Castle timeline
When the 180 castles, fortresses and walled cities of the atlas were built — from the 10th century onward. Dates marked “c.” are approximate. Tap any name for its full story and map.
7th century (1)
- 628Meersburg Castle · Germany — Traditionally founded 7th century; medieval keep
10th century (6)
- c. 900Castle of the Moors · Portugal — 8th–9th-century Moorish walls; taken 1147
- c. 900Château de Chinon · France — Earliest: 10th century; major works 12th century
- c. 900Linhares Castle · Portugal — Reconquest origins; rebuilt 13th century
- c. 900Rocca Calascio · Italy — Started: 10th century; major additions: 13th century
- c. 900Trancoso Castle · Portugal — Reconquest walls; reinforced under King Dinis
- c. 950Guimarães Castle · Portugal — 10th-century origins; rebuilt 12th–13th centuries
11th century (18)
- c. 1000Alcácer do Sal Castle · Portugal — Moorish citadel; taken 1217
- c. 1000Castle of Santa Maria da Feira · Portugal — 11th-century origins; rebuilt 15th century
- c. 1000Château de Foix · France — Medieval, 11th–14th centuries
- c. 1000Château de Saumur · France — 10th-century origins; rebuilt 14th century
- c. 1000Château des Baux-de-Provence · France — Medieval castle, 10th–13th centuries
- c. 1000Mont-Saint-Michel · France — Abbey from the 10th century; ramparts 15th century
- c. 1000Montemor-o-Velho Castle · Portugal — Reconquest-era walls; major works 11th–14th centuries
- c. 1000Nuremberg Castle · Germany — Imperial castle, 11th–16th centuries
- c. 1000Reichsburg Cochem · Germany — Medieval origins; rebuilt 1868–1877
- c. 1000São Jorge Castle · Portugal — Moorish citadel (11th century); rebuilt after 1147
- c. 1000Silves Castle · Portugal — Moorish fortress of red sandstone, 11th–12th centuries
- c. 1020Loarre Castle · Spain — Early 11th century (c. 1020s)
- c. 1050Château de Peyrepertuse · France — 11th–13th centuries
- 1056Veste Coburg · Germany — Medieval origins; expanded over the centuries
- c. 1060Château de Caen · France — Founded c. 1060 by William the Conqueror
- c. 1067Wartburg · Germany — Founded c. 1067; Romanesque palace 12th century
- 1077Hohensalzburg Fortress · Austria — Founded: 1077; expanded 11th–17th centuries
- c. 1090Walls of Ávila · Spain — c. 1090–12th century
12th century (44)
- c. 1100Castel Beseno · Italy — Medieval origins (12th–13th centuries); major expansions 16th century
- c. 1100Castle of Diósgyőr · Hungary — Earlier castle: 12th century; Gothic rebuild: 14th century (reign 1342–1382)
- c. 1100Château de Castelnaud · France — Founded: 12th century; major rebuilds 13th–14th centuries
- c. 1100Château de Chillon · Switzerland — 12th–13th centuries
- c. 1100Château de Falaise · France — Norman keeps, 12th century (earlier origins)
- c. 1100Château de Fougères · France — 12th–15th centuries
- c. 1100Cité de Carcassonne · France — Major medieval fortifications: 12th–13th centuries
- c. 1100Dubrovnik City Walls · Croatia — Major phases: 12th–17th centuries
- c. 1100Edinburgh Castle · Scotland — Main stone castle: 12th century (1100s); expanded over later centuries
- c. 1100Lamego Castle · Portugal — 12th–13th centuries on earlier foundations
- c. 1100Marburg Castle · Germany — Medieval, 12th–15th centuries
- c. 1100Marksburg Castle · Germany — Early 12th century origins (1100s), later expansions
- c. 1100Mértola Castle · Portugal — Moorish citadel; keep rebuilt 1292
- c. 1100Óbidos Castle & Walls · Portugal — 12th–14th centuries
