Misplaced Pages

#876123

28-497: Olderfleet Castle is a four-storey towerhouse , the remains of which stand on Curran Point to the south of Larne Harbour in Larne , County Antrim , Northern Ireland . The place name of Olderfleet may be a corruption of Ulfrecksfiord (or Ulfried's Fjord), the Viking name for Larne Lough . Olderfleet Castle is a State Care Historic Monument in the townland of Curran and Drumaliss , in

56-487: A male heir in 922. The name Aragón is the same as that of the river Aragón , which flows by Jaca. It might derive from the Basque Aragona/Haragona meaning "good upper valley" ( haran+goi+ona , where haran = "valley", goi = "upper, high", and ona = good ). Alternatively, the name may be derived from the earlier Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis . On the death of Sancho III of Navarre in 1035,

84-497: A means of exercising control over the conquered areas. These tower houses were typically not intended to be used in any major military actions. For this purpose, the crusaders relied on a number of larger order castles . A number of such tower houses still exist, well-preserved examples include Purtse , Vao and Kiiu castles in Estonia . One theory suggests that private tower-like structures proliferate in areas where central authority

112-708: A part of the Spanish monarchy after the dynastic union with Castile , which supposed the de facto unification of both kingdoms under a common monarch. The house of Barcelona held the Crown until 1410, when it went extinct. Subsequently, in 1412 the Aragonese secured the election of a Castilian prince, Ferdinand of Antequera , to the vacant Aragonese throne, over strong Catalan opposition. One of Ferdinand's successors, John II of Aragon (1458–1479), countered residual Catalan resistance by arranging for his heir, Ferdinand, to marry Isabella ,

140-626: A single family, some by several families together or by entire village communities. Most notable in the New World might be considered a focal element of the Mesa Verde Anasazi ruin in Colorado , United States. There is a prominent structure at that site which is called the "tower house" and has the general appearance characteristics of its counterparts in Britain and Ireland. This four-story building

168-748: A very tall tower were increasingly built by the local highly competitive patrician families as power centres during times of internal strife. Most north Italian cities had a number of these by the end of the Middle Ages, but few now remain, notably two towers in Bologna , twenty towers in Pavia and fourteen secular towers in the small city of San Gimignano in Tuscany now the best group to survive. Scotland has many fine examples of medieval tower houses, including Drum Castle , Craigievar Castle and Castle Fraser , and in

196-567: A welcome from the Bissetts. Queen Elizabeth I considered the castle of such strategic importance that it was seized for the crown and Sir Moyses Hill appointed its governor in 1569. In 1597 the castle was claimed by the MacDonnells and in 1598 it was dismantled. The present castle was probably built about 1612. In 1621 it was granted to Sir Arthur Chichester and remained in that family until leased to William Agnew in 1823. James Chaine purchased

224-811: Is weak, leading to a need for a status symbol incorporating private defences against small-scale attacks. For example, the North Caucasus was a country where fierce competition over limited natural resources led to chronic feuding between neighbours. There are numerous examples of tower houses in Svanetia , Chechnya and Ingushetia , where a clan-like social structure survived well into the 20th century. Numerous examples of Svan tower houses are found in Chazhashi and Ushguli . See Vainakh tower architecture for details. The Yemeni city of Shibam has hundreds of tower houses. Similarly, hundreds of Tibetan tower houses dot

252-523: The Basque Country , some of them dating to the 8th century. They were mainly used as noble residences and were able to provide shelter against enemies, starting with the Muslims and later Aragón and Castile . Due to complex legal charters, few had boroughs attached to them, thus they are usually found standing alone in some strategic spot like a crossroad, rather than on a height. During the petty wars among

280-463: The Count of Barcelona , Ramon Berenguer IV . Their son Alfonso II inherited all of the territories ruled by his father and mother. The King of Aragon also held the title of Count of Barcelona and ruled territories that consisted of not only the present administrative region of Aragon, but also Catalonia , and later the kingdoms of Majorca , Valencia , Sicily , Naples and Sardinia . The King of Aragón

308-452: The Kingdom of Navarre was divided into three parts: (1) Pamplona and its hinterland along with western and coastal Basque districts , (2) Castile , and (3) Sobrarbe , Ribagorza and Aragon . Sancho's son Gonzalo inherited Sobrarbe and Ribargorza. His illegitimate son Ramiro received Aragon. Gonzalo was killed soon after and all the land he owned went to his brother Ramiro, thus becoming

SECTION 10

#1733105711877

336-757: The Middle Ages , especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces. At the same time, they were also used as an aristocrat 's residence, around which a castle town was often constructed. After their initial appearance in Ireland, Scotland, the Frisian lands , Northern Spain and England during the High Middle Ages , tower houses were also built in other parts of western Europe, especially in parts of France and Italy. In Italian medieval communes , urban palazzi with

364-571: The Balkans since the Middle Ages . They became very widespread in the 17th century, built by both Christians and Muslims in a period of decline of Ottoman authority and insecurity. The tower house served the purpose of protecting the extended family. In the Baltic states , the Teutonic Order and other crusaders erected fortified tower houses in the Middle Ages, locally known as "vassal castles", as

392-775: The Basque nobles from 1379 to 1456, the upper floors (with defensive capacity) of most of them were demolished. Few have survived unscathed to the present day. Since then they have been used only as residences by their traditional noble owners ( Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born in one of them, which stands to this day) or converted into farmhouses. To the west of the Basque Country, in Cantabria and Asturias similar tower houses are found. Furthest west in Spain , in Galicia , medieval tower houses are in

