Castles!- Large Photos

[DonaCatalina]

The ruins of the thirteenth century castle of Bohus lie on a hilltop to the east of Siria, Romania.
Map coordinates 46.266222, 21.657083
The castle's nineteenth century namesake lies in the center of the village. The site on the hill shows evidence of even earlier construction. By the construction of the fortress Roman bricks were also used, which carry the marks of the 13th legion, Gemina.

[DonaCatalina]

Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton.
Map coordinates 55.936111, -4.562778
The presence of a fortified settlement here is first recorded in a letter Saint Patrick wrote to King Ceretic of Alt Clut, (or Clyde Rock) in the late 5th century. Today all visible trace of the Dark-Age Alcluith, its buildings and defences, have gone and precious little survives from the medieval castle. What you see today are the fortifications of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

[DonaCatalina]

Momcilov grad is a fortress in Pirot, Serbia.
Map coordinates 43.159127, 22.581361
It was built in the 14th century by Duke Momcilo. It was supposed to serve as a defense against the Turks on the busy road which led from Belgrade to Constantinople.

[DonaCatalina]

The ruins of the Blatnica Castle lie on a low ridge over the village of Blatnica, Slovakia.
Map coordinates 48.947137, 18.947055
Blatnica is an important archaeological site, where Slavic tumuli with many precious artifacts (such as the famous Blatnica Sword) from the 8th and 9th centuries have been found. The first written mention stems from 1230, however, the castle was built at the end of the 13th century.

[DonaCatalina]

Ptuj Castle is a castle in Ptuj, Slovenia.
Map coordinates 46.420964, 15.868118
The hilltop castle was built in the mid-12th century, when it was constructed to defend against the Hungarians. During the Renaissance, it was extensively modified to be more of a palace inside.

[DonaCatalina]

El Cerco lies on the highest part of Artajona, Spain.
Map coordinates 42.591732, -1.765181
The origin of this fantastic fortress, known as "El Cerco", goes back to 1085, when building work started under the orders of the clerics of Saint Cernin of Toulouse. This work was completed in 1109. Throughout the centuries monarchs, lords and clerics coveted the town and this led to a number of struggles that brought about the reconstruction of the fortress on many occasions, particularly during the reign of Carlos II "el Malo" (14th century).

[DonaCatalina]

Castillo de Marcilla is located in a town of the same name in Navarra, Spain.
Map coordinates 42.326696, -1.738588
The stately fortress can still be admired in the town center and was built, apparently, around 1424. By 1513 the castle was the seat of the Marques de Falces, Don Alonso de Peralta.

[DonaCatalina]

Kindrochit Castle is an early fortification in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Map coordinates 57.005362, -3.399000
Originally founded by Malcolm Canmore in 1059 AD as a hunting lodge on the banks of the Clunie River, King Robert II spent time here to enjoy the hunting on the Braes of Mar.
By 1628, the castle was in ruin. Excavations began in 1925. One of the most significant finds was in the prison. A brooch was found with 16th century French Gothic writing. It read I am here in place of a friend.

[DonaCatalina]

Iberg Castle is a ruined castle located on Iberg mountain in the municipality of Riniken in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
Map coordinates 47.505558, 8.186844
The castle was built in the 11th Century on the northeastern edge of Iberg Mountain. Surrounding the site was the castle moat, which should protect against attacks from the south. As there are no written records of the castle nor the inhabitants, the only information about the castle comes from archaeological investigations.

[DonaCatalina]

The Munot is a circular 16th century fortification south of the of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.
Map coordinates 47.696944, 8.639722
The castle was actually built by the town's citizens for their own defense.

[DonaCatalina]

Bergkvara Castle is a castle in Sweden.
Map coordinates 56.868056, 14.724167
Bergkvara, situated 6 km. of Växjö is one of the oldest structures in the area. There in the 1470s, Arvid Trolle constructed stone fortification that originally had six stories and four suspension towers, but is now a ruin.

[DonaCatalina]

Eketorp is an Iron Age fortress in southeastern Öland, Sweden.
Map coordinates 56.295556, 16.486111
The castle continued in use through the middle ages. Over time, the fortification has served a variety of somewhat differing uses: from defensive ringfort, to medieval safe haven and thence a cavalry garrison.

[DonaCatalina]

Qal'at Ja'bar is a castle on the left bank of Lake Assad in Ar-Raqqah Governorate, Syria.
Map coordinates 35.8975, 38.480833
When Nur ad-Din Zangi rebuilt the current castle in 1168, it was on a hilltop overlooking the Euphrates Valley. The creation of the lake surrounded the castle with water.

[Jack Daw at Work]

Jiminy!  How do you keep track of the castles you've posted?  Are you sure you haven't repeated any?  Regardless, I love this thread.

[DonaCatalina]

Dinogetia Castle site is situated near Galati, Romania.
Map coordinates 45.379276, 28.138623
The Geto-Dacian settlement was conquered by the Romans and transformed into a boundary fortress. The presence of Byzantine troops is certified until the 12th century, when Dinogetia was gradually deserted and finally abandoned perhaps in 1186.