Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle)

Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle)

Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage,Tourism

HISTORY: Chillon Castle in its current form is the result of several centuries of construction and redevelopment. The excavations carried out from the end of the 19th century, particularly those led by archaeologist Albert Naef (1862-1936), indicate that the site has been occupied since the Bronze Age. The rocky island on which the castle sits constituted both a form of natural protection and a strategic positioning to control passage from the north to the south of Europe. The castle took on the oval shape of the genuine island upon which it was built. It is approximately 100m long and 50m wide. It also took its name from the rock; the word ‘Chillon’ meant ‘rocky platform’ in an ancient language. The history of the castle is marked by three great periods: those of the Savoy family, the Bernese bailiffs and the Canton of Vaud. COLLECTIONS: As an exceptional heritage monument, Chillon Castle has around 300 items on display throughout. With the exception of the furniture, weapons and armour, all of the items exhibited here were found during the archaeological digs carried out at the castle from 1896 to 1903. The collections belong to the Cantonal Museum of Archaeology & History of Lausanne under the name ‘fonds Chillon’ (Chillon Collection). In 1842, the Society for the History of Francophone Switzerland (SHSR) suggested setting up an antique museum in one of the castle halls. The Assocation for the Restoration of Chillon Castle was eventually founded in 1887. It put the society’s ideas into writing, building both the creation of a museum exhibiting the diverse periods of Vaudois history and the restoration of the castle into its statute. The state released funds for the purchase of various items for the collection. Ten years later, Chillon was literally stripped bare and archaeological excavations revealed hundreds of everyday objects dating from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. These collections remained at the castle until 2007. A substantial inventory was then taken and a new visitor itinerary created. The Chillon Castle Foundation – to which the Association passed the baton in 2002 – made the decision to place the focus on the castle’s architecture. Most of the objects were repatriated into storage at the Cantonal Museum, but a small selection was kept on display as part of the visitor itinerary, with the aim of illustrating the castle’s history.

worldheritagelayer

Before 1005 AD

sis1

Site

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04/24/2021 12:21:50 pm

https://www.chillon.ch/en/castle/

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current,46.41401630632257,6.927618831396104;

Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle)

https://www.chillon.ch/en/castle/

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Building

Château de Chillon™ Avenue de Chillon 21 CH 1820 Veytaux Suisse T : +41 21 966 89 10 E : info@chillon.ch

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