Château de Saint-Ulrich
Encyclopedia
The Château de Saint-Ulrich (also known as the Château de Grand-Ribeaupierre) is one of three castle
s (with the Girsberg
and the Haut-Ribeaupierre
) which dominates the commune
of Ribeauvillé
in the Haut-Rhin
département of France. It is situated at an altitude of 528 m.
The present name of the site is from the chapel dedicated to Saint Ulrich of Augsburg
which is found in the castle. Medieval texts never gave the present name - the castle had the name of the Rappolstein dynasty (or Ribeaupierre in the French style).
From the 11th to the 16th centuries, the castle was the principal residence of the powerful lords of Ribeaupierre. There must have been another castle on the same site which belonged in 1114 to the Bishop of Basle. It was occupied militarily by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
, who used it as a strongpoint in his war against the Eguisheim
s. It was then returned tpo the Bishop of Basle who restored it to the Ribeaupierres. Anselme II de Ribeaupierre, who chased the other members of the family from the castle, successfully survived two siege
s, in 1287 by Rudolph I of Germany
and, in 1293, his successor Adolf. A celebrated crimal, Dame
Cunégonde d'Hungersheim, was incarcerated in the keep
and tried to escape with the aide of a guard.
The castle is a very fine example of the military architecture of Alsace
in the Middle Ages, including a keep erected in the 12th century and a residence with chimney, also 12th century. In the 13th century, the salle des chevaliers (knights' hall) was decorated with nine beautiful windows in the Romanesque
style which can still be seen. In the same period (1435), the chapel dedicated to Saint Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg
, was built.
The Ribeaupierre family left this castle in the 16th century for a Renaissance
-style mansion (the present school in Ribeauvillé). The castle was dismantled during the Thirty Years' War
.
The Château de Saint-Ulrich has been listed since 1841 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s (with the Girsberg
Château du Girsberg
The Château du Girsberg is one of three castles which dominates the commune of Ribeauvillé in the Haut-Rhin département of France. It stands at an altitude of 528 m.It was the Lords of Ribeaupierre who built the castle in the 13th century, then named Stein...
and the Haut-Ribeaupierre
Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre
The Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre is one of three castles which dominates the commune of Ribeauvillé in the Haut-Rhin département of France. Situated at an altitude of 642 m, it dominates the other two.It is the oldest of the Ribeaupierre's castles, its existence being known from 1084...
) which dominates the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.The picturesque town is located around north of Colmar and south of Strasbourg.-History:...
in the Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
département of France. It is situated at an altitude of 528 m.
The present name of the site is from the chapel dedicated to Saint Ulrich of Augsburg
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
which is found in the castle. Medieval texts never gave the present name - the castle had the name of the Rappolstein dynasty (or Ribeaupierre in the French style).
From the 11th to the 16th centuries, the castle was the principal residence of the powerful lords of Ribeaupierre. There must have been another castle on the same site which belonged in 1114 to the Bishop of Basle. It was occupied militarily by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
, who used it as a strongpoint in his war against the Eguisheim
Eguisheim
Eguisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Eguisheim produces Alsace wine of high quality. The commune is largely German-speaking.-History:...
s. It was then returned tpo the Bishop of Basle who restored it to the Ribeaupierres. Anselme II de Ribeaupierre, who chased the other members of the family from the castle, successfully survived two siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
s, in 1287 by Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
and, in 1293, his successor Adolf. A celebrated crimal, Dame
Cunégonde d'Hungersheim, was incarcerated in the keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and tried to escape with the aide of a guard.
The castle is a very fine example of the military architecture of Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in the Middle Ages, including a keep erected in the 12th century and a residence with chimney, also 12th century. In the 13th century, the salle des chevaliers (knights' hall) was decorated with nine beautiful windows in the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style which can still be seen. In the same period (1435), the chapel dedicated to Saint Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, was built.
The Ribeaupierre family left this castle in the 16th century for a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-style mansion (the present school in Ribeauvillé). The castle was dismantled during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
The castle today
The visible remains date from several epochs:- 12th century : Square keepKeepA keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and the corps de logisCorps de logisCorps de logis is the architectural term which refers to the principal block of a large, usually classical, mansion or palace. It contains the principal rooms, state apartments and an entry. The grandest and finest rooms are often on the first floor above the ground level: this floor is the... - 13th century : Salle des chevaliers, and the residential tower
- 14th century : BarbicanBarbicanA barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
and outer enceinteEnceinteEnceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle.... - 15th century: Chapel (Saint-UlrichSaint-UlrichSaint-Ulrich is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
)
The Château de Saint-Ulrich has been listed since 1841 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.