Doornenburg Castle
Encyclopedia
Castle Doornenburg is a Dutch
castle
from the 13th century.
The castle is located in the eastern part of Gelderland
, near the village of Doornenburg
. It contains a front-castle and a main castle, which are connected through a small wooden bridge. It is one of the biggest and best preserved castles in the Netherlands.
Originally the castle was a fortified manor built in the 9th century, under the name Villa Dorenburc. In the 13th century it was converted into a modest castle. Through the centuries the castle was expanded further into the current form. The front-castle was built in the 15th century. The front-castle contains sleeping quarters, a chapel
and a farm
, the last being a unique feature for a Dutch castle.
Castle Doornenburg was occupied until the 19th century. After that it fell into neglect. In 1936 the Stichting tot Behoud van den Doornenburg (literally: Foundation for preservation of the Doornenburg) was created, which had the castle restored from 1937 to 1941. In the end of the Second World War the castle was almost completely destroyed. It was long thought the Germans had blown it up, but it turned out that the castle had been hit by a British
bombardment in march 1945. The castle was completely rebuilt from 1947 to 1968.
In 1968 this castle, amongst others, was used as a set for the television serie Floris
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
castle
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...
from the 13th century.
The castle is located in the eastern part of Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
, near the village of Doornenburg
Doornenburg
Doornenburg is a village south of Huissen in the municipality of Lingewaard, Gelderland, the Netherlands. It has a population of 2797 .Doornenburg Castle is located near the village....
. It contains a front-castle and a main castle, which are connected through a small wooden bridge. It is one of the biggest and best preserved castles in the Netherlands.
Originally the castle was a fortified manor built in the 9th century, under the name Villa Dorenburc. In the 13th century it was converted into a modest castle. Through the centuries the castle was expanded further into the current form. The front-castle was built in the 15th century. The front-castle contains sleeping quarters, a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
and a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
, the last being a unique feature for a Dutch castle.
Castle Doornenburg was occupied until the 19th century. After that it fell into neglect. In 1936 the Stichting tot Behoud van den Doornenburg (literally: Foundation for preservation of the Doornenburg) was created, which had the castle restored from 1937 to 1941. In the end of the Second World War the castle was almost completely destroyed. It was long thought the Germans had blown it up, but it turned out that the castle had been hit by a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bombardment in march 1945. The castle was completely rebuilt from 1947 to 1968.
In 1968 this castle, amongst others, was used as a set for the television serie Floris
Floris (TV series)
Floris is a 1969 Dutch television action series, written by Gerard Soeteman starring Rutger Hauer and Jos Bergman and directed by Paul Verhoeven.-Concept:...
.