Pettingen castle Coat of arms of the Fock and Kerpen families 2 Tombstone of Peter Blum, lord of Reckingen Coats of arms of the Fock and Sketch of the keep Schönfels, Pettingen, Reckingen Failly families merschmersch Reckingen castle (Private property, not opened to Fortresses and castles the public) Built in the Middle Ages, strongholds IIn the 12th century, the lords of had defensive purposes. At the heart of the Reckingen were mentioned for the first time fortress could be found the court and the keep, in documents. In the 16th century, the family composed of fortified walls and allowing any Fock von Hübingen became the owner of the assailant to be resisted. Reckingen castle. Ernst Fock von Hübingen, After the capture of the Luxembourg stronghold who died in 1573, lies in the parish church by Vauban in 1684, the French General Boufflers of Mersch in a magnificent vault dating from received from Louis XIV the order to flatten the the Renaissance and walled into the St. Michel strongholds of Schönfels and Pittingen. The tower after 1850. In 1699, the cavalry captain French just demolished the outer walls, which Peter Blum became the lord of Reckingen when since the invention of gunpowder lost most of he acquired the castle. He was also buried in their dissuasive value, and filled the moats. the parish church of Mersch. The tombstone, The keep was preserved. Large windows were which was preserved in a Baroque lodge in cut into its walls to make the building more the parish garden, disappeared without trace! habitable. New buildings were also erected In 1870, the castle was entirely flattened. A around the keep, changing the name of the new height of three metres was preserved of the structure to «castle». medieval 9 by 9 m keep with walls 1.5 m thick. The Pittingen Fortress circa 1300 The coats of arms of the former lordships are The Reckingen Fortress in the Middle Ages walled into this keep. COMMUNE DE MERSCH Château de Mersch Tel.: 32 50 23 - 1 INFORMATIONS TOURISTIQUES IMPRESSUM Tel.: 32 96 18 (juillet/août) Photos: Geschichtsfrënn Nico Lucas www.mersch.lu Texte: Geschichtsfrënn Guy Pauly Illustrations: Geschichtsfrënn Serge Weis Layout: Plan of the Schönfels castle in 1930 Schönfels Pettingen Renaissance – the tomb of Fock von Hübingen, Lord of Reckingen depliant chateau_ANG.indd 1 30/08/07 16:23:19 Essingen k uc CR 306 A 7 Alzette br el ttt ’E d ue Layoutplan R CR 306 Pittingen castle, in the 18th century CR 306 Pettingen N 7 bach Gla l E 421 e a d h e r u e R t he original cadastral plan (after s T in Moesdorf F e d te u o 1824) reveals the state of the castle. Annexes, R Angelsberg which are still used, were added to the four Alzette nz Rue d’Etttelbruck e el e W e d Ru external walls. In the south-west, the castle was Beringen fitted with larger buildings, which are today A 7 Rue de la Gare Reckange completely destroyed. In 1850, the Historian Rue d’Arlon CR 118 N 8 Alzette Rue Lohr Engling noted the disrepair of Eisch N 8 Berschbach Rue Principale Rue de Larochette Alzette MERSCH r the castle. In 1910, the owner ue d’A nsembourg at the time, the Prince of Rue de Gosseldange Rue de Septfontaines Rollingen Arenberg, let everything Coat of arms of Schloeder von Lachen, CR 120 of value in the castle be lord of Schönfels (above the door) Rue de Luxembourg Route de Mersch Alzette dismantled and carried Eisch away. In 1920, the frontage CR 101 Gosseldange Rue de on the south side crum- Diekirch CR 101 CR 101 bled down. Today, the Lintgen CR 101 Alzette R out h e de Fischbac ruins are used as a Route Principale Schoenfels Mersch de Rue Prettingen quarry. In 1947, the Rue du Village Eisch Hollenfels u Chât State of Luxem- e d ea u CR 102 R u Marienthal bourg acquired the castle for a symbolic franc. Pittingen Pettingen Schönfels Pittingen is one of the best preserved strongholds with The great 17 by 13 m tower 21 m moat in the country. The square in height is the most impressive inhabited building of around 30 m long defence tower of the region. was surrounded by a 15m wide Some American soldiers in the castle In 1292, the name Friderich or Ferri von moat. At the centre of the fort was situated the yard from 1918 to 1919 Schönfels, architect of a fortified yard, 9 x 9 m keep, with walls 2.2 m thick. In 1244, appeared for the first time in a document. Arnold von Pittingen, vassal of the Countess However, nothing so far allows us to say Ermesinde, signed the Charter of Freedom of whether the keep already existed at the the City of Luxembourg. Johann der Blinde time. granted the Pittingen family absolute power This keep was transformed several times in over the domain. the following centuries, as witnessed by the The stronghold was destroyed in the 15th inscription of the year 1536 by the side of century, then rebuilt and transformed into some wall figures. a castle at the beginning of the following In the 19th century, its appearance was century. The four corner towers were added in modified in the neo-gothic style. The windows 1571. «Castrum amoenum ac situ jucundum» were widened and mansards were added. (beautiful castle and enjoyable place): this Keep In 1971, the State became the owner of the is how the Abbot Bertels described Pettingen castle. castle in his «Historia Luxemburgensis» Inhabited keep published in 1605. Fortress moat Map of the castle The Schönfels Fortress Watch tower with wall Top floor with gothic Drawing by N. Liez, figures (1536) arch 1834 depliant chateau_ANG.indd 2 30/08/07 16:23:31.