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Founded: 15th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Valois Dynasty and Hundred Year's War (France)
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The Château de Dissay is located in the Vienne department, in the town of Dissay, France. Built in the late 15th century by Pierre d'Amboise, Bishop of Poitiers, it replaced an older structure. It served as the bishops' residence until the French Revolution in 1793. In 1434, Bishop Hugues de Combarel was authorized by King Charles VII to fortify the site with towers, moats, gates, and ramparts.
During the Third War of Religion, Admiral de Coligny seized the castle in 1569; bullet marks remain on the north tower. The towers once served as prisons, and the Abbé de Saint-Cyran was held there.
After 1850, Count Fruchard restored the castle and church, incorporating stained glass and architectural elements from a nearby collegiate church. The central section was rebuilt between 1900–1905 by architect M. Ardion.
The castle blends late Gothic and early Renaissance styles. It forms a large rectangular structure surrounded by moats, with two intact corner towers. Originally, a wooden drawbridge spanned the moat.
The entrance resembles that of Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, where Pierre d'Amboise was raised. Inside the keep are ornate stone fireplaces and a stone staircase.
From the original chapel remain some pillars and 15th-century wall paintings, including a depiction of King David. The bishop’s tomb was destroyed during the Revolution.
The formal gardens include water parterres, vases modeled after those at Versailles, and lions from an Istrian villa. The park, inspired by or possibly designed by André Le Nôtre, features classic layouts: alleys, circular clearings, and geometric design.
A canal leads to a charming Louis XV-style pavilion once used as a music salon. A gracefully designed stone staircase also reflects Louis XV style.
The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.