Château de Gruyères

The Castle of Gruyères (in french: "château de Gruyères"), located in the medieval town of Gruyères, Fribourg, is one of the most famous in Switzerland. The building was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. 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 bailiffs and then to the prefects 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.

References

*Gremaud, Henri; Fleury, Gilbert; Chatton, Etienne; "Château de Gruyères", Villars-sur-Glâne : G. Fleury, 1991, OCLC|79931005
*Guadalupi, Gianni; "Castles of the world", New York : Barnes & Noble 2006. OCLC|123995819
*Guex, François; "Le château de Gruyères", Fribourg Service des Biens Culturels 2005. OCLC|180968172

External links

* [http://www.castle-gruyeres.ch Official web site]