Antoing Castle is one of Belgium's most original and well-known castles, situated in Antoing in Hainaut.
It was first mentioned in the 12th century. Although the present structure of the castle dates from the 13th and 15th centuries, it was redesigned in Neo-Gothic style in the 19th century by the French architect Viollet-le-Duc.
The castle at Antoing first belonged to the powerful Melun family, then passed in 1634 to the Princes de Ligne by inheritance, who still own it.
References:Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.
Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.