A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a fortress, which was not a home, and from a fortified town, which was a public defence, though there are many similarities between these types of construction. The term has been popularly applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses.It was provided with more serious fortifications, including a moat.

Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn, originally 'Bullen', family.Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there, after her father, Thomas Boleyn had inherited it in 1505. He had been born there in 1477, and the castle passed to him upon the death of his father, Sir William Boleyn.It later came into the possession of King Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.Today it is a popular tourist attraction.Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn, originally 'Bullen', family.Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there, after her father, Thomas Boleyn had inherited it in 1505. He had been born there in 1477, and the castle passed to him upon the death of his father, Sir William Boleyn.It later came into the possession of King Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.Today it is a popular tourist attraction

The castle offers much to see with three floors containing antique furniture, Anne Boleyn's prayer books, instruments of torture, and a large collection of Tudor paintings. There is also a museum of the Kent Yeomanry. The remains of the original country house timbers can still be seen within the stone walls of the fortification, while the gatehouse is the only original part of the castle.

A bridge over the lake Statue on Hever Castle Grounds

An example of Tudor portraiture, with the linear picturial design. This is a young lady age 21, probably Helena Snakenburg painted in 1569

Bran Castle , situated in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle" (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend, including Poenari Castle and Hunyad Castle), it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is, however, no evidence that Stoker knew anything about this castle, which has only tangential associations with Vlad III, voivod of Wallachia, the putative inspiration for Dracula.The castle is now a museum open to tourists, displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie. Tourists can see the interior individually or by a guided tour. At the bottom of the hill is a small open air museum park exhibiting traditional Romanian peasant structures (cottages, barns, etc.) from across the country.

View of courtyard.

Secret passage inside the castle, connecting the first and third floors.

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop.  It is a religious building for worship. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the cathedral clergy became more definitely organized, and were divided into two classes. One was that of a monastic establishment of some recognized order of monks, often the Benedictines, while the other class was that of a college of clergy, bound by no vows except those of their ordination, but governed by a code of statutes or canons. Hence the name of canon. In this way arose the distinction between the monastic and secular cathedral churches.

CATHEDRALS

Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter in South West England.The present building was complete by about 1400, and has several notable features including minstrels’ galery-14 statues of angels each playing different instruments, an astronomical clock and the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England.

The clock and the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England

The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton. A Saxon minster already existing within the town (and dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Peter) was used by Bishop Leofric as his seat, but services were often held out of doors, close to the site of the present cathedral building. In 1107, William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, was appointed to the see, and this was the catalyst for the building of a new cathedral in the Norman style.

A north west view from 1830

The façade

The Putna monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery, one of the most important cultural, religious and artistic centers established in medieval Moldavia; as with many others, it was built and dedicated by Prince Stephen the Great. He is famous for building and influencing the building of dozens of churches and monasteries all over Moldavia (a legend says that he founded a religious edifice after each important military victory).The Putna Monastery houses the tomb of Stephen.Nowadays,is a place of pilgrimage.

Prince Stephen the Great

Stephen the Great's tombstone at Putna

Both cathedrals are very famous in their country, but not only there. They are important in our religious history, but also in our culture because the cathedral had an important role in our rulers’ lifes.They are visited by pilgrims who want to see the awesome things which made them famous.

About castles, we can say that they show us our ancestors’ lifes.If the country was rich, it had many wonderful castles with big gardens and coloured flowers.But if the country was poor, the majority of the castles was buit for the defense.

Bran Castle and Hever Castle are famous for their beauty and for their past.They made the rezidents proud that their country had such spectacular castles

Project by : Mogoş CristinaRadu Gabriela

Şolea Roxana