Château de Saint-Malo, Saint-Malo, France

Château de Saint-Malo was built between 1424 and 1690, first by Jean V, the Duke of Brittany. The Duke Francois II built the first tower in 1475. In 1590 during the Wars of Religion the castle was occupied by local people, who wanted to prevent local governor to gave the city to Protestant king Henry IV.

The château was modified in the 17th century according the design of famous fortress architect Sebastian Vauban. In the 19th century it functioned as barracks. Today it is a museum, covering a number of themes including the long maritime history of St-Malo, 19th century writers of which Chateaubriand is the most well known, WWII occupation and the destruction and reconstruction of the town.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Max Pain (3 years ago)
Nice place to stay if you travelling by car. - Hotel restaurant was closed for 2 days... Staff (it’s actually same lady who doing everything - reception, helping with luggage, cooking, serving...) not really great and willing to make you stay pleasant..

Sasha Turilin (3 years ago)
Nice and cheese old castle, good restaurant, really quiet, I can recommend it

Russell Newton (4 years ago)
Hard to find. I tried two SatNav and both had trouble. Was frustrating start to my visit after a long drive. Rooms are nice good size and comfortable. Dinner was decent but slightly expensive.

Matthew Fister (4 years ago)
We had a great time!! Nice and cozy, quiet and well appointed! We spent one night in late March. Ate dinner at the restaurant and it was superb!! Wish we could have stayed a weekend!

Ron Underwood (8 years ago)
Nice place. Rooms very nice. Stayed in 104. Owners and/or staff were great. Very easy from st. Malo by car. Very close. I would stay here again.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright twiga-swala

Historic Site of the week

Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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