Lucens Castle

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Lucens Castle
Town of Lucens with the Castle on its hill

Lucens Castle is a castle in the municipality of Lucens in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[1]

History

The castle's strategic location allowed it to control the Broye valley, which was an important transit corridor. Starting in the Middle Ages and until 1536 it was a residence of the Bishop of Lausanne and served to control the Bishop's land in the Broye valley. During the 12th Century, the castle was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In 1476, it was destroyed by the Swiss Confederation. In 1536 the valley and the surrounding territory were conquered by Bern. It became the seat of a Bernese bailiwick at the same time. In 1542, the vogt of Moudon moved into the castle. It was enlarged between 1579–86 and served as an arsenal and fortress on the border to Fribourg. In 1798, the Bernese were forced out and the Canton of Léman was formed. Shortly thereafter, the castle became the property of Canton, who sold it 1801 to private individuals. In 1925, it was converted into a Swiss Reformed institute for girls. Between 1965-70, it was the seat of the Conan Doyle Foundation, and is now in private hands.[2]

See also

  • List of castles in Switzerland
  • Château

References

  1. "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  2. Lucens in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

External links

Coordinates: 46°42′38″N 6°50′12″E / 46.71056°N 6.83667°E / 46.71056; 6.83667

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