Château de La Ferté-Milon, La Ferté-Milon, France

In La Ferté-Milon stand the ruins of an unfinished castle, whose façade was 200 m long and 38 m high. The first castle was erected already in the 9th century AD, but the current structure dates from 1393, when Louis of Orléans started to reconstruct a strong castle. It was cancelled in 1407, when Louis was assassinated.

The singular form of the tower walls was probably designed to resist cannons and protect the gate. The façade is preceded by a moat. On the right is a square tower of which two bare walls remain. The top of the ramparts is adorned with machicolation. Access to the town was protected by a former gate of which two towers remain. Behind the ramparts, two 160 mm cannons from 1909 sit facing towards the valley.

User Reviews

geoffrey wiart (10 months ago)
Beautiful ruin of a castel

Libby Bye (2 years ago)
Quaint historic village. No fee to enter. Ruins at the top of the hill. Some free parking available.

paul morris (2 years ago)
Ruins of a magnificent fortress in a lovely village. Free to walk up to and around with a great view over the town.

Dries Cools (4 years ago)
Huuuge walls

George Coppock (4 years ago)
Pleasant if a little run down village. Place where the author/ playwright Racine was born. Good parking by the river with a waterwheel.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

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The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Château de La Ferté-Milon

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