The Verhildersum borg dates from the 14th century. It was destroyed in both 1400 and 1514 by the inhabitants of the city Groningen. However, in between these two battles no mention of the borg is made in official records. In a document mention is made of the reconstruction of the borg after 1514 for the sum of 1200 gold pieces, excluding some exterior buildings.
After the death of the inhabitant Aepke Onsta in 1564, Ecke Claessen is mentioned as the inhabitant of the borg in 1576. Complaints by him are made with regard to troubles caused by billeted soldiers with their two wives and a child, who reside at the borg due to the Eighty Years' War.
Around the borg lies the Verhildersum Estate of 32 hectares. In the borg gardens are a carriage house, a farmhouse, and a garden shed. The schathuis was built originally built in 1833 on the estate of Saaksumborg, a borg which is now demolished. The schathuis used to be a farmhouse and derives its name from the old Frysian word skat, which means cattle. In 1972, the schathuis was moved to the Verhildersum Estate.
The late 19th-century garden shed is the former 'tramhouse' of the Emmaplein in Haren, Groningen. The borg garden is laid out according to the golden ratio with characteristics from the Renaissance and the Baroque. The garden is also home to a herb garden, more than ninety types of roses and fifty types of Clematis. The garden is surrounded by moats.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.