Ekolsund Castle, Ekolsund, Sweden

The manor of Ekolsund was established in the 1300s. The first known owner was the council Magnus Knutsson, mentioned in 1351. In the 1500s the castle came into royal hands when King Gustav Vasa took over the ownership. It was in 1578-1611 the residence of Princess Sophia of Sweden.

The crown anyway donated Ekolsund to Åke Tott in 1618. Ekolsund was moved again to the Crown during Karl XI’s reduction, and in 1716 it was appointed to Landgraf Fredrik of Hessen-Kassel (later Fredik I). In 1747 it was sold to Prince Adolf Fredrik on the account of the new heir Gustav (later Gustav III). In 1785, Ekolsund was sold from the hands of the Crown to George Seton, a man of Scotish heritage. In 1917 it was bought by Carl Kempe. In 2002, Ekolsund was bought by a private firm.

Both southern and northern castle was built in the middle of the 1600s, excedran came centuries later. Architects were Simon de la Vallée, Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, Carl Harleman, Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz and Jean Eric Rehn.

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Château de Niort

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.

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