Turquestein Castle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Turquestein Castle
View of the ruin (19th century)

View of the ruin (19th century)

Creation time : 900 to 1000
Castle type : Hilltop castle
Conservation status: ruin
Standing position : Baron
Construction: Humpback cuboid
Place: Turquestein-Blancrupt
Geographical location 48 ° 35 '17.1 "  N , 7 ° 2' 21.5"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 35 '17.1 "  N , 7 ° 2' 21.5"  E
Height: 458  m
Turquestein Castle (Moselle)
Turquestein Castle

The castle Turquestein (German: Türk Stone ) is the ruins of a hilltop castle in Turquestein-Blancrupt in the Vosges mountains in the French department of Moselle in the region Grand Est .

The ruin is 458 meters above sea level in a location that was previously considered impregnable on a rock plateau high above the valley of the White Saar near its source within sight of the Donon .

history

Turquestein was built between 900 and 1000. An exact date of construction is not known. In 1002 the bishops of Toul transferred the castle to the barons of Blâmont as a fief . After rivalries, the Turquestein reign came into the possession of the bishops of Metz in 1286 . In 1643 the castle was demolished on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu and has been in ruins ever since.

investment

Wall of the castle

The ground plan of the castle follows the irregular, elongated triangular rock plateau on which it was built. The preserved wall remnants of the inner castle with humpback blocks can be dated to the end of the 12th century. Apart from the humpback square wall, only a few remains of the main castle have survived. Another remarkable feature is a brick arch, which is used to bridge a crevice. A similar construction has also been preserved from Hagelschloss Castle , also in Alsace. Access was via a younger, western-style outer bailey .

As can be seen on the map, the castle followed a principle that was common in the Middle Ages : the outer bailey served as a kennel . The attacker can be shot at from all sides within the outer bailey.

literature

  • Nicolas Mengus, Jean-Michel Rudrauf: Châteaux forts et fortifications médiévales d′Alsace. Dictionnaire d′histoire et d′architecture . La Nuée Bleue, Strasbourg 2013, ISBN 978-2-7165-0828-5 , pp. 324-325.

Web links