Alt-Signau Castle

Last updated
Alt-Signau
Ruine Alt-Signau
Bowil
Ruine Alt-Signau 1.jpg
The ruins of Alt-Signau, from the north-west
Switzerland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Alt-Signau
Coordinates 46°54′15″N7°43′22″E / 46.9043°N 7.7227°E / 46.9043; 7.7227 Coordinates: 46°54′15″N7°43′22″E / 46.9043°N 7.7227°E / 46.9043; 7.7227
Type hill castle
Code CH-BE
Site information
Condition Ruined walls
Site history
Built about 1130
Garrison information
Occupants Freiherren of Signau

Alt-Signau Castle (German : Ruine Alt-Signau) is a ruined castle in the municipality of Bowil in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

German language West Germanic language

German is a West Germanic language that is mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol (Italy), the German-speaking Community of Belgium, and Liechtenstein. It is also one of the three official languages of Luxembourg and a co-official language in the Opole Voivodeship in Poland. The languages which are most similar to German are the other members of the West Germanic language branch: Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Low German/Low Saxon, Luxembourgish, and Yiddish. There are also strong similarities in vocabulary with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, although those belong to the North Germanic group. German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language, after English.

Bowil Place in Bern, Switzerland

Bowil is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Canton of Bern Canton of Switzerland

The canton of Bern or Berne is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the canton of Jura and the canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the canton of Neuchâtel, the canton of Fribourg and canton of Vaud. To the south lies the canton of Valais. East of the canton of Bern lie the cantons of Uri, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Lucerne and Aargau.

Contents

History

The castle was the ancestral home of the Barons of Signau. The family was first mentioned in 1130 when Werner von Signau appeared in a historical record. The castle was designed to protect and control the road between the Emmental and the Aare river. In the mid-14th century the castle was abandoned when the family moved to Neu-Signau Castle on a hill across the valley.

Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary. The female equivalent is baroness.

Signau Place in Bern, Switzerland

Signau is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Emmental valley

The Emmental is a valley in west central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the rivers Emme and Ilfis. The region is mostly devoted to farming, particularly dairy farming. The principal settlements are the town of Burgdorf and the village of Langnau.

The ruin is relatively well preserved.

See also

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References

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    <i>Historical Dictionary of Switzerland</i> encyclopedia on the history of Switzerland

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