Beaufort ( lb, Beefort, german: Befort) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

and town in eastern

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

. It is part of the canton of

Echternach Echternach ( lb, Iechternach or (locally) ) is a commune with town status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in ...

, which is part of the district of

Grevenmacher Grevenmacher (; ) is a commune with town status in eastern Luxembourg, near the border with Germany. It gives its name to and is the capital of the canton of Grevenmacher, and, until its abolition in 2015, the district of Grevenmacher. The town ...

Commune

In 2005, the town of Beaufort, which lies in the centre of the commune, had a population of 1,366. Other towns within the commune include Dillingen.

Population

Castle

The old castle, protected by a moat, was built in four periods. Based on a document of 1192, it is assumed that Walter of Wiltz and Beaufort was the first Lord of Beaufort. The oldