Bouillon Castle

P3

The castle of Bouillon above the Semois

The Bouillon Castle is a hilltop castle above the Belgian town of Bouillon in a tight loop of the river Semois. The plant was built in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 17th century fortress.

History

The emergence period of the castle is unclear. Their strategic importance lay in the control of the north-south route from Liege to Reims via Aachen between Upper and Lower Lorraine. To a veritable castle was the system under Godfrey III. expanded 1050-1067. She was the center of the rule of the House Ardenne. Geoffrey V mortgaged the castle in 1096 to Otbert from Liege to raise the cost of the First Crusade can. The castle was so into the possession of the Bishopric of Liège. In 1134 Raymond de Bar conquered the castle. The bishop of Liege Albero II had the castle siege in 1141 and the Count of Bar, they had to cede to the bishop again. Since 1330 the rule was referred to as a duchy.

Since 1430 increased the influence of the de la Marck - Arenberg family, but they remained officially vassals of the bishop of Liege. In 1482 the family succeeded, castle and lordship to take the diocese, but in 1521 Charles V Castle and lordship returned to the diocese. Since 1548 the house Marck - Arenberg Castle had regained possession. In the Peace of Cateau- Cambrésis the castle in 1559 came temporarily to the Bishopric of Liege. Through marriage of Charlotte de La Marck with Henri de La Tour d' Auvergne, duc de Bouillon, she went into the possession of La Tour d' Auvergne family.

In 1672 the castle of Louis XIV was besieged and conquered twenty days. In 1678 she was awarded again the La Tour d'Auvergne family, but placed under French protection in 1693.

The military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban rebuilt the castle into a fortress that could withstand modern artillery. It was not until 1795 came Duchy of Bouillon Castle and officially to France. Town and castle fell in 1815 to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As a result, the plant was heavily remodeled. Since the Belgian revolution of 1830, the castle belongs to Belgium. Still in 1870, she served in the Prussian army as a military hospital. Since the mid 19th century, the fortress began to deteriorate. Today it is a tourist attraction.

Description

The system consists of three parts, which are connected by bridges. Particularly striking is the double drawbridge over two rock-cut neck trenches. Get is a Gothic hall from the 13th century.