- c. 1100Ramparts of Provins · France — 11th–13th centuries
- c. 1100Rock of Cashel · Ireland — 12th–13th centuries
- c. 1100Sortelha Castle · Portugal — 12th–13th-century frontier castle
- c. 1100Spiš Castle · Slovakia — 12th century origins; major expansions 13th–15th centuries
- c. 1100Tavira Castle · Portugal — Moorish walls; rebuilt after 1242 conquest
- c. 1100Trifels Castle · Germany — Imperial castle, 12th–13th centuries
- 1110Wernigerode Castle · Germany — Medieval origins; rebuilt 19th century
- 1115Château de Beynac · France — 12th–13th centuries
- 1135Leiria Castle · Portugal — Founded 1135; royal palace galleries 14th–15th centuries
- 1142Cahir Castle · Ireland — 12th-century origins; largely 15th–16th centuries
- 1147Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg · France — 12th-century origins; rebuilt 1900–1908
- 1147Palmela Castle · Portugal — Taken 1147; headquarters of the Order of Santiago
- c. 1150Kalmar Castle · Sweden — 12th-century origins; Renaissance rebuild 16th century
- c. 1150Rock of Dunamase · Ireland — 12th–14th centuries
- 1156Pombal Castle · Portugal — Templar castle from 1156; later remodelled
- 1157Eltz Castle · Germany — Built and extended 12th–16th centuries
- 1158Castle of Chaves · Portugal — Medieval keep on Roman foundations
- 1160Castle of Tomar · Portugal — Templar castle founded 1160; Convent of Christ added later
- 1167Monsaraz Castle · Portugal — Taken 1167; rebuilt under King Dinis
- 1170Almourol Castle · Portugal — Rebuilt by the Templars from 1171
- c. 1173Trim Castle · Ireland — Built c. 1173–1224
- 1177Carrickfergus Castle · Northern Ireland — Built from 1177
- c. 1178Ourém Castle · Portugal — 12th-century origins; rebuilt by Count of Ourém c. 1450
- 1180Castle of Castelo de Vide · Portugal — 12th-century origins; rebuilt under King Dinis
- 1180Gravensteen · Belgium — Built 1180 (12th century)
- 1185Lismore Castle · Ireland — 12th-century origins; rebuilt 19th century
- 1185Malahide Castle · Ireland — 12th-century origins; largely medieval and later
- 1187Bragança Castle · Portugal — Walled citadel founded 1187; keep 15th century
- c. 1195Kilkenny Castle · Ireland — Norman castle from c. 1195; remodelled 19th century
- 1196Château Gaillard · France — Built 1196–1198 by Richard the Lionheart
13th century (35)
- c. 1200Belmonte Castle · Portugal — 13th century; rebuilt by the Cabral family
- c. 1200Château de Blois · France — Four royal wings, 13th–17th centuries
- c. 1200King John's Castle · Ireland — Built c. 1200–1212
- c. 1200Rothenburg ob der Tauber Walls · Germany — Major walls: 13th century (with later additions)
- c. 1200St Andrews Castle · Scotland — Late 13th century onward
- c. 1200Visegrád Citadel · Hungary — Key tower: 13th century; curtain walls: 14th century
- c. 1200York City Walls · England — Main medieval walls: 13th–14th centuries (earlier Roman origins)
- 1203Maynooth Castle · Ireland — Great keep 13th century; expanded 15th century
- 1204Dublin Castle · Ireland — Founded 1204; rebuilt over later centuries
- c. 1210Athlone Castle · Ireland — Royal castle, built from c. 1210
- 1220Dunstaffnage Castle · Scotland — 13th century
- 1226Marvão Castle · Portugal — 13th century; reinforced under King Dinis
- 1228Ashford Castle · Ireland — 13th-century origins; rebuilt as a Victorian estate
- 1230Château d'Angers · France — Great fortress 1230–1240 (earlier origins)
- 1230Eilean Donan · Scotland — 13th-century origins; rebuilt 1919–1932
