Château of Roquebrune - the staircase to the Great Room
We've crossed the bridge and entered the castle through this doorway and immediately we climb this staircase. It's quite steep. No rush, take your time.
Originally there was no staircase like this but a retractable ladder and a trap door were used which could easily be taken away if the castle was attacked. At the end of the 15th century, the retractable staircase was replaced by the current staircase.
The Counts of Ventimiglia ruled the castle from 970 to 1157 when it was given to the Republic of Genoa, who ruled between 1157 and 1395. They had a triple role: military, political and judiciary. The Genoese Castellans guarded the castle with an ordinary garrison but in times of war, the contingent was reinforced when the male population of the village was mobilised.
These steps lead to the Great Room, which we will see tomorrow.
Originally there was no staircase like this but a retractable ladder and a trap door were used which could easily be taken away if the castle was attacked. At the end of the 15th century, the retractable staircase was replaced by the current staircase.
The Counts of Ventimiglia ruled the castle from 970 to 1157 when it was given to the Republic of Genoa, who ruled between 1157 and 1395. They had a triple role: military, political and judiciary. The Genoese Castellans guarded the castle with an ordinary garrison but in times of war, the contingent was reinforced when the male population of the village was mobilised.
These steps lead to the Great Room, which we will see tomorrow.
I'll take my time climbing those stairs...
ReplyDeleteI cant wait to see the Great room. I guess if you lived there, you wouldnt want to come home drunk.
ReplyDeleteJim's comment cracked me up! Yet, I'm sure that back then, Genoese Castellans spent half their lives drunk as skunks! :D
ReplyDeleteRe: text tool, what's your operating system? Windows? If so, you could use "Paint" (Start/Programs/Accessories/Paint) which is Window's little image editor. You might find it a bit awkward, but it will let you insert text and lines (you can choose transparent background for the text you add by clicking the top icon below the tool panel on the left). You'll have to practice a bit on samples, first, because the "undo" feature of the program is very limited (I think it only lets you undo two or three times). I hope this helps. :)
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the history lesson!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting place to explore! It amazes me how these structures manage to survive almost 1,000 years.
ReplyDeletece vieux escalier est très beau. histoire inintéressante. Roquebrune est vraiment une ville superbe et avec plein de tresors
ReplyDeleteJilly, this is awesome. Let me just put it this way... the people who 'manage' the Village of Roquebrune should be PAYING you for this material, or to advertise on your site!
ReplyDeleteI have reached that age where I have no option but to take my time. Looking forward to the great room.
ReplyDeleteWe are taking one step at a time till we see the great room tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeletehmmm... a stairwell to somewhere interesting. can't wait!
ReplyDelete