Chateau de ChillonBy: Cierra Arnett, Jena Dolby and Trisha Wolf

The Purpose of the Castle• The castle remains property of the Canton of Vaud.Which is

a code of arms, consisting of the colors green and white.The castle has been used for the following;

• Armory• Warehouse• Prison• Hospital• Tourist Attraction

Switzerland's Symbol• Built on the waters edge• Chillon is unique with one

side a fortress facing the ancient road if Italy. The other side facing Lake Geneva.

• The Swiss say it has become a symbol of their country , representative of its beauty, The harmony of its shape and the visible strength and stability it exudes.

The beginning of the Chateau de Chillon

The first written reference of the castle was made in 1160.Although it has been known that the rock had been inhabited for the castle long before it was built.They wanted to built a castle there because of its strategic positioning, controlling the narrow passage between the lake and mountains.

Timeline1160 First reference of the castle 12th century Chillon was under the control of the Counts of Savoy who regarded it as their favorite summer residence.1203 to 1268 The architects of Pierre de Savoy gave the castle its present form such as the chapel the halls and the inner courtyard.14th century when an epidemic plaque broke out in the region many Jews, accused of poisoning the water supply, were tortured in the dungeons of the castle.1532 to 1536 the castle became a jail, the famous Francois Bonivard a Genevois Monk and politician who was jailed for inciting people of Geneva to rebel against Savoy.

Bonivard was chained to a pillar during the four years of his captivity and his pacing up and down the area to which his chain restricted him left an imprint on the stone floors of the dungeon.1816 Bonivard story caught Lord Byron’s imagination, he visited the plaice in the summer of 1816. Bonivard than became the hero of Byron’s famous poem “The Prisoner of Chillon”. Bad weather forced the man to remain indoors. The poet left a trace and visitors of the castle can still see Byron’s name etched on the third pillar of the dungeon.1536 Chillon became the property of Bernese invaders and traces of there occupation can still be seen in forms of numerous bears which is the symbol of Berne painted in many rooms of the castle.1798 the castle than belonged to the canton of Vaud.

Timeline1887 The Association du Chateau de Chillon was founded.Side note- over the past 100 years the castle had been extensively restored and works on the site seem to never get finished.1990 over 350,000 visitors to the castle.2008 the castle remains under construction and has become a huge tourist attraction in Switzerland.

Location of the Chillon• The castle sits at

the eastern tip of Lake Geneva, about 20 miles east of Lausanne and about a mile east of Montreux

Getting There Jump on the hourly REV

train it takes you directly to the station at Veytaux-Chillon, a few minutes walk along the lake from the castle. The faster and more frequent Direct Train whisks you to Montreux two hours and twenty minutes where you than transfer to a bus; from the Montreux station, cross Avenue des Alpes and go down the stairs. Cross the street and find the blue bus stop on your right, where you can hop on bus #1 to Chateau de Chillon. You can also hike the one mile from Montreux to Chateau de Chillon updated for 2007.

Materials The Chateau de

Chillon is mostly made out of stone. The inside. The pillars inside the castle are made out of black marble. There's adorning brickwork decoration on the walls. The castle also consists of wood with wooden cross beams on the ceiling. The castle has a touch of color with its stained class windows.

Prepared for Battle• On the 3rd courtyard and into the 4th the “courtyard with the

mantling wall” they positioned archers at loopholes and towers which were either later partially blocked or adapted to use of firearms.

• The undermined walls, they dug out wall’s foundations, propping it up as you go along the same way its done with commercial mining. Then set fire to the wooden supports and and would escape and wait for the wall to collapse.

• They dropped boiling oil from the pillars to keep enemies away.