He had the old wooden hall replaced by a rectangular stone keep, 3 stories high, surrounded by new wooden auxiliary buildings and a defensive enclosure with a wall tower. Till this day, opinion is still divided as to whether this story... For thousands of years, nilometers measured the water level of the Nile River during the annual flood season. Contents[show] History The present castle was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace and was modeled after the crusaders castles that Philip of Alsace encountered while he participated in the second crusade. It then consisted of a hall atop a small hill surrounded by other buildings, everything was built out of wood. McFarland, Available at: https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CXCeCQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=gravensteen+castle++history+of+flanders&ots=sNXSl1ZaXg&sig=dYkMcOaj2zPZ7ihdp85eLOrsGB0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gravensteen%20castle%20%20history%20of%20flanders&f=false, My name is Edward Whelan and I am from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland. The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Flanders until they abandoned it in the 14th century. Since 1407, in the castle were located County Superior Court, the Council of Flanders, as well as a prison. These relics date back to an era when the region was a major economic and political center under the Counts of Flanders. This fortification grew out to be the seat of the Counts of Flanders, hence its name 'Gravensteen', which literally translates back to 'Stone of the Counts'. The gatehouse is beautifully preserved, as are the walls’ ramparts which are up to 60 feet high (20 m) with many oval battlements and towers. It is his castle that we see today. Our first week in Gent, we set out to explore the city. In the donjon, the innermost keep beneath the fortress, captives suffered gruesome torments even by the standards of the Middle Ages. Houses were built against the walls and even on the courtyard and the stones of the walls were used to erect other buildings. Gravensteen’s historical highlight is its dungeon and torture chamber. Castles and fortified cities of Medieval Europe: an illustrated history . The castle stayed the administrative center of the county. During the 19th century the castle was used as a cotton mill and habitation for the laborers and their families. Later the defensive wall and the wall tower were rebuilt in stone and a stone gate tower was added. The Castle of the Counts is a medieval fortress in the city centre with charming corridors, narrow tower stairs, high rooms, and real battlements. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Etruscans Transported Bees by Boat to Reach the Best Flowers! To satisfy those with a more gory turn-of-mind, but also to give voice to the castle’s violent history, Gravensteen houses a collection of torture instruments actually used through the ages. The mighty Gravensteen Castle in the center of Ghent is one of the largest moated castles in Europe. Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time? It was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace and was modeled after the crusaders castles that Philip of Alsace encountered while he participated in the second crusade. Prisoners were interrogated in the fortress and many of them were tortured. Prisoners were interrogated in the fortress and many of them were tortured. In 1894 a thorough restoration followed turning the castle back into the appearance the architects thought it had during the time of Count Philip I. Thankfully the local municipality chose to restore the medieval fortress authentically under the direction of the architect Joseph de Waele. The Counts of Flanders dominated the region for most of the Middle Ages . In 1949 the castle was shortly occupied by protesting local students. The Castle of the Counts also hosts all kinds of cultural activities, events and … In recent decades it was again restored twice. Executions happened inside or in front of the gatehouse. Mysterious Cocaine Mummies: Do They Prove Ancient Voyages Between Egypt and Americas? Not necessarily. In later centuries parts of the moat silted up and houses were built against the outer castle walls, hiding the castle from view until around 1900. All areas are accessible and the views from the walls are not to be missed. When I visited I was stunned by the beautiful interiors in the castle, really a must-see. The Knights of Blanik Mountain Are Ready to Face the Darkest Hour, The Powerful Symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000 Year History, The notorious and much feared ancient order of Hashshashins. Star Gazing at Cheomseongdae - East Asia’s Oldest Observatory, The Ottoman Empire: 600 Years of Domination, The Megalithic Mystery of the Greek Dragon Houses, The Colossal Head of Decebalus, King of the Dacians. During the early 19 th century, the castle was turned into a cotton mill, but by the late 19 th century, Gravensteen was dilapidated and scheduled for demolition. Who Were the Ancient People that Built the Remarkable Megalithic Tombs