Chillon Castle
Castle Chillon is a unique medieval castle located in Switzerland. The name of this palace comes from French and is often called Chateau de Chillon. The medieval castle is beautifully situated on the shore of Lake Geneva, close to Montreux and offers a nice view of the Swiss Alps. For almost 1, 000 years of history, Chillon was an inspiration for many artists and writers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Lord Byron and others.
The first written evidence of Chillon castle dates from 1160, but the rock upon which it was built was inhabited long before that, even in antiquity. The castle was built on a rock and a complex of 25 buildings was constructed in different historical stages. It is not known how long the first fortress walls are dated, but in 11th-13th century they were mainly rebuilt and reinforced.
The construction of the main buildings of the castle Chillon is between 1240 and continues in 1265. Over the years castle Chillon is used for housing, Count Pierre II of Savoy as the family owns the castle in the 12th century. Later he used it to store guns and for imprisonment. The moat around Chillon was expanded considerably in the 13th century.
Discovered in 1896 during archaeological excavations and drawing into the world numerous antiquities such as Roman coins and fragments of vessels, indicates an early Roman settlement at the site of today's Chillon. The medieval fortress was built here to protect the small but very significant way between the steep mountains and lake.
The 13th and 14th centuries are the golden times of castle Chillon, as it became a favorite summer residence of the Counts of Savoy. Basically from then the appearance of Chillon has been maintained till today. The moat was buried in the 19th century and in 1903 was restored. Today at the palace you can enjoy the fascinating St George Chapel, located in the courtyard, and several official rooms.
In the 19th century the romantic castle Chillon was a source of inspiration to many poets and writers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Peter Shelley, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Byron. The most popular brings his world famous poem by Lord Byron "The Prisoner of Chillon”, written in 1816 and inspired by imprisonment in the 16th century Bonivar.
