Belgershain Castle history spans to the 11-12th centuries. The swamp castle, which was built in the 15th century, was surrounded by a moat and served to protect the Via Regia Lusatiae Superioris trade route passing nearby. By 1600, the complex was converted into a residential palace. The interior got its shape in the 17th century. A spiral staircase and a hall with cross vaults behind it are remarkable. The door frames made of porphyry also show some Renaissance shapes.
In 1792 the von Uechteritz family acquired the castle and had the building rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1833 Friedrich von Zehmen followed as the new owner. From 1852, Belgershain Castle was owned by the von Schönburg-Waldenburg family . The last owner was Prince Günther von Schönburg-Waldenburg (1887–1960), who rented the Belgershain Castle until 1945.
The castle grounds also include an estate outside the moat ring from the 17th century and the baroque cavalier's house built around 1730 next to the castle. Originally this was connected to the castle by an archway with a transition. Today it is used as the town hall of the municipality. On the upper floor there is a local history museum on the local and castle history.
References:The Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls was part of the federal sanctuary of the three Gauls dedicated to the cult of Rome and Augustus celebrated by the 60 Gallic tribes when they gathered at Lugdunum (Lyon). The amphitheatre was built at the foot of the La Croix-Rousse hill at what was then the confluence of the Rhône and Saône.
Excavations have revealed a basement of three elliptical walls linked by cross-walls and a channel surrounding the oval central arena. The arena was slightly sloped, with the building"s south part supported by a now-vanished vault. The arena"s dimensions are 67,6m by 42m. This phase of the amphitheatre housed games which accompanied the imperial cult, with its low capacity (1,800 seats) being enough for delegations from the 60 Gallic tribes.
The amphitheatre was expanded at the start of the 2nd century. Two galleries were added around the old amphitheatre, raising its width from 25 metres to 105 metres and its capacity to about 20,000 seats. In so doing it made it a building open to the whole population of Lugdunum and its environs.