The castle stayed the administrative center of the county. This massive rectangular structure was once the private residence of the Count of Flanders. 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 … 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. During the 19th century the castle was used as a cotton mill and habitation for the laborers and their families. 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 most popular part of the castle is the Torture Museum , where small children and those with a weak stomach are not encouraged to visit. Gravensteen Castle, locally simply known as Gravensteen, lies in the city of Ghent, in the East Flanders province in the Flemish region in Belgium. Gravensteen is a museum in Ghent in Belgium. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained. View of Ghent from the top of the Gravensteen Castle, Belgium ( woojin / Adobe Stock). These relics date back to an era when the region was a major economic and political center under the Counts of Flanders. Today, there is a weapon museum here, and the castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions 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. Adress: Sint-Veerleplein, Ghent, Belgium. For many years Gravensteen, a massive Gothic castle, was the heart of the region. Before its construction, there stood a wooden castle on the same location, presumably built in the ninth century. A fee is charged to enter the castle where there are a great many exhibitions and several fun things to do. At the end of the century the cotton mill and the laborers moved out, leaving Gravensteen Castle almost as a ruin. Later the defensive wall and the wall tower were rebuilt in stone and a stone gate tower was added. 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. 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. In the donjon, the innermost keep beneath the fortress, captives suffered gruesome torments even by the standards of the Middle Ages. Top image: Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium Source: Kurt De Bruyn / Adobe Stock, De Vries, A. In 1949 students stormed the castle and pelted the authorities with rotten fruit in protest of a new tax on beer. Since 1407, in the castle were located County Superior Court, the Council of Flanders, as well as a prison. The Castle of the Counts is a medieval fortress in the city centre with charming corridors, narrow tower stairs, high rooms, and real battlements. 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 Counts of Flanders dominated the region for most of the Middle Ages . Prisoners were interrogated in the fortress and many of them were tortured. 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. 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. Your emailaddress will not be used except for communication about this report if necessary. At the end of the century the cotton mill and the laborers moved out, … (2007). An audio guide is available to visitors in various languages, which provides information on the castle as you explore. 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. The entire site was moated. It was subsequently re-purposed as a court, prison, mint, and even as a cotton factory. Gravensteen Castle actually used to be a house of torture and injustice.
. See exhibitions, opening hours, admission prices, reviews and more! It then consisted of a hall atop a small hill surrounded by other buildings, everything was built out of wood. When the city of Ghent took over Gravensteen it initially became the municipal mint. In 1353 the Mint of Ghent was installed in the castle. Mysterious Cocaine Mummies: Do They Prove Ancient Voyages Between Egypt and Americas? The Gravensteen is a medieval castle at Ghent, East Flanders in Belgium. 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 … Geeraard de Duivelsteen Castle is nearby. 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. 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. Was Moloch really Ba’al, the Ancient God Who Demanded Child Sacrifice? Gravensteen is a motte castle surrounded by water which was diverted from the River Lys. 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. The survivor of destruction today recalls the significance that Ghent had for centuries. Today, this restored fortress is one of the most famous historic sites in all the region. What used to be the pantry now features the torture equipment, which is displayed in a suggestive executioner's cabinet. 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. With origins dating to the ninth century, Gravensteen Castle’s current building is circa 1180, when it was commissioned by Phillip of Alsace. Alas, it was not permitted to take pictures inside the castle due to insurance terms. No one has lived in the building for centuries, yet it is neither empty nor abandoned! An administrator was put into place to take care of the daily routines. The castle is located in the heart of Ghent. Etruscans Transported Bees by Boat to Reach the Best Flowers! 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. In 1180, Count Philip I had the castle again completely rebuilt. There’s plenty to enjoy even today! 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'. Who Really Built the Pyramids of Giza? 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