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Saint-Christophe-le-Chaudry
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Founded: c. 1380Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Valois Dynasty and Hundred Year's War (France)
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The Château de la Forêt-Grailly and its first lords were documented as early as 1380. This medieval fortress was fully fortified, surrounded by moats, and equipped with a drawbridge. During the Hundred Years' War, it played a key role in monitoring traffic on the nearby Arnon River.
By 1723, records describe the château as a pavilion-style residence with three corner towers, the fourth having collapsed a decade earlier. It was surrounded by water-filled moats, crossed by a wooden bridge, with walls enclosing the courtyard and farmyard. Over time, the moats were filled in, and the enclosing walls were demolished. A second corner tower disappeared in the 19th century, leaving only two. Around 1880, the château underwent another restoration, as it had in the 16th century.
Visitors can explore three vaulted ground-floor rooms, including two rib-vaulted halls from the early 15th century, adorned with naïve sculptures, and a Romanesque barrel-vaulted room.
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.