The construction of the Château de Châteaurenard was started in 1170 by Seigneur Reynardus and the castle was also named after him. The castle was modified and enlarged in the 12th and 15th centuries. In 1596 Henry IV of France ordered to demolish the castle. The ruins were damaged more in 1790 during the French Revolution. The restoration was made in the 20th century. Today the castle hosts a museum of local history.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.