Spøttrup Castle, Spøttrup, Denmark

Spøttrup Castle is the best preserved medieval castles in Denmark. The first record of the castle dates from 1404 when it was moved to the possession of Viborg bishop. Bishops built the castle in the 1400s and it was restored in 1525. It consisted of square form castle and two surrounding moats with a drawbridge.

Skipper Clement, leader of the peasant rebellion, attacked to the castle during the so-called Count's Feud (civil war 1534-36). After Reformation the Spøttrup was reduced to the Crown until sold to Henrik Below in 1577. Since the 18th century Spøttrup moved to the hands of several families and it slowly decayed. The restoration started in the early 20th century and in 1941 the castle was opened to the public as a museum.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Giuseppe Mennella (2 years ago)
Small castle, but suggestive for the construction and for the proximity to places of water.

Daniel Roskam (3 years ago)
Nice to see. Not too expensive. Cool activities.

Mathias S (3 years ago)
A beautiful historical place with an eventful history. The tickets for entry are a little bit expensive in my eyes, but maybe this is necessary to retain the castle. For kids it's definitely exciting and who ever is interested in history will also have good time.

Inna Joy (3 years ago)
Love it there. Beautiful scenary and nature. And lots of history within those walls

Anna Travesset (3 years ago)
Lovely old castle. Has a very cute apaotecary garden very nicely plotted, a jousting ring where championships have been held, the building itself is fun to discover. The kitchen has a drain and a well, so basically very convenient for the servants there. Lovely views, nice green space around to take a walk, and the reception building is modern and welcoming. Kids loved it to for them it was mostly about running around the place and finding small staircases and corridors, and outside finding a geocache that is stowed in the garden. Entrance ticket is only needed for going into the castle itself, entering the grounds and gardens is feee.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Honza Soukup

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Angelokastro

Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle on the island of Corfu. It is located at the top of the highest peak of the island"s shoreline in the northwest coast near Palaiokastritsa and built on particularly precipitous and rocky terrain. It stands 305 m on a steep cliff above the sea and surveys the City of Corfu and the mountains of mainland Greece to the southeast and a wide area of Corfu toward the northeast and northwest.

Angelokastro is one of the most important fortified complexes of Corfu. It was an acropolis which surveyed the region all the way to the southern Adriatic and presented a formidable strategic vantage point to the occupant of the castle.

Angelokastro formed a defensive triangle with the castles of Gardiki and Kassiopi, which covered Corfu"s defences to the south, northwest and northeast.

The castle never fell, despite frequent sieges and attempts at conquering it through the centuries, and played a decisive role in defending the island against pirate incursions and during three sieges of Corfu by the Ottomans, significantly contributing to their defeat.

During invasions it helped shelter the local peasant population. The villagers also fought against the invaders playing an active role in the defence of the castle.

The exact period of the building of the castle is not known, but it has often been attributed to the reigns of Michael I Komnenos and his son Michael II Komnenos. The first documentary evidence for the fortress dates to 1272, when Giordano di San Felice took possession of it for Charles of Anjou, who had seized Corfu from Manfred, King of Sicily in 1267.

From 1387 to the end of the 16th century, Angelokastro was the official capital of Corfu and the seat of the Provveditore Generale del Levante, governor of the Ionian islands and commander of the Venetian fleet, which was stationed in Corfu.

The governor of the castle (the castellan) was normally appointed by the City council of Corfu and was chosen amongst the noblemen of the island.

Angelokastro is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands.

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