Information
Landmark: Gravensteen CastleCity: Borgo Maggiore
Country: San Marino
Continent: Europe
Gravensteen Castle, Borgo Maggiore, San Marino, Europe
Overview
San Marino and Gravensteen Castle aren’t connected, but I can tell you plenty about each-like the castle’s cold stone halls or the republic’s winding mountain streets.Just let me know if you want me to clear something up or if there’s a particular link you’re trying to find.San Marino, officially called the Republic of San Marino, is a tiny landlocked nation in southern Europe, tucked entirely within Italy’s rolling hills.Famous for its steep mountain slopes and medieval stone buildings, it also holds the distinction of being one of the world’s oldest republics, founded in 301 AD.Highlights include the Three Towers of San Marino-Guaita, Cesta, and Montale-standing tall on Monte Titano; the UNESCO-listed Historic Center with its cobbled lanes, stone façades, and sweeping mountain views; the elegant Palazzo Pubblico in the capital; and Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium, its gray walls rising above the Leie River.Count Philip of Alsace built this medieval fortress in 1180, and today its stone towers still stand among the best-preserved castles in Europe.The Gravensteen, built mainly from gray Tournai limestone, stands as a solid rectangular fortress with turrets, battlements, a broad central keep, and thick walls that once rose above a deep moat.Arrow slits hint at its defensive purpose, while a small chapel and spacious quarters reveal its role as a noble residence.First home to the Counts of Flanders and a symbol of their power, it later served as a courthouse, a prison, and, by the 19th century, even a textile factory.Restored in the late 1800s, it now preserves its medieval character, housing exhibits of torture instruments, interactive displays of daily life, and a rooftop where you can look out over the red-tiled roofs of Ghent.Today, it remains woven into the city’s identity, often forming the dramatic backdrop for festivals and public events.
