramar) is a 19th century castle on the Gulf of Trieste near Trieste, northeastern Italy. It was built from 1856 to 1860 for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, later Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota of Mexico, to a design by Carl Junker. The castle's grounds include an extensive cliff and seashore park of 22 hectares (54 acres) designed by the Archduke. The grounds were completely re-landscaped to feature numerous tropical species of trees and plants. Designed in 1856 by Carl Junker, an Austrian architect, the architectural structure of Miramare was finished in 1860. The style reflects the artistic interests of the Archduke, who was acquainted with the eclectic architectural styles of Austria, Germany and England.




Reifenstein Castle (Italy)
Reifenstein Castle (German: Burg Reifenstein, Italian: Castel Tasso) is a castle in Freienfeld, near Sterzing, in the province of Bolzano-Bozen (northern Italy). It is located near a dried marsh, in the valley of the Eisack. The castle is mentioned for the first time in the 12th century, and was modified in the 14th century. It is a property of the Thurn und Taxis counts. It is famous for the decorated "Green Hall" with Gothic paintings and a woodcarved chapel-door, the stubes and the collection of armors. The castle also contains an original kitchen, bathroom and medieval sleeping bunks. Reifenstein Castle (German: Burg Reifenstein, Italian: Castel Tasso) is a castle in Freienfeld, near Sterzing, in the province of Bolzano-Bozen (northern Italy). It is located near a dried marsh, in the valley of the Eisack.




Torrechiara (Italy)
Torrechiara is a frazione of the comune of Langhirano, in the province of Parma, northern Italy. It is especially known for its massive castle, built by Pier Maria II Rossi (1413-1482), count of San Secondo, between 1448 and 1460. The castle has four rectangular towers, connected by a double line of merloned walls. The inner court is called Cortile d'onore ("Courtyard of Honour"). The towers are the following: The interior is characterized by numerous rooms decorated with fantastic, grottesco or naturalistic elements. On the first floor, together with the Salone dei Giocolieri ("Jugglers Hall"), is the Camera d'Oro ("Golden Chamber"), one of the most famous examples of erotic chambers in Italy.




Trakai Island Castle (Lithuania)
Trakai Island Castle (Lithuanian: Trakų salos pilis) is located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island of Lake Galvė. The castle is sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg". 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. 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 Trakai Peninsula Castle. Kęstutis moved his main residence and his treasury to the Island Castle.



Source: Wiki dan berbagai sumber