of Malaga? The Gravensteen Castle was built during the period of Crusades to serve as a look out for the entire city and was also the seat of power from where the Count used to rule. The survivor of destruction today recalls the significance that Ghent had for centuries. Gravensteen Castle was restored in 1885 and now serves as a … The Gravensteen is the Dutch name for the 'castle of the count'. Most people are familiar with the story of Atlantis, the legendary sunken city as described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The Ainay-le-Vieil Castle, also famous as Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil, is located in a small village which interestingly enough carries the same Read more Historical Castles This massive rectangular structure was once the private residence of the Count of Flanders. This, in turn, was used to predict the fortunes of the annual harvest, the taxes to be imposed (which determined the revenues of the state), as well as the prices of foodstuffs. We walked up to the grand structure, flags on the top of the towers flapping in the wind. Count Louis II moved out of Gravensteen Castle in the first part of the 14th century because he desired a more comfortable residence. Some were stretched on the rack and had water poured down their throats via a funnel until they swelled. View of Gravensteen castle in the heart of old town Ghent in East Flanders. It is located on a rise with the main entrance via a bridge. Recommended! Mr. Vervoordt used to open his castle to the public two times a year. When the Counts moved to a new residence in the late 14 th century, the castle remained an important military site and was also used as a prison by the Council of Flanders. Gravensteen Castle actually used to be a house of torture and injustice. The main gateway is up narrow and winding stairs. At the end of the century the cotton mill and the laborers moved out, leaving Gravensteen Castle almost as a ruin. Medieval Ghent was one of the largest and most prosperous cultural and commercial ports throughout Europe. At one time it even served as a factory. One of the more majestic castles in Belgium is The Gravensteen (which in Dutch means the “Castle of the Counts”). Gravensteen Castle, locally simply known as Gravensteen, lies in the city of Ghent, in the East Flanders province in the Flemish region in Belgium. From then on, the Castle of the Counts was known as the Cité Hulin, after the son-in-law of Jean-Denis Brismaille, who then owned most of the houses in the Castle of the Counts. There were 15 sections to the castle which included a room dedicated to torture devices and an interesting dungeon.The view of Ghent at the top of the castle is breathtaking. Water and rack in the torture museum in the Castle of the Counts, Ghent, Belgium ( CC by SA 2.0 ). In 1407 also the Council of Flanders moved in and used part of the castle as a prison. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Top image: Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium           Source: Kurt De Bruyn / Adobe Stock, De Vries, A. For many years Gravensteen, a massive Gothic castle, was the heart of the region. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Only the old entrance gate served as a reminder of its medieval past. From 1180 to the 1350s the castle was the official residence of the Counts of Flanders , who lived in great opulence and luxury. It was subsequently re-purposed as a court, prison, mint, and even as a cotton factory. Gravensteen Castle is located on the edge of Ghent’s Old City, about 30 miles west of Brussels. In c. 1180, the castle burned down, presumably by accident. When the Counts moved to a new residence in the late 14 th century, the castle remained an important military site and was also used as a prison by the Council of Flanders. It is a medieval castle built in 1180 and located in Ghent, East Flanders in Belgium.It was only occupied by anyone other than the owners one time, on November 16, 1949, when 138 students from the University of Ghent took over the castle to protest an increase in the price of beer. There is currently no additional information available regarding Gravensteen. He built the almost 30 meters high keep, the barbican in front of the gate tower and the defensive wall with its 24 protruding turrets. No one has lived in the building for centuries, yet it is neither empty nor abandoned! It was restored over 1893–1903 and is now a museum and a major landmark in the city. