Åtvids old church was built around 1500 and was one of Östergötland County’s largest at the time. In the late 1800s, Åtvidaberg was in need of a larger church. The old church fell into ruins and served as an open-air church for about 70 years. In the 1950s, Elof Ericsson, the director at the time, donated a large sum of money so the church could be rebuilt. The rededication took place in 1957. Now the old church is the one most frequently used in Åtvidaberg.
References:Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.
The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.
The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.