- 1230Urquhart Castle · Scotland — 13th–16th centuries (earlier fort on site)
- c. 1240Athenry Castle · Ireland — Built c. 1240
- 1240Dirleton Castle · Scotland — 13th century onward
- 1240Kildrummy Castle · Scotland — Mid-13th century
- 1241Königstein Fortress · Germany — Documented 1241; bastioned over later centuries
- 1242Stolzenfels Castle · Germany — Medieval origins; rebuilt 1826–1842
- 1245Rheinfels Castle · Germany — Founded 1245; greatly expanded later
- c. 1250Frankenstein Castle · Germany — Built c. 1250
- c. 1250Leap Castle · Ireland — Tower house, late medieval
- 1253Beja Castle · Portugal — Rebuilt under Afonso III and King Dinis
- 1255Burghausen Castle · Germany — Extended 13th–15th centuries
- 1258Estremoz Castle · Portugal — 13th–14th centuries; royal palace of King Dinis
- 1269Blair Castle · Scotland — 13th century onward; Georgian remodelling
- 1269Roscommon Castle · Ireland — Royal castle, built from 1269
- 1270Bothwell Castle · Scotland — Begun late 13th century
- c. 1270Caerlaverock Castle · Scotland — Built from c. 1277 (13th century)
- 1270Dunvegan Castle · Scotland — 13th century onward; remodelled 19th century
- c. 1274Malbork Castle · Poland — c. 1274–1406
- 1283Conwy Castle · Wales — 1283–1287
- 1290Drum Castle · Scotland — Late-13th-century tower; Jacobean mansion 1619
14th century (20)
- c. 1300Dunnottar Castle · Scotland — Mainly 14th–16th centuries on an earlier site
- c. 1300Dunrobin Castle · Scotland — Medieval origins; remodelled 1845 in French-château style
- c. 1300Heidelberg Castle · Germany — Built and rebuilt 14th–17th centuries
- c. 1300Lochleven Castle · Scotland — Late 14th-century tower on an earlier site
- c. 1300Muiderslot · Netherlands — c. 1300 (around 14th century)
- 1306Évoramonte Castle · Portugal — Medieval origins; rebuilt after the 1531 earthquake
- 1326Pfalzgrafenstein Castle · Germany — 1326–1327
- 1335Palais des Papes · France — Built 1335–1352
- 1340Château de Vincennes · France — Great keep and walls, 14th–early 15th centuries
- 1340Fort la Latte · France — 14th century; remodelled for cannon 17th–18th centuries
- 1348Karlštejn · Czechia — Founded 1348 (14th century)
- c. 1350Tantallon Castle · Scotland — Mid-14th century (c. 1350)
- 1360Hermitage Castle · Scotland — Mainly 14th century
- 1370Glamis Castle · Scotland — 14th-century origins; rebuilt 17th century
- 1374Craigmillar Castle · Scotland — 14th–15th centuries
- 1378Celle Castle · Germany — Medieval origins; Renaissance and baroque rebuilding
- 1380Cawdor Castle · Scotland — Central tower late 14th century; later ranges
- c. 1380Doune Castle · Scotland — Late 14th century (c. 1380s)
- c. 1390Fyvie Castle · Scotland — 13th century onward; great south front c. 1599
- c. 1393Château de Pierrefonds · France — Built c. 1393–1407; reimagined 1857–1885
15th century (16)
- c. 1400Corvin Castle · Romania — 15th century
- 1420Ross Castle · Ireland — Tower house, 15th century
- 1424Linlithgow Palace · Scotland — Rebuilt from 1424; royal palace through the 16th century
- c. 1425Bunratty Castle · Ireland — Tower house, built c. 1425
- c. 1428Enniskillen Castle · Northern Ireland — 15th-century stronghold; Watergate added c. 1600
- 1440Castle Stalker · Scotland — Tower house, mid-15th century
- 1440Château d'Ussé · France — 15th–17th centuries
- 1446Blarney Castle · Ireland — Tower house, built 1446
- c. 1450Kilchurn Castle · Scotland — Built c. 1450; expanded 17th century