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. There’s plenty to enjoy even today! The present castle was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace, modeled after the castles the count encountered while he participated in the second crusade. Dinner Invitations for Famous People from the Past, Harvard Scientists Say That There May Be An Ancient Earth Inside Earth, New Tech Reveals Origin Of Egyptian Mummies’ Skin Color. The historic region of Flanders in Belgium is famous for its many medieval monuments and buildings. The first fortification at this site, a sand dune with swampy borders inbetween the anabranches of the River Leie, was built in the mid-9th century by Baldwin I, the first Count of Flanders, to fight off Viking raids. Used for centuries as a residence for the Counts of Flanders, the castle was later used as a prison (complete with torture chambers), a courthouse, and a … Ventureinside the castle’s former torture chamber, which now serves as a museum dedicated to judicial objects. The origin goes back to a wooden building that was probably built by the Vikings on the remains of a Roman settlement. In times of peace the castle mainly served as a symbol of power and strength, then as a building for representative actions and as a court - and only lastly as a place to live in. Tickets for Gravensteen Castle are available on the spot but take a long time to purchase at times because of heavy rush. Alas, it was not permitted to take pictures inside the castle due to insurance terms. With origins dating to the ninth century, Gravensteen Castle’s current building is circa 1180, when it was commissioned by Phillip of Alsace. In the past as in the present, where we find children, we find toys, as shown by the fascinating examples of ancient toys that still charm our kids today, A new analysis of two 7.2 million-year-old fossils belonging to a hominin species nicknamed “El Graeco” from Mediterranean Europe, suggests that mankind emerged in Europe and not in Africa. A great castle in a great city. Geeraard de Duivelsteen Castle is nearby. Source In the early 19th century, the castle was used as a prison, a courthouse, and, at … Gravensteen Castle Belgium , Europe , Ghent We’d only been in Ghent for half an hour, with no knowledge of what to see or do, when we saw Castle Gravensteen … Thoth’s Enigmatic Emerald Tablets May Provide the Answer, White Skin Developed in Europe Only As Recently as 8,000 Years Ago Say Anthropologists, Nilometers: Ancient Egypt’s Ingenious Invention Used Until Modern Times, The Pyramid Complex and the Hopi: Creation Myth Sheds Light on Building Plan. Oxford University Press, Available at: https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=QvSovOY_VV0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=gravensteen+castle++history+of+flanders&ots=UHcq40cGir&sig=kruo9u0GowLwYk9gLNbEImF2RtM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gravensteen%20castle%20%20history%20of%20flanders&f=false>, Laleman, M. C. (2013). A view of Gravensteen Castle, demonstrating its picturesque moat. The Gravensteen, like we know it today, has been constructed by Fillips of Alsasse who was count of Flanders between 1157 and 1191. They can be considered an obscure side of Egyptian mythology, characterized by events where myth seems to meet history. The Gravensteen is a medieval castle at Ghent, East Flanders in Belgium. I have a lifelong love of history and have been fascinated by the subject from an early age. The halls and chambers beneath the castle are now used as a number of museums, such as the arms museum where armor and military memorabilia can be seen. The Counts rebuilt their stronghold in stone in the Gothic style and it is thought to have been completed in the reign of Count Phillip of Alsace. In 1353, the castle was used as the Ghent mint. Today, this stone monolith features plenty of space to walk around, with a fascinating torture museum revealing terrifying devices actually used, including a guillotine. The castle is located in the heart of Ghent. The medieval castle of Gravensteen is one of the symbols of Ghent. Inspect the iron collars, neck restraints and thumbscrews of the museum’s fascinating but grisly collection. The Council had its seat in the castle until 1778, when it was sold to civilians. An audio guide is available to visitors in various languages, which provides information on the castle as you explore. In 1353 the Mint of Ghent was installed in the castle. As a result, since 1807, the main tower of the castle was used as a … Medieval and Modern Matters, 4, 109-118, Available at:   https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.MMM.5.109772, Lepage, J. D. G. (2010). The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. Also known as the Castle of the Counts, today this historical building is a tourist attraction, wedding venue and location for a variety of cultural activities. It is open daily except on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1. The Gravensteen Castle was first built by Count Philip of Alsace in 1180, long before Belgium was a country. The Man Who Stopped a Desert Using Ancient Farming, Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand. (2007). The museum of judicial objects features a guillotine, thumb screws, and a rack – all examples of instruments used in the castle to obtain “justice” between the 14 th and 18 th centuries. I attended the University of Maynooth 2003-2008... Read More. The former chapel in Castle Gravensteen ( bbsferrari / Adobe Stock). Adjacent to the keep the Lord’s Hall, now completely restored, is where once the Count of Flanders held court. Gravensteen © Simon Montgomery As the seat of the Council of Flanders the castle was used as a courthouse and a prison