A correction first of all to my previous posting. We are in the Main River. The Main Danube Canal is some days and 34 locks ahead! Since earlier this evening we have negotiated 3 locks and ascended some 10 to 12 metres if not more. The highest point will be when we arrive in Nuremberg and then it's all downhill too Budapest.
The visit to Namedy Castle was magical. We were the guests of Princess Heidi von Hohenzollern at the magnificent castle illustrated in the photos. The white and mauve Wisteria was pungent with scent in the balmy evening air. Not quite up to the standard of my own Wisteria on the pergola behind the house!
We were greeted not by the Princess herself, who is in her Winter Residence in Munich but by her Estate Manager and two Ambassadors in the shape of – a black pug dog , Bella, and black and white terrier Flora, perhaps a Jack Russel, both very friendly and really only interested in the crumbs from the scrumptious canapes on offer throughout the house.
We were given free rein to visit almost everywhere with heart-warming hospitality. The Castle is now used as a Wedding Venue and for music concerts. Indeed, we were treated to a piano recital in one of the main rooms.
The history of the castle is complex so again I have cheated a little by giving the Wikipedia link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namedy_Castle
In summary the history of its construction goes back to the 14th century when the castle was built by the Husmanns, of Andernach. It was a small moated castle in the late gothic style.
During the 16th century, the buildings were extended by later generations of the H(a)usmann family.
In 1633, the castle suffered from plundering by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War.
After the male line became extinct in 1678, the castle passed into the hands of the von Klepping family through marriage, before its new owners sold it in 1700.
Johann Arnold von Solemacher (1657–1734), chancellor of the electorate of Trier, bought the castle in 1700. He transformed the medieval buildings into a baroque style pleasure palace, adding stories and two side wings.
The Solemacher family inhabited the castle until they had to flee before the advancing French army who, in 1794, occupied the region left of the Rhine. French revolutionary troops used the castle as hospital and as powder magazine, which ruined its interiors and structures. Windows, stairs, floors and doors were used as fuel for heating the field hospital.
After renovation in 1856, the castle had several owners during the 19th century, among them were wealthy people of the industrial era.
Finally, Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen bought the castle in 1909 and gave its todays (2021) look. Karl-Anton was a lieutenant general in the service of the kingdom of Prussia, married to Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium, who was a sister of King Albert I of Belgium. The couple added a hall of mirrors to the castle, flanked by 2 corner towers.
In 1988 the grandson of Karl-Anton, Godehard Prince of Hohenzollern, developed the castle into a cultural centre. Since his death in 2001 it has been in the care of his widow, Princess Heide of Hohenzollern. The cultural programme includes concerts, theatrical performances and art exhibitions. Namedy Castle and its castle park can also be used for various private celebrations and professional events.
A further note from me. The oldest part of the house bares the date 1355, the central section 1701 and the extension that includes the Hall of Mirrors 1706. The exterior walls were laden with the Wisteria in full bloom and the grounds had a profusion of white and red flowered Horse Chestnut Trees in full bloom.
I hope the photo do justice to the interior and exterior of this magnificent castle.
