Chillon Castle is a medieval castle on a rocky islet at the eastern end of Lake Geneva near Montreux in Switzerland. It stands beside an important route between Burgundy and Italy that led to the Great St Bernard Pass, and its position made it valuable for controlling traffic and collecting tolls. It belonged to the Counts of Savoy, who expanded it, especially in the 13th century under Peter II, and used it as a fortress, residence and prison. The Genevan reformer François Bonivard was imprisoned there in the 1530s, and his story inspired Lord Byron's poem The Prisoner of Chillon. Bern captured the castle in 1536, and it later became a Vaud possession. It is now one of the most visited historic monuments in Switzerland.
Before and after
- from 1154 to 1242Angevin Empire
- 8 September 1157Birth of Richard I of England
- c. 1158Origins of Munich
- from 1159 to 1259Capetian-Plantagenet rivalry
- 1160Construction of Chillon Castle
- from 26 November 1161 to 27 November 1161Battle of Caishi
- from 1162 to 1841Kingdom of Navarre
- 31 May 1162Birth of Genghis Khan
- from 6 August 1162 to 1 January 1715Crown of Aragon
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The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.