Castles!- Large Photos

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Situated in the Weald of Kent, England is Sissinghurst Castle.
Map coordinates 51.115833, 0.581667
Originally the land was owned by the De Saxingherstes, but by the middle of the 13th century the family line had come to an end. However, the Manor had established itself as being of local importance. Formerly moated - although only three sides still exist, two containing water and one side having been slightly raised to provide a grass walk - the house was sufficiently large and comfortable enough for King Edward I to stay during the 14th century, probably with the De Berham family. The ruined portions of the castle have been turned into one of the world's most famous gardens.

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Kajaani castle was built on the Ämmäkoski island of the Kajaani river in the centre of Kajaani, Finland.
Map coordinates 64.229167, 27.732778
Construction of the Kajaani castle by Count Peter Brahe began in 1604 and was completed in 1619. At first the castle only consisted of a stone wall, two round towers, and wooden buildings at the yard inside the castle.

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Fort Monroe a Virginia military installation located at Old Point Comfort, which is on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula.
map coordinates 37.003611, -76.3075
Sometime before May 1607, during the mission headed by Captain Christopher Newport in the earliest days of the Colony of Virginia, the site was identified as a strategic defensive location. Algernoune was the first stone fortification built on the site. The fort's current configuration dates to shortly after the war of 1812 when the walls were modified and strengthened to mount heavier artillery and the site was renamed Fortress Monroe.

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Chateau d'Auxonne is in the town of Auxonne in the Burgundy region of France.
Map coordinates 47.191615, 5.383401
The first fortifications of the city were built by the Duke of Burgundy Hugh IV, in 1237. The main castle was built by Louis XI about 1432. Construction on defenses of the town continued through the 1800's until the entire place constituted a star fortress along the river.

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Château de Bussy-Rabutin is located in the commune of Bussy-le-Grand, in the Côte-d'Or department, Bourgogne, eastern France.
map coordinates 47.561389, 4.523611
The château was founded in the 12th century by Renaudin de Bussy. It was rebuilt in the 14th century, and the Renaissance galleries were added in the 1520s.

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Castle Frankenstein is a hilltop castle about 5 km south of Darmstadt in Germany.
map coordinates 49.793333, 8.668333
Before 1250, Lord Konrad II. Reiz von Breuberg erected Castle Frankenstein and since named himself von und zu Frankenstein. The first document proving the existence of the castle in 1252 bears his name.

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Bladenhorst Castle is a moated castle in the suburbs of the city of Castrop-Rauxel, Germany.
Map coordinates 51.569861, 7.279664
The castle is first documented in 1266. The Knights of Blarnhurst lived there; at the beginning of the 14th Century became the possession fo the family of Düngelen.
---aerial view here---

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Khania Firkas Fortress ruins protected the town and harbor of Chania. Chania (Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea) is the second largest city of Crete.
Map coordinates 35.518789, 24.015337
The Byzantine Empire retook the city in 961 AD (Second Byzantine Period, until 1204 AD). In this period the Arabic name of the city was changed into Greek Chania. Byzantines began to strongly fortify the city in order to prevent another Arab invasion, using materials from the ancient buildings of the area. By this time Chania was the seat of a bishop.
After 1204 the Venetians controlled the city and continued building more fortifications.

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San Miguel Campeche is located in Campeche, the capital city of the Mexican state of Campeche.
map coordinates 19.824690, -90.568673
Founded in 1540 by Francisco Montejo, Campeche fortifications were not completed until 1686. The coastal batteries on the Harbor are named Bateria San Luis.

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Baluarte de San Antonio is a tiny castle or fortification located in Champoton, Mexico.
map coordinates 19.357591, -90.724763
in 1538 Francisco de Montejo, El Mozo, founded the Villa de San Pedro Champotón as being Commendation of the Spanish crown , by Francisco de Montejo, the nephew, who suffered difficulties and conspiracies. Later the nephew and his officers reorganized the municipal government of San Pedro and changed its name to Champotón Salamanca.
The fortications and the church date from 1540.

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Ballincollig Castle is a Norman castle to the south of the town of Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland.
map coordinates 51.879167, -8.599444
The castle built after the Norman invasion of Ireland. In its prime, the castle was inhabited by the Barretts, who had control of the local area.

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Ballinacarriga Castle is a Tower house, in the town of Ballynacarriga in western County Cork, Ireland.
Map coordinates 51.706836, -9.029124
Although the date 1585 appears in the fourth storey carving, the building could actually be older than that. It is probable that this was one a McCarthy holding before the Hurley's acquired it.

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Castello Piccolomini is located in Celano, a small town in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy.
Map coordinates 42.084665, 13.545377
The square Piccolomini Castle, with round towers at the corners, was erected in its present form on the top of the San Vittorino Hill. Its construction was commissioned by Count Pietro Berardi around the year 1392.

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Castello di St. Pierre is located in Saint-Pierre is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.
Map coordinates 45.710238, 7.227164
Built in 1420 around a pre-existing 12th century donjon, Nowadays it is the seat of a regional museum of natural science.

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Ludza Castle is located in the centre Ludza, Latvia.
Map coordinates 56.548695, 27.728495
Once largest and strongest fortress in Latgale built by the Livonian Order in 14th century. The Ludza stone castle had three stories, six towers, three gates and two foreparts.