chapel attic
(salle Charles Arendt)
This room had no purpose in former times. It was build - similar to the "small palace" granary - to get to the height of the "large palace".
At the time, old rooms over an oratory couldn't be used for very much, because "no one should be top of God".
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When the chapel roof was struck by lightning in 1667, the lack of use of this room proved to be fatal.
The burning beams of the roof construction fell, without obstacle in their way, onto the vaults of the chapel and damaged them badly. This damage wasn't properly fixed until the castle fell into ruins.
Charles Arendt
The Vianden-born luxembourgish state architect was a fan of medieval architecture and became famous for his neo-gothic buildings. He's often compared with his french Counterpart Viollet-le-Duc.
He took interest in the ruins of Vianden castle and was commissioned with the restauration of the castle chapel. He restaured the vaults and protected the edifice with a new roof. He also published several books about the castle, among them "Monographie du château de Vianden" and "Blumenlese", a reprint of the latter can be purchased in the castle shop.
Prince Henri of the Netherlands
Send as governor to Luxembourg, he had much sympathy for the luxembourgish people and was in high regard by them. He was also eager to start the reconstruction of Vianden castle and started it with the works at the chapel, which he first commissioned to a military engineer, Von Koenig, and later to Charles Arendt.
Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo came four times to Vianden, showing the comfort he found in the region. As a revolutionary romantic, he saw castle ruins as a symbol of an overcome dark age (of feodalism) and expressed his satisfaction in their destruction.
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Nevertheless he took interest in the restauration works executed at Vianden castle, especially the work of Charles Arendt.
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In downtown Vianden the house inhabitated by Hugo during his stay in Vianden can be visited.
famous visitors
As the most important single building of the feodal age in Luxembourg, and one of the best known castles in the world, Vianden castle got and gets vistited of famous people from politics, cultural life etc. on state visits, films .... Around the walls pictures of some of them ...
A lavishly illustrated book features on nearly 300 pages well-known figures from the world of politics, film and culture who have visited Luxembourg's most famous castle.
Did you know that Queen Elisabeth II, Gina Lollobrigida, the famous French poet Victor Hugo and many others were here in Vianden?
Many movies were turned here, and in spring 2004, scenes for the film The Dragon and the Sword were filmed at Vianden Castle, starring Patrick Swayze.
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This book can be purchased at the museum shop