Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle Montreux-Veytaux ) Switzerland

www.chillon.ch/en/

The Savoy period (12th century to 1536)

The first written mention of the castle appears in 1150. At that time, the Counts of Savoy controlled the fort, as well as the path between the lake and the mountains.

From the 13th century onwards, the castle was extended, and under Pierre II of Savoy, it became the summer residence of the Counts.
As early as 1150, the Counts of Savoy controlled the fort, as well as the path between the lake and the mountains, which gave them a strategic location on the route leading from the north to the south.

In the 13th century, the Counts furthered their conquests of the territory of Vaud until their domination was extended over approximately two-thirds of the territory which makes up today’s French-speaking Switzerland. The Chillon Castle was extended at that time, in particular under Pierre II of Savoy who transformed it into a summer residence for the Counts. The Counts did not live in Chillon year-round as they moved around to govern and stay close to their subjects. Nevertheless, a castellan bailiff stayed in the castle at all seasons to take care of affairs.

Little by little, the Chillon Castle started to be neglected as the court of Savoy favored other castles. But from 1536 on, the Bernese brought the fort back to life.

The Bernese period (1536-1798)

The Swiss, or more precisely, the Bernese, conquered the Pays de Vaud. The conquest was completed once the Bernese took-over the Chillon Castle in 1536. For more than 260 years, the castle retained its role as a fortress, arsenal, and prison.
After a three-week siege, the Bernese finally entered the fortress. On March 29th, 1536, their conquest of the Pays de Vaud was completed as they took over the castle of Chillon. The Bernese divided the Pays de Vaud into twelve bailliages, and Chillon became the administrative center for the bailliage of Vevey.

Under the Counts of Savoy, the castle was divided into two parts, one for the castellan bailiff, and the other for the Counts, when they resided at Chillon. This division was no longer useful, and the Bernese took possession of all the space in the castle. Concerning the defensive aspects, the fortress was adapted to the then new firearms.

In 1733, the bailiffs left the castle, which had become isolated and uncomfortable, and moved on to a more modern residence in Vevey.

The Vaudois period (1798 to the present)

In 1798, at the time of the Vaudois Revolution, the Bernese left the castle, which became the property of the Canton of Vaud upon its foundation in 1803.

A major restoration campaign was launched at the end of the 19th century and is still ongoing.
The patriots of Vevey and Montreux occupied the fortress in January 1798. The castle became national property during the Vaudois Revolution, and belongs since then to the Canton of Vaud, from the date of its foundation in 1803. This old building was first used to stock weapons and ammunitions, and as a State prison. Thus, the first visitors to the castle would come across prisoners…

The medieval fortress attracted the Romantics. During his visit in 1816, Lord Byron, the British poet, found inspiration in the story of Chillon inmate François Bonivard to write his poem The Prisoner of Chillon, which made the castle famous. Many other artists were fascinated by Chillon and the landscape over which it towers.

At the end of the 19th century, cantonal archeologist Albert Naef was in charge of the restoration of the castle. Restoration campaigns are still ongoing nowadays.

www.myswitzerland.com/en/chateau-de-chillon-en-montreux.html

Taken in: Schweiz / Canton de Vaud / Chillon (show map)

Taken on: October 2, 2013

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Sets appears in: • SWITZERLAND (Swiss- Schweiz)

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Camera: NIKON COOLPIX P100, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, 4.6mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	NIKON COOLPIX P100
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	4.6mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	-0.3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	Low
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.12 (Windows)
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