Château de Gruyères
Encyclopedia
The Castle of Gruyères located in the medieval town of Gruyères
, Fribourg, is one of the most famous in Switzerland
. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance
.
. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiff
s and then to the prefect
s sent by Fribourg. In 1849 the castle was sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who used the castle as their summer residency and restored it. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the art collection. The chateaux is home to the HR Giger museum.
The castle is the home of three capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece
. They were part of the war booty captured by the Swiss Confederates (which included troops from Gruyères) at the Battle of Morat against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
in 1476. As Charles the Bold was celebrating the anniversary of his fathers death, one of the capes is a black velvet sacerdotal vestment with Philip the Good's emblem sewn into it.
The romantic landscapes inside the castle were painted in mid 19th century by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
, Barthélemy Menn
and other well known artists.
Gruyères
Gruyères is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz.The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to the well-known cheese. In this town, a trackless train is the only...
, Fribourg, is one of the most famous in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
History
The building was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in SavoySavoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s and then to the prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
s sent by Fribourg. In 1849 the castle was sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who used the castle as their summer residency and restored it. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the art collection. The chateaux is home to the HR Giger museum.
The castle is the home of three capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
. They were part of the war booty captured by the Swiss Confederates (which included troops from Gruyères) at the Battle of Morat against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
in 1476. As Charles the Bold was celebrating the anniversary of his fathers death, one of the capes is a black velvet sacerdotal vestment with Philip the Good's emblem sewn into it.
The romantic landscapes inside the castle were painted in mid 19th century by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a French landscape painter and printmaker in etching. Corot was the leading painter of the Barbizon school of France in the mid-nineteenth century...
, Barthélemy Menn
Barthélemy Menn
Barthélemy Menn was a Swiss painter and draughtsman who introduced the principles of plein-air painting and the paysage intime into Swiss art.-Early life:...
and other well known artists.