- c. 1450Ormond Castle · Ireland — Medieval towers; Elizabethan manor c. 1565
- c. 1450Stirling Castle · Scotland — Main buildings 15th–16th centuries (earlier origins)
- 1467Knappogue Castle · Ireland — Tower house, built 1467
- 1471Albrechtsburg · Germany — Built 1471–1524
- c. 1474Donegal Castle · Ireland — Tower house 1474; Jacobean wing c. 1623
- 1480Château de Bonaguil · France — Rebuilt late 15th–early 16th centuries
- 1492Château d'Amboise · France — Royal rebuilding 15th–early 16th centuries
16th century (14)
- c. 1500Aughnanure Castle · Ireland — Tower house, c. 1500
- c. 1500Dunluce Castle · Northern Ireland — 16th–17th centuries on an earlier site
- c. 1500Walls of Lucca · Italy — Major construction: 16th–17th centuries (began mid-1500s)
- 1514Château de Chenonceau · France — Main house 1514–1522; gallery over the river from 1576
- 1518Château d'Azay-le-Rideau · France — Built 1518–1527
- 1519Château de Chambord · France — Built 1519–1547 for Francis I
- c. 1520Dunguaire Castle · Ireland — Tower house, built c. 1520
- 1524Château d'If · France — Built 1524–1531
- 1528Château de Fontainebleau · France — Medieval origins; Renaissance rebuilding from 1528
- c. 1532Château de Villandry · France — Built c. 1532–1536; gardens recreated early 20th century
- 1542Moritzburg Castle · Germany — Renaissance hunting lodge; baroque rebuild 1723–1733
- 1553Crathes Castle · Scotland — Built 1553–1596
- 1560Château de Chantilly · France — Renaissance core; rebuilt after the Revolution, to 1882
- 1582Glücksburg Castle · Germany — Built 1582–1587
17th century (8)
- c. 1600Elvas Fortifications · Portugal — 17th–19th centuries
- 1610Parke's Castle · Ireland — Plantation-era manor, early 17th century
- 1620Birr Castle · Ireland — 17th-century castle; famous telescope built 1845
- 1624Château de Cheverny · France — Built 1624–1630
- 1641Fortress of Almeida · Portugal — Bastioned star fort, 17th–18th centuries
- 1658Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte · France — Built 1658–1661
- 1661Palace of Versailles · France — Built up under Louis XIV, 1661–1715
- 1695Charlottenburg Palace · Germany — Built from 1695; extended through the 18th century
18th century (6)
- 1720Würzburg Residence · Germany — Built 1720–1744
- 1721Floors Castle · Scotland — Built from 1721; Victorian remodelling by Playfair
- 1745Sanssouci · Germany — Built 1745–1747 for Frederick the Great
- 1746Inveraray Castle · Scotland — Built 1746–1789 (Gothic Revival)
- 1777Culzean Castle · Scotland — Remodelled by Robert Adam, 1777–1792
- 1785Slane Castle · Ireland — Gothic Revival, late 18th–early 19th centuries
19th century (12)
- 1832Hohenschwangau Castle · Germany — Rebuilt 1832–1837 on a medieval site
- 1840Lichtenstein Castle · Germany — Built 1840–1842
- 1842Pena Palace · Portugal — Built 1842–1854 on a ruined monastery
- 1845Schwerin Castle · Germany — Romantic rebuild 1845–1857 on an island site
- 1846Hohenzollern Castle · Germany — Rebuilt 1846–1867 on a medieval site
- 1852Balmoral Castle · Scotland — Rebuilt 1853–1856 for Queen Victoria
- 1867Kylemore Abbey · Ireland — Built 1867–1871 as Kylemore Castle
- 1869Neuschwanstein Castle · Germany — Built 1869–1886 for King Ludwig II
- 1870Glenveagh Castle · Ireland — Built 1870–1873
- 1874Linderhof Palace · Germany — Built 1874–1886 for King Ludwig II
- 1878Herrenchiemsee · Germany — Built 1878–1886 for King Ludwig II
- 1882Schloss Drachenburg · Germany — Built 1882–1884