Gruyères Castle

Gruyères, Switzerland

The Castle of Gruyères is one of the most famous in Switzerland. It was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiffs and then to the prefects sent by Fribourg.

In 1849 the castle was sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who used the castle as their summer residency and restored it. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the art collection.

The castle is the home of three capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece. They were part of the war booty captured by the Swiss Confederates (which included troops from Gruyères) at the Battle of Morat against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in 1476. As Charles the Bold was celebrating the anniversary of his father's death, one of the capes is a black velvet sacerdotal vestment with Philip the Good's emblem sewn into it.

A collection of landscapes by 19th century artists Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Barthélemy Menn and others are on display in the castle.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Rue du Château 10, Gruyères, Switzerland
See all sites in Gruyères

Details

Founded: 1270-1282
Category: Castles and fortifications in Switzerland

More Information

www.la-gruyere.ch
en.wikipedia.org
www.chateau-gruyeres.ch

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Bulle Castle (4,1 km)


Old City of Berne (49,1 km)
Bern Minster (49,1 km)
Zytglogge (49 km)
Federal Palace of Switzerland (48,7 km)
Chillon Castle (22,4 km)
Palais de Rumine (35,1 km)
French Church (49 km)
Lausanne Historical Museum (35 km)
Nydeggkirche (49,5 km)

User Reviews

Елена Целищева (17 months ago)
Great place for half day trip. My family and I enjoyed atmosphere there. Nice museums, good movie about castle's history. Interesting cafes nearby. Highly recommend.
Michel Axe (17 months ago)
Wonderful castle and the town itself. The building was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. Many interesing activities for children around, chocolate and cheese factories, for example.
Suzanne Killin (17 months ago)
Pity the clouds were there but the pretty little castle was nice to see. Even better if we could have walked around the outside of it more. There is a fascinating alien bar up there too for alien fans !
Παντελής Διαμάντης (18 months ago)
It's a wonderful place. You must visit it. The view was great. Inside of it you can find different stores. You can buy chocolates or souvenir. You can eat a decent meal or drink a coffee. There is also a museum inside but I didn't visit it.
Violette Serres (19 months ago)
Beautiful castle worth a visit. There is a short 20 min movie about the history of the town that was well made and entertaining. The castle itself is interesting to visit, well maintained and great views on the valleys and surrounding mountains. You can have combined tickets with the cheese factory. The paintings of some of the rooms are beautiful.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

Historic Site of the week

Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.