Kristianopel (originally founded as Christianople) was established by the Danish king Christian IV in 1603 as a fortress city and named after his newborn son - Christian, or Kristian, with Danish spelling. The Greek suffix '-opel' was given to give the town a cosmopolitan ring similar to Constantinople. Construction of the town was completed in 1606.
The first church was built in 1600, but burnt down only eleven years later by Swedish army. The current churc was built of stone between 1618-1624. The chandelier dates from the former Avaskär church. Tje pulpit dates from 1621 and altar 1624. There is also a royal chair of Christian IV (1635).
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Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.
The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.
The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.