from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, and the accused were held in the dungeons there before or during their trials. Today, this restored fortress is one of the most famous historic sites in all the region. An administrator was put into place to take care of the daily routines. The old medieval castle did not look so very different from Ghent’s other typical working class districts. Gravensteen Katie McKeown on Flickr (Creative Commons) Constructed over the site of a much weaker looking wooden castle by a pompous count, the … . The entire site was moated. The bastion was built in part to pacify the wealthy and ever-restive citizens of Ghent, who often resisted the rule of the Counts of Flanders. Around 879 AD it was apparently taken by the Vikings as they used it as a base for their raids in the area. The most popular part of the castle is the Torture Museum , where small children and those with a weak stomach are not encouraged to visit. Was Moloch really Ba’al, the Ancient God Who Demanded Child Sacrifice? Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. The former courtroom features the collection of judicial objects. The rates for the museum were 10 … The current castle dates from 1180 and was the residence of the Counts of Flanders until 1353. When the city of Ghent took over Gravensteen it initially became the municipal mint. They were not successful. Gravensteen Knight. View of Ghent from the top of the Gravensteen Castle, Belgium ( woojin / Adobe Stock). The fortress was based on castles that had been built in the Crusader states , in what is now Israel and Lebanon. In 1949 students stormed the castle and pelted the authorities with rotten fruit in protest of a new tax on beer. 3 Problems to Remember When Trying to Find Atlantis, Modern Comfort and Traditional Opulence, The Perfect Combination in Peleș Castle, Medieval Torture: The Terrifying Threat of Twisting off Limbs and Burning Flesh, Skeletons in the Closet: Walls of Bones Discovered Beneath Cathedral, https://www.youtube.com/embed/T0XTpK33i_s", https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=QvSovOY_VV0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=gravensteen+castle++history+of+flanders&ots=UHcq40cGir&sig=kruo9u0GowLwYk9gLNbEImF2RtM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gravensteen%20castle%20%20history%20of%20flanders&f=false, https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.MMM.5.109772, https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CXCeCQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=gravensteen+castle++history+of+flanders&ots=sNXSl1ZaXg&sig=dYkMcOaj2zPZ7ihdp85eLOrsGB0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gravensteen%20castle%20%20history%20of%20flanders&f=false. Gravensteen Castle Originally built in 1180 of Tournai limestone, and abandoned over time after stints as a home for royalty, a courthouse and a prison, it was restored in 1885. At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Gravensteen Castle was a terrific place to visit. The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Flanders until they abandoned it in the 14th century. Count Arnulf I had the fortification completely rebuilt during the 10th century. Flanders: a cultural history . The grand castle in the middle of the city was a no-brainer on the “must visit” list. The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. Your emailaddress will not be used except for communication about this report if necessary. Adress: Sint-Veerleplein, Ghent, Belgium. See exhibitions, opening hours, admission prices, reviews and more! From April to September the castle is open from 9:00am-6:00pm; and from October to March from 9:00am-5:00pm. A fee is charged to enter the castle where there are a great many exhibitions and several fun things to do. Ghent (East Flanders, Belgium) in the Discussion about Early Towns and Artisan Production . Before its construction, there stood a wooden castle on the same location, presumably built in the ninth century. Ghent hosted the World Fair in 1913 and the castle was one of the main attractions. People who were mentally ill were also subjected to horrendous abuses, such as having a pear-shaped wooden ball placed in their mouth, secured with a rope around their head, to prevent them from making noise. At present this castle residence can not be visited. What used to be the pantry now features the torture equipment, which is displayed in a suggestive executioner's cabinet. Raised Celtic Settlement May Be Aftermath of Boudica’s Rebellion, Egyptian Hippos: Ancient Symbol of Protection, Rebirth And Hunting, Revealing The Hellenistic Origins Of Jaffa, The Holiest Port, Grasshopper Diet Caused Lethal Constipation 1,000 Years Ago, Surprise Discovery of a Headless 'Buddha' Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments, 7.2 million-Year-Old Pre-Human Fossil Suggests Mankind Arose in Europe NOT Africa, Sky Burial: Tibet’s Ancient Tradition for Honoring the Dead, Ancient Anomalous Human Skeletons: Humanity Could be Much Older Than We Think, Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? 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