The Château de Mousson is a ruined castle in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France. Until the 13th century, the Château de Mousson was the residence of the Counts of Mousson. On the summit of a hill, it overlooked the valleys of the Seille and the Moselle. It has not resisted the ravages of time, wars and, above all, Cardinal Richelieu.
The 17th century was fatal to the fortress at Mousson. A symbol of the spirit of independence of the people of Lorraine against the power of royal France, the castle was an obstacle to the centralising designs of Louis XIII and Richelieu. In 1633, following the example of many castles in the région and the fortifications of Nancy, the castle was demolished. It was destroyed by the inhabitants of the region, acting under the constraint of French troops.
References: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.