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Founded: 12th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)
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The Château de Charance, a former 12th-century fortress, is located in Gap (Hautes-Alpes). Renovated multiple times, it has housed the administrative offices of the Écrins National Park since 1973. Its gardens host the Alpine Plant Conservatory.
Partially listed as a historic monument in 1987, the château was owned by bishops until the French Revolution. It was looted during the Wars of Religion and rebuilt several times. In 1791, it was auctioned as national property. In the 19th century, the estate was transformed with English-style gardens, cascades, and a lake.
Gap acquired the château in 1973, making it public. The terraced garden, covering 9,000 m², was labeled a 'Remarkable Garden' in 2005. It features fountains, canals, and a collection of 1,000 rose varieties, along with historic fruit trees. At 1,100m altitude, the site includes wooded areas and the Gap Canal.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.