Porrentruy Castle

Porrentruy, Switzerland

Construction of the Porrentruy castle took place between the mid-13th century and the beginning of the 18th century. The oldest part is the thirteenth century Réfous Tower. 14th century ramparts survive on the western and northern sides.

During the reign of Prince-Bishop Jacob-Christoph Blarer of Wartensee, the castle underwent an extensive period of reconstruction by the architect Nicolas Frick around 1588. In 1697, it suffered a huge fire. The courtyard is enclosed to the south by the long Princess Christina Wing, which was named in memory of visits made by Christina of Saxony, the aunt of Louis XVI and Abbess of Remiremont from 1773 to 1775.

Since 1271 belonging to the bishopric of Basel, the castle served as exile residence of the prince-bishops of Basel from 1527 until 1792. The bishops had been exiled from Basel during the Swiss Reformation in 1529, whereas they were able to keep most of their territories outside the city.

Today, the castle is the seat of the judicial authorities of the Republic and Canton of the Jura. The building’s interior is not open to the public at weekends.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Switzerland

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Robbin Holierhoek (5 years ago)
A verry Nice building
Happy Poster to you (5 years ago)
Worth visiting... Great view!
Matthieu Meyer (5 years ago)
Cool place to see in Jura
Philip SPRINGUEL (5 years ago)
Can't say about the castle, we only climbed up the outdoor tower, great fun, safe and easy for kids
Christian Marek (6 years ago)
Worth a look could not get inside.
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