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Founded: 1797Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Estonia
Historical period: Part of the Russian Empire (Estonia)
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The Town Hall is actually a whole quarter. Its oldest building, the merchant's house, was built in 1797. In 1806 it served as an accommodation for the Russian Czar Alexander I during his visit to Pärnu. Legend has, that in 1819, on the command of the Czar, the merchant's house was turned into the house of the commandant of the town.
Since 1839, the building was used as Town Hall. In 1911 it acquired an Art Nouveau style annex contained premises of the city council. As of year 2009, the Town Hall accommodated the Visitor Centre of Pärnu. Nikolai street is named after the St. Nicholas Church that used to be located here and was destroyed in World War II. A memorial stone has been placed opposite the Town Hall under the oak trees which are the only remains of the church yard. The chapel of St. Nicholas Church was home for a well known pilgrimage object, the Black Cross. The Black Cross is also depicted on the coat of arms of Pärnu.
Reference: Visit Pärnu
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.