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Founded: 17th centuryCategory: Palaces, manors and town halls in Sweden
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Sweden)
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Esplunda estate was established in 1616. The current manor house was built in 1872 and it was enlarged to the Baroque-style appearance in 1904. Wings date from the 18th century. Esplunda has a very significant library with 15,000 books and manuscripts dating from the 1600-1700s.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.