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European castles- step back into History

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European castles- step back into History

The project is intended for schools located in a country where a castle is located. The main idea of this project is to bring our students with castles history to European history in an attractive way. By working on the tasks related to the history of the castle, we will try to show our students that history has many interesting aspects. During this project students will study the history of the castle, which will familiarize them with their historical themes in their region. From the history of your castle lead students to find connections with Europe. Teachers and students will collaborate and exchange experiences and ideas .

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THE PALACE OF GRAND MASTER OF THE KNIGHTS IN RHODES ,GREECE

By the students of B’ Arsakeio Tositseio Junior High School in Ekali , Greece

Rhodes is an island in the Aegean Sea, the largest of the Dodecanese Island complex, in Greece .

Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The ancient city of Rhodes is divided into two parts: the Old City, or medieval and the New City. The Old City is surrounded by strong walls and is one of the biggest and best preserved Medieval settlements of Europe. It has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site . This fortified medieval city is full of buildings testifying about the past and the history of the island, from the antiquity, the Byzantine times, the middle Ages to Turkish rule.

There are 11 gates to access the old city. Some of them are ancient, some are modern.

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The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is a 14th-century castle standing on the site of a 7th-century Byzantine fortress. It is a square building designed around a large courtyard with impressive towers, massive walls, and elaborate decorative elements, and it is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece.

From 1309 to 1522, the Knights of St. John, a Christian military organization, ruled the island of Rhodes. In the early 14th century, they made numerous modifications and converted the Byzantine citadel into an administrative center and the residence of their Grand Master.

After the Ottoman occupation of Rhodos in 1522, the building lost its importance and was mainly used as a prison. Several earthquakes progressively damaged the building until, in 1865, a devastating explosion in the nearby basement of the church of St. John, used as an arsenal by the Ottomans, turned the Palace in a mass of ruins. The first floor collapsed completely, and very little of it survived until 1937, and the beginning of restoration work.

It was during the Italian occupation in 1937 that extensive restoration works were carried out. Between 1937 and 1940, the Italian architect Vittorio Mesturino rebuilt it to become a holiday residence for King Victor Emmanuel III, and later for the dictator Benito Mussolini.

Since the return of the island in 1948 to the Greeks, the palace is a museum.

The Palace has very imposing dimensions and defensive fortifications.

You enter the palace via the grand twin-turreted gateway that leads to a large inner courtyard. There are statues from the Roman and Hellenistic periods that stand beneath the lower level arcades.

There are more than 150 rooms inside the palace, of which 24 are open to visitors.

The building is rectangular in plan and divided into three levels.

On the first floor visitors can tour the large Hall of the Council, the Knights’ dining hall and the private chambers of the Grand Master.

Many of the rooms feature exhibitions that depict the history of Rhodes, the Knights of St. John and the Dodecanese Islands. There are displays of 16th and 17th century furniture, antique armor, carpets and vases.

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BRAN CASTLE—ROMANIA By the students of Colegiul National Pedagogic Constantin Bratescu Constanta

The Bran Castle is situated at the entrance to the Rucăr - Bran passage, on the road connecting Braşov to Câmpulung, over towered by the peaks of the Bucegi and the Piatra Craiului Mountains.The castle is a national monument and landmark in Romania.

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In 1212, Teutonic Knights built the wooden castle of Dietrichstein as a fortified position in the Burzenland at the entrance to a mountain pass through which traders had travelled for more than a millennium, but in 1242 it was destroyed by the Mongols.

Built on the site of a Teutonic Knights stronghold dating from 1212, the castle was first documented in an act issued by Louis I of Hungary on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel.

In 1438-1442,the Castle was used in defense against The Ottoman Empire,and later became a customs post on the mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. It is believed the Castle was briefly held

by Mircea The Elder of Wallachia during whose period the customs point was established.

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The Voivode of Transylvania, Iancu of Hunedoara, defeated a division of the Ottoman army in 1441 –1442 right at the walls of Bran Fortress.

Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes) was allied with Bran and Brasov during his first reign (1448) and through the start of his next reign, after the Princes of Transylvania requested that he handle the anti-Ottoman resistance at the border. During his second reign (1456 – 1462), however, his army passed through Bran in early 1459 to attack Brasov, in order to settle a conflict between the Wallachia Voivode and the Saxons, who requested higher customs taxes and supported his opponent for the throne.

After 1918, Transylvania became part of Greater Romania. On December 1st 1920, the citizens of Brasov, through a unanimous decision of the city’s council, led by Mayor Karl Schnell, offered the castle to Queen Maria of Romania.

The Castle became a favorite residence of Queen Maria, who restored and arranged it to be used as a residence of the royal family.

Bran Castle was transformed by the communist authorities into a museum. The museum had three departments: the Castle – which contained pieces of royal heritage; the medieval customs; and Ethnography – that included traditional houses in the park near the castle.

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