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Founded: 13th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)
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The Château des Quat'Sos name is of Gascon origin, describing the identical appearance of the four corner towers, the 'Four Sisters'. The castle is located on the promontory overlooking the confluence of the Garonne and the tributary Charros.
In 1224, permission was granted by King Louis VIII of France to build a castle. The castle was completed by King Henry III of England, while Duke of Aquitaine, to defend the English Duchy of Gascony. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was fiercely disputed between English and French.
References:La Hougue Bie is a Neolithic ritual site which was in use around 3500 BC. Hougue is a Jèrriais/Norman language word meaning a \'mound\' and comes from the Old Norse word haugr. The site consists of 18.6m long passage chamber covered by a 12.2m high mound. The site was first excavated in 1925 by the Société Jersiaise. Fragments of twenty vase supports were found along with the scattered remains of at least eight individuals. Gravegoods, mostly pottery, were also present. At some time in the past, the site had evidently been entered and ransacked.
In Western Europe, it is one of the largest and best preserved passage graves and the most impressive and best preserved monument of Armorican Passage Grave group. Although they are termed \'passage graves\', they were ceremonial sites, whose function was more similar to churches or cathedrals, where burials were incidental.