Château de la Motte-Glain, La Chapelle-Glain, France

The Château de la Motte-Glain was built by Pierre de Rohan-Gié in 1495 on the site of an older fortress belonging to the lords of Rougé. Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII stayed there in 1497 and Charles IX and Catherine de' Medici in 1565. It was bought in 1635 by par Michel Le Loup, counsellor to the Parlement of Brittany. The castle was modified by Pierre de Rohan-Gié in the 17th century.

The castle includes a gatehouse composed of a central pavilion flanked by two round towers, some ruined buildings (including a storeroom and a press), a residence decorated with Renaissance windows from the 15th century. The chapel contains a fresco from the 16th century.

The castle is privately owned. Parts of it (gatehouse, storeroom, press, chapel, residence, bay, roof, wall) have been listed since 1926 and protected since 1929 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. It is open to the public in the summer months.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

BRIGITTE PRZYBYLSKI (2 years ago)
Tres bon accueil de la propriétaire alors que le chateau était fermé. Un grand merci

Jerome Paquot (3 years ago)
Formidable édifice, la visite vaut vraiment la peine, le guide est absolument formidable (en costume d'époque). A voir absolument!

Gisele PAINCHAUD (3 years ago)
Magnifique château , le guide est super et connais bien l histoire du château avec des charmantes anecdotes.

Clotilde OLIVIER (3 years ago)
J'ai laissé un avis sur tripadvisor et je le répète volontiers ici. C'est un très beau château; déjà bien rénové à l'extérieur. Lorsque l'intérieur le sera encore et que le mobilier sera mis en valeur, je suis sûre qu'il sera magnifique. Je donnerais aussi une super note à notre guide; passionné, il nous a passionnés. Volubile, il nous a enchantés. Il est l'âme de ce château! Ses connaissances en histoire et sa connaissance du château nous ont appris beaucoup de choses. Vraiment, une très belle découverte et un très bon moment. Une découverte à ne pas rater! On a aussi apprécié la balade autour du château et le plan d'eau très agréable. Très bon moment.

Jean Paul Hornung (4 years ago)
La propriétaire et le guide très accueillants. Une visite riche en informations intéressantes.

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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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