Château du Girsberg
Encyclopedia
The Château du Girsberg is one of three castle
s (with the Château de Saint-Ulrich
and the Haut-Ribeaupierre
) 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 (La Roche). They rebuilt it after a fire caused by lightning in 1288. In 1304, they gave it to their vassal
s, the knights of Girsberg, from whom the castle took its name. The Girsbergs kept it until they died out in the15th century. It was abandoned in the17th century.
It 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 Château de Saint-Ulrich
Château de Saint-Ulrich
The Château de Saint-Ulrich is one of three castles which dominates the commune of Ribeauvillé in the Haut-Rhin département of France...
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 stands at an altitude of 528 m.
It was the Lords of Ribeaupierre who built the castle in the 13th century, then named Stein (La Roche). They rebuilt it after a fire caused by lightning in 1288. In 1304, they gave it to their vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s, the knights of Girsberg, from whom the castle took its name. The Girsbergs kept it until they died out in the15th century. It was abandoned in the17th century.
Present remains
The remains currently visible date from several epochs:- 13th century : pentagonal 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...
- 14th century : inner court
- 15th century : 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...
It 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.