Schloss Dyck is a moated castle in the Rhineland region of Germany. The history of the castle began in 1094 when the knight Hermannus de Disco was mentioned in a record of the Archbishop of Cologne as the lord of a simple fortification. Over time the site was converted into a fortified moated castle.
In 1383 the castle was besieged by the cities of Aachen and Cologne, as well as by the archbishop Friedrich III von Saarwerden and Duke William I of Guelders and Jülich. They accused Lord Gerard van Dyck of being a robber knight. When Gerard van Dyck died without male offspring, the castle was inherited by Johann V von Reifferscheidt, the ancestor of the counts and princes of Salm-Reifferscheid. This family owned the castle for more than 900 years until it became the Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Design in 1999. The last heiress of the family, Countess Marie Christine Wolff Metternich, turned it over to a foundation to secure the future of the castle.
The castle is the center of Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck, a former independent territory located between the Electorate of Cologne, Guelders and Jülich. The small territory was called 'Dycker Ländchen' and is still recognizable for its unique cultural landscape.
The main building, the forecourts, and the outbuilding and the stables are spread over four islands. In the 17th century the castle was turned into an early baroque residence. Count Salentin of Salm-Reifferscheid extended the main building into a four-wing complex; stables, watch rooms, and the brewery were renewed. In the 18th century, Schloss Dyck became a Rococo residence, with fine tapestries and exquisite furniture. Unfortunately not everything has been saved: the famous library was sold at an auction in 1992, as was the armory and weapons collection.
The complex is surrounded by an English landscape garden created by prince Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck. The castle and the park are open for visitors. The complex also includes a hotel that hosts many venues and meetings.
References:The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.