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Geeraard de Duivelsteen is a Gothic building in Ghent, Belgium. It served as defense of the Portus Ganda, the city's port. The building was built in the 13th century and was named after the knight Geeraard Vilain (1210-1270), second son of the fifteenth viscount of Gent, Zeger III of Ghent. Vilain's nickname was Geeraard de Duivel ('Geerard the Devil'), which was based on his dark complexion and hair color.
In the 14th century the building became city property. Over the course of centuries it was used for various functions; gatherings of knights, as an armory, a monastery, a school, a bishop's seminary, an insane asylum and a prison. In 1775 the Rasphuis near the Coupure channel became the new prison. In 1830 the Geeraard de Duivelsteen became a fire station. Near the end of the 19th century it was bought by the Belgian state to serve as a national archive. For this purpose a new wing was built. Due to the numerous restorations the building has changed a lot since the Middle Ages.
References:Herceg Novi was founded (on a former small fishing village, existing since Roman Empire times) as a fortress in 1382 by first Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was held by the Spaniards before they were defeated in the Siege of Castelnuovo. Turkey ruled again until 1687, from then until 1797, the town was ruled by the Venetian Republic.
The Herceg Novi old town is amazing. It is on a fairly steep hill that leads all the way down to the sea. Wandering through the small stairways to the various plazas and fortresses is a many hour adventure.