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Founded: ca. 1650Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Finland)
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Louhisaari manor castle was built in the late medieval ages by the remarkable Fleming noble family. The present main building was completed in the 1650s and represents the rare palatial architecture in Finland. The grounds have an extensive English-style park, complete with paths. Louhisaari belonged to the Fleming family for over three hundred years. The lack of money forced them to sell the manor to the family of Mannerheim in 1791. Finland’s Marshall C.G.E. Mannerheim was born there in 1867.
The festive floor and the service floor are in 17th-century style and furnished to match. The middle floor, where the actual living quarters were, was modernised during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the rooms in this part of the castle reflect the interior-decoration styles of that time.
Government of Finland bought Louhisaari in 1961 and opened it to the public couple of years later.
Nowadays it’s open in summer time. Admission to the museum only in the company of a guide, tours in Finnish at half hourly intervals.
Olargues is a good example of a French medieval town and rated as one of the most beautiful villages in France. It was occupied by the Romans, the Vandals and the Visigoths. At the end of the 11th century the Jaur valley came under the authority of the Château of the Viscount of Minerve. The following centuries saw a succession of wars and epidemics, and it was not until the 18th century that Olargues became re-established. This was due to the prosperity of local agriculture and artisanal industry.
The Pont du Diable, 'Devil's Bridge', is said to date back to 1202 and is reputed to be the scene of transactions between the people of Olargues and the devil. The old village is clustered around the belltower, which was formerly the main tower of the castle (Romanesque construction). The old shops have marble frontages and overhanging upper storeys. A museum of popular traditions and art is to be found in the stairs of the Commanderie.