Château de Landreville was built in the early 13th century and remodelled in the middle of the 16th century. It is a rectangular 'maison forte' (strong house) flanked by four cylindrical towers with 'pepper-pot' roofs, surrounded by water-filled moats, with a six hectares park, stables and two pavilions.
It is a rare example of a still practically intact manorial residence of the pre-Renaissance Ardennes region.
In 800 years of history it has witnessed the lives of many families, including the Landrevilles, Grandprés, Chennerys, Beauvais, Maillarts, Meixmorons. The portrait of Claude François de Maillart, lord and marquis de Landreville, was painted by Nicolas de Largillière around 1735.
Construction of the current building dates from the middle of the 16th century, the date of 1567 being seen on one of the chimneys. The building plan is typical since the 15th century, with a rectangular home confined by four round towers. The moat remains visible on three sides.
On three floors, rectangular fire holes are let into the towers to provide protection for the four sides. They still have the support bars that made it possible to stabilise the weapon.
The main door is decorated with embossed designs and statuettes of caryatids, characteristic of the French Renaissance after 1550.
The lower stage is entirely vaulted in stone. In the kitchen, the vaulting is supported by a single pillar in the centre, as was usual. One of the towers contains a spiral staircase. The two floors each include French-style ceilings and chimneys. The two chimneys on the first floor were partly modified in the 19th century.
The buildings which surround the castle are all more recent. The manager's house carries the year 1773. A symmetrical building is an addition from the end of the 19th century. At that time, the buildings located at the south-western entry to the castle were destroyed. The castle is testimony to the military architecture of 16th-century Ardennes.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.