Varese Ligure Castle

Varese Ligure, Italy

The most interesting monument to visit in Varese Ligure is the ancient castle which is now a private property. It was built in 15th century and it was the abode of leaders of the town. The building took a part of an original defence structure of the town. In the Middle Ages was created a Borgo Rotondo (Round Hamlet) and the Castle completed the defence circle. Nowadays the Castle became an exhibition area where you can see the exhibitions of the local artists.

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Address

Via Portici 69, Varese Ligure, Italy
See all sites in Varese Ligure

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Luciano Pietronave (2 years ago)
Da vivere
1.618 (2 years ago)
Se si passa nei dintorni , vale la pena fare un giro .
Carlo Ferrari (2 years ago)
Il primo paese biologico certificato ISO 14001!
Paolo Podesta (2 years ago)
Visitabile in occasione di feste cittadine. Maniero ben conservato sia dentro che fuori. Facilità di parcheggio non lontano e vicinissimo al Borgo Rotondo.
alisei. net (2 years ago)
Il castello di Varese Ligure è stato edificato dai conti Fieschi nel medioevo. Il castello e l’annesso borgo fortificato vissero molte vicissitudini e distruzioni nel corso del tempo. Oggi rimangono solo alcune parti del castello come la torre principale e un annesso corpo centrale di forma rotondeggiante. Dopo la ristrutturazione, che gli ha conferito nuova vita, diventa proprietà del comune e ospita mostre e/o manifestazioni
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Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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