Castles!- Large Photos

[DonaCatalina]

Siesikai Castle is the residential castle near Siesikai, Ukmerg? district, Lithuania.
map coordinates 55.286667, 24.513611
The records are scant, so the best that can be said is that the original castle was built between 1441 and 1517 probably by Gabrielius Daumantas-Siesickis. The masonry castle was rebuilt in 1820 in a more Gothic style.

[DonaCatalina]

Castillo de Marcuello is located in the central Pyrenees region of Spain.
map coordinates 42.325497, -0.691455
Known by varied spelling on old documents - "Marcorllo", "Mequrlo", the castle was probably built before 1074 by Sancho Ramirez of Aragon.

[DonaCatalina]

Casteel van Batenburg is a castle ruin in the town of Bateman in the municipality Wijchen in the Dutch province of Gelderland.
map coordinates 51.823838, 5.630986
Above the entrance of the castle was set a brick, which in old gothic letters read that in the year 527, on the foundations of the temple of Mars Victor Bateman built the castle.

[DonaCatalina]

Lesko Castle is in the town of Lesko, Poland.
map coordinates 49.469223, 22.325378
The castle was built in 1538 by the Kmita family and once was much larger with a complete moat.

[DonaCatalina]

Château de Bourglinster lies in a village of the same name in Luxembourg.
map coordinates 49.702506, 6.217023
Burg Linster is mentioned in 1098 as a possession of St. Simeon in Trier. By 1231 it had grown in size according to contemporary documentation. Today the outer bastions are in ruins.

[DonaCatalina]

Ranikot is located in the Kirthar Range, about 30 km southwest of Sann, in Jamshoro District, Sindh, Pakistan.
Map coordinates 25.883409, 67.932374 and also 25.897073, 67.901720
Known as the Great Wall of Sindh, Ranikot is the world's largest fort. The original purpose and architects of Ranikot Fort are unknown. Some archaeologists attribute it to Arabs, or possibly built by a Persian noble under the Abbasids by Imran Bin Musa Barmaki who was the Governor of Sindh in 836 CE

[DonaCatalina]

Grodziec castle is located in the Silesia region of Poland.
map coordinates 51.177239, 15.759231
The first confirmed reference of Grodziec comes from Pope Adrian IV's bull of April 23, 1155. In 1175, Prince Boles?aw I the Tall drew up a privilege for Cistercians from Lubi?? at the castle.

[DonaCatalina]

Jaisalmer Fort is one of the larger forts in the world. It is situated in Jaisalmer city in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
map coordinates 26.913238, 70.913300
It was built in 1156 AD by the Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, from where it derives it name.

[DonaCatalina]

Castelo de Elvas, in the Alentejo , is located in the City and County of Elvas , Portalegre District , in Portugal.
map coordinates 38.883363, 7.162865
The hill on which the castle stands has been fortified since the pre-Roman Gallic period. Elements of Roman construction can be seen within later Moorish fortifications. These were later added to and modified after the Reconquista. The War of Restoration in the 17th century saw the city walls rebuilt and star fortress elements added.

[Anna Iram]

Located in Extremadura, Spain, Trujillo Castle was built by the Moors over Roman foundations. The 10th century castle overlooks the medieval part of the city known simply as "the Villa".

http://www.maplandia.com/spain/extremadura/caceres/robledillo-de-trujillo/

"The Villa" part of the city is surrounded by a wall and the architecture is a mix of Christian, Muslim and Roman influences. The Moors held the city until 1232, when the Christians reconquered the city."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trujillo,_C%C3%A1ceres
http://www.arrakis.es/~borgan/id243.htm
http://prayextremadura.com/id226.htm

[Anna Iram]

"Castiglione della Pescaia is located in the South-Western portion of Tuscany, with a gorgeous view of the islands of Elba and Giglio, and of the promontory of Argentario. The hills that back the city slope into beautiful beaches that front the town in its entirety"

http://www.maplandia.com/italy/toscana/grosseto/castiglione-della-pescaia/

http://www.grosseto-info.com/castiglione_della_pescaia.htm

"While Umbrians and Etruscans were most likely the first inhabitants of its location, Castiglione della Pescaia was first recorded under the name Salebrone in Roman times. The hill close to the coast proved to be an excellent location, as it dominated the sizable inland Prelius Lake, while the lake itself provided food (fish) and trading goods (salt).

In Medieval times, the city suffered from repeated pirate attacks and almost disappeared. It resurfaced in the 9th century AD under its current name, under joint protection of the Papacy and the Republic of Pisa.

The Pisans used Castiglione as a key element in their system of defence along the Tyrrhenian coast. They built first a single tower on top of the hill, later expanded that to three towers joined by a wall that became the nucleus of the citadel. The three towers of Castiglione dominate the city seal to this day. In the 13th century, Castiglione became an independent comune. Meanwhile, the river Ombrone had started silting up Lake Prile, which soon became a lagoon. In this newformed lagoon, malaria mosquitoes took hold, weakening the population of Castiglione. The city requested protection from various powers (Siena, the Medici, Aragon) and finally became part of the Grand Dukedom of Tuscany under the dynasty of Lorraine."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castiglione_della_Pescaia

[Capt Spleen]

Modern live in castles of the USA:

http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=27434033

[Welsh Wench]

It is now after midnight EST so I can post the castle for 2/2/11. 

Squires Castle in northeast Ohio.
We used to go out there at night and tell ghost stories.

Turns out it did have a few ghosts of its own.

http://www.suite101.com/content/haunted-squires-castle-in-cleveland-ohio-a112034

[DonaCatalina]

Kaljaja or Prizren Fortress is the medieval fortress in Prizren, Kosovo.
map coordinates 42.209267, 20.745534
Prizren was developed on the foundations of the ancient Theranda, while its early medieval form received between vi and 9th century. Under the present name was first mentioned in 1019.

[DonaCatalina]

Lauriston Castle stands on a clifftop near the village of St Cyrus just over a mile inland from the North Sea coast of Scotland.
map coordinates 56.791794, -2.392623
Lauriston's first charter is dated 1243 and it soon developed into a classic courtyard castle which was savagely fought over during Scotland's Wars of Independence and strengthened by King Edward III in 1336.