Almost the most famous neo-Gothic castle of Ireland - Charleville - is located at the mouth of the Shannon river, in the thicket of the Offaly forests. It is rightfully considered one of the best architectural monuments of the country, despite the fact that most of it was destroyed. The castle was brought glory not only the events that took place here, and not only the people whose names are associated with it, but also a huge number of myths and legends that enveloped the mysterious place, like a canvas. Locals advise special daredevils to visit Cerville Castle during the Halloween period to tickle their nerves. I wonder if there is a person who will decide on this?
A bit of history
In the 6th century, a monastic settlement was formed on the territory of the castle. A little later, during the colonization process that began in Ireland, wild tribes began to threaten the country from the west, and these lands passed into the possession of the first Stuart, later becoming its headquarters.
In the middle of the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I granted these lands to the noble Moore family, who, alas, were not destined to become their masters for a long time. The absence of male heirs led to the fact that Charles William Bury inherited the land - a six-month-old baby, the last male of the clan, the grandniece of the owner. Having grown up and rich, Bury hired the best architect of that time and attracted the best building forces - the result was the Charleville castle built in 1598.
Architecture
Most of the Gothic castles can be called huge and a little ridiculous due to their scale, incoherent. Charleville Castle differs from its brothers in harmony: it is compact, it is almost not decorated with a huge number of towers and battlements.
In the 20th century, the building underwent a massive reconstruction. Well preserved and for this reason remained intact:
- Gothic small chapel
- Stables
- The kitchen, the walls of which are preserved in the original video, and the ceiling has been restored.
Castle ghosts
Even at times when the castle was desolate, according to rumors, it was still inhabited by ghost tenants. Tourists note that frightening things happen here: you can hear crying, or ringing laughter. Legend has it that this is the ghost of little Harriet, who was the daughter of one of the owners of the castle. As a child, she fell down a steep staircase and died.
Interesting Facts
- Charleville castle has the title of the best building in the country in the neo-Gothic style
- Its construction lasted 14 years
- Someone says that the first owner of the castle - Charles Bury - was a fan of sacred geometry, which was reflected in the geometry and location of buildings
- Locals have found an explanation for the "inhabitants" of the castle - ghosts: there is an opinion that it was built on the site of the old Celtic cemetery
- The cold dungeons of Charleville castle remember the prisoners who were subjected to terrible tortures.
The object belongs to castles.
