The Château de Pouzauges is a ruined castle in the town and commune of Pouzauges. In the 11th century, the castle belonged to the family of Zacharie de Pouzauges, from who it passed it to the enigmatic Chantemerle family and then to the famous Savary family of Mauléon and finally to the Viscounts of Thouars, who administered nearly the whole of Vendée; they gave the castle to a cadet son who also owned Tiffauges.
Catherine de Thouars brought the castle into the possession of Gilles de Rais thanks to their marriage. She was going to live there after his death. Under the aegis of Catherine, the keep underwent many alterations to make it more comfortable as a residence. A new floor was added as well as a spiral staircase linking it to all the others. Several windows were made, replacing the older arrowslits, to give more light to the interior.
The castle was sold in 1634 to the lord of La Pélissonnière au Boupère. His descendants kept it until the mid-20th century.
During the War in the Vendée (1793-1794), the men of the 'infernal columns' commanded by General Lachenay shot 31 inhabitants of Pouzauges who had taken refuge in the enceinte of the old castle. This act was committed on 26 January 1794 at the end of a banquet offered by the republican to General Grignon. On the same day, the surrounding villages were burnt and a number of inhabitants were massacred.
The castle ruins are dominated by its majestic 12th century keep. The keep, more than 25 metres high, is one of twelve towers that make the curtain wall, offering visitors a fine example of civil Romanesque architecture.
References:Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.