The Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) is located on the shore of Lake Geneva in the municipality of Veytaux, at the eastern end of the lake, 3 km from Montreux, Switzerland. The castle consists of 100 independent buildings that were gradually connected to become the building as it stands now.
The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively dated, but the first written record of the castle is in 1160 (855 years ago) or 1005 (1010 years ago). From the mid 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy, and it was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Pietro II. The Castle was never taken in a siege, but did change hands through treaties.
It was made popular by Lord Byron, who wrote the poem The Prisoner Of Chillon (1816, 199 years ago) about François de Bonivard, a Genevois monk and politician who was imprisoned there from 1530 (485 years ago) to 1536; Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon. The castle is one of the settings in Henry James's novella Daisy Miller (1878, 137 years ago).
The history of Chillon was influenced by 3 major periods: the Savoy Period, the Bernese Period and the Vaudois Period.
Chillon now hosts a museum with some historical objects preserved and is open to public tours.
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