User Reviews
Llanddwyn island is rich in legends, in particular in its association with Dwynwen. The name Llanddwyn means 'The church of St. Dwynwen'. Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine. The island bears the ruined remains of St Dwynwen's Church (Eglwys Santes Dwynwen). Unusually for churches in that region it has a cruciform floorplan.
Archaeologists examined the ruins of St Dwynwen's in 2011 and again in 2021. The 2021 dig discovered traces of even older buildings below the ruins.
Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.