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Founded: 12th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)
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The Château de Charance, a former 12th-century fortress, is located in Gap (Hautes-Alpes). Renovated multiple times, it has housed the administrative offices of the Écrins National Park since 1973. Its gardens host the Alpine Plant Conservatory.
Partially listed as a historic monument in 1987, the château was owned by bishops until the French Revolution. It was looted during the Wars of Religion and rebuilt several times. In 1791, it was auctioned as national property. In the 19th century, the estate was transformed with English-style gardens, cascades, and a lake.
Gap acquired the château in 1973, making it public. The terraced garden, covering 9,000 m², was labeled a 'Remarkable Garden' in 2005. It features fountains, canals, and a collection of 1,000 rose varieties, along with historic fruit trees. At 1,100m altitude, the site includes wooded areas and the Gap Canal.
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.