The Château d'Esparron-de-Verdon is located in the commune of Esparron-de-Verdon in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department.
The first mention of a castle in Esparron dates back to 990. A charter from the abbey of Lérins, dated that year, refers to a church dedication near 'castrum Sparronis, in Bulzolschi valle.' Historian Mathieu Vivas suggests this text dates more likely to the 1020s, tied to the incastellamento phenomenon in Provence, during which fortified settlements emerged. In 1182, a man named Bertrand d'Esparron is cited in the cartulary of the Saint-Victor Abbey in Marseille.
Agnès Spata, daughter of Augier Spata, married Boniface IV de Castellane in the early 13th century. The Castellane family, one of the oldest Provençal families, shared lordship of Esparron with the d'Esparron family during the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 15th century, the Castellane family became sole lords of Esparron through marriage and purchase.
A square tower, 9 meters wide with walls 1.5 meters thick, was constructed in the early 13th century. Modifications occurred between 1520 and 1540, with additions like a latrine tower and a spiral staircase.
In the late 18th century, the east wing was restored with modern touches like adjoining rooms, salons, and ceremonial chambers. The current owner, Count Bernard de Castellane-Esparron, inherited the estate in 1989 and, along with his wife Charlotte-Anne, has since converted the castle into a guesthouse.
The castle features a 13th-century square keep, modified in the 15th century, as well as remnants of curtain walls and living quarters from the 15th and 17th centuries. In the latter half of the 18th century, the seigneurial castle was transformed into a pleasure residence by reconstructing the south wing.
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.