420-603: The Battler died childless in 1134, different rulers were chosen for Navarre and Aragon, and the two kingdoms ceased to have the same ruler. By 1285 the southernmost areas of what is now Aragon had been taken from the Moors . The Kingdom of Aragon gave the name to the Crown of Aragon , created in 1150 with the dynastic union resulting from the marriage of the Princess of Aragon, Petronilla , and

448-741: The Spanish Succession . The decrees de jure ended the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia and Mallorca, and the Principality of Catalonia, and merged them with Castile to officially form the Spanish kingdom. A new Nueva Planta decree in 1711 restored some rights in Aragon, such as the Aragonese Civil Rights, but upheld the end of the political independence of the kingdom. The previous Kingdom of Aragon remained as an administrative unit until 1833, when it

476-511: The aftermath of the War of the Spanish Succession , centralised power in Spain. However, the title "King of Aragon" would continue to be used by the centralised Spanish crown. Aragon was originally a Carolingian feudal county around the city of Jaca , which in the first half of the 9th century became a vassal state of the kingdom of Pamplona (later Navarre ), its own dynasty of counts ending without

504-498: The first de facto king of Aragon, although he never used that title. By defeating his brother, García Sánchez III of Navarre , Ramiro achieved independence for Aragon. His son Sancho Ramírez , who also inherited the kingdom of Navarre, was the first to call himself "King of the Aragonese and Pamplonese". As the Aragonese domains expanded to the south, conquering land from Al Andalus , the capital city moved from Jaca to Huesca (1096), and later to Zaragoza (1118). After Alfonso

532-496: The former Larne Borough Council area, at grid ref: D4133 0166. The original towerhouse was possibly built by the Scoto-Irish Bissett family of Glenarm around 1250, although these remains are actually thought to be those of Curran Castle, a towerhouse built in the sixteenth century. On a 1610 map it was called Coraine Castle. In 1315 Edward Bruce landed here with his 6000 strong army en route to conquer Ireland, with

560-511: The heir presumptive of Henry IV of Castile . In 1479, upon John II's death, the crowns of Aragon and Castile were united to form the nucleus of modern Spain. Aragonese territories retained their autonomous parliamentary and administrative institutions, such as the Corts , until the Nueva Planta decrees , which were promulgated between 1707 and 1715 by Philip V of Spain in the aftermath of the War of

588-517: The lease in 1865. In 1938 it was taken into State Care. What remains of the four-storey towerhouse is part of the tower with pairs of gun loops in the basement. The square remains show that it only had 1 metre thick walls and it is without visible domestic features, which means that it could have been built as a fortified warehouse and watchtower. Towerhouse A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in

SECTION 20

#1733105711877

616-581: The origin of many Modern Age pazos , noble residences as well as strongholds. Large numbers of tower houses can be found across Portugal, particularly in the north of the country. By the 15th century they had lost their military or residential uses, and were often either expanded into larger manors or converted into hunting lodges for the aristocracy. A feature peculiar to Germany is the few preserved tower houses of Ratisbon , reminiscent of those in San Gimignano. Distinctive tower houses were built in

644-542: The rule of the King of Aragon , but were administered separately from the Kingdom of Aragon. In 1479, upon John II of Aragon 's death, the crowns of Aragon and Castile were united to form the nucleus of modern Spain. The Aragonese lands retained autonomous parliamentary and administrative institutions, such as the Corts . The arrangement remained until the Nueva Planta decrees , promulgated between 1707 and 1715 by Philip V of Spain in

672-609: The so-called Tribal Corridor in Western Sichuan , some 50 metres high with as many as 13 star-like points, and the oldest are thought to be 1,200 years old. They appear to have been created as much for prestige among village families as for defence. Kaiping and some other towns in South China retain a plethora of watchtowers, or diaolous . Although they were built mainly as protection against forays by bandits, many of them also served as living quarters. Some of them were built by

700-495: The unstable Scottish Marches along the border between England and Scotland the peel tower was the typical residence of the wealthy, with others being built by the government. In 17th century Scotland these castles became the pleasure retreats of the upper classes. While able to adopt a military nature, they were furnished for comfort and social interaction. Tower houses are commonly found in northern Spain, especially in Navarre and

728-594: Was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula , corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon , in Spain . It should not be confused with the larger Crown of Aragon , which also included other territories—the Principality of Catalonia (which included the former Catalan Counties ), the Kingdom of Valencia , the Kingdom of Majorca , and other possessions that are now part of France , Italy , and Greece —that were also under

756-663: Was constructed of adobe bricks circa 1350 AD, and its rather well-preserved ruins are nestled within a cliff overhang. Other accounts date this ruin somewhat earlier. The towers of the ancient Pueblo people are both of smaller ground plan than Old World tower houses, and are generally only parts of complexes housing communities, rather than isolated structures housing an individual family and their retainers, as in Europe. Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( Aragonese : Reino d'Aragón ; Catalan : Regne d'Aragó ; Latin : Regnum Aragoniae ; Spanish : Reino de Aragón )

784-452: Was the direct ruler of the Aragonese region, and held the titles of Count of Provence , Count of Barcelona , Lord of Montpellier , and Duke of Athens and Neopatria . Each of these titles gave him sovereignty over a certain region, and these titles changed as he won and lost territories. In the 14th century, his power was greatly restricted by the Union of Aragon . The Crown of Aragon became

#876123