Yverdon Castle - City Museum (Chateau d'Yverdon) description and photos - Switzerland: Yverdon-les-Bains (Topic)

Yverdon Castle - City Museum (Chateau d'Yverdon) description and photos - Switzerland: Yverdon-les-Bain. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Chateau d'Yverdon.

Photo and description

The founder of the city of Yverdon-les-Bains, which at that time was simply called Yverdon, Duke Pierre of Savoy built a powerful castle with thick walls and round towers on the banks of the Thiel River to protect it. The castle rises on the central square of the city and is adjacent to the town hall.

On the site of the present building there was a large round tower built in 1235, which belonged to Amed III de Molfacon-Montbelard, seigneur d'Obre. In 1260, Amed III sold it to Peter of Savoy. Probably, this deal was not voluntary.

The castle in the shape of a quadrangle was built in 1258-1265 by freemasons - father and son Jean and Jacques de Saint-Georges. At the end of the 13th century, Beatrice de Fassigny, daughter of Peter of Savoy, with the consent of her husband, she returned the castle and all the adjacent lands to the son of Amed III, Jean Ira de Molfacon.

In 1536, when the city of Yverdin became part of the canton of Bern, the local castle turned into the residence of governors sent from Bern ... This continued until 1798, when the Republic of Helvetia was founded by the French. The castle became the property of the state.

In 1805, after the founding of the canton of Vaud, the city of Yverdon bought the ancient castle and handed it over to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi to open an educational institution here. Pestalozzi, a renowned teacher, enthusiastically took up the education of street children, discovering and developing their talents in a variety of scientific fields. The Pestalozzi School operated in the castle until 1825. Then there was a short break, and in 1838 an ordinary school was opened here, which existed until 1974, that is, more than a century.

In the 20th century, the Yverdon castle was reconstructed twice: in 1920 it was restored by the architect Ottto Schmid, and in 1956 - by Pierre Margot.

Currently, the castle houses the Historical Museum, which was founded in 1764. It is dedicated to the history of the region. Particularly interesting is the section devoted to the eras of the Celts, ancient Romans and Burgundians.

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Topic: Yverdon Castle - City Museum (Chateau d'Yverdon) description and photos - Switzerland: Yverdon-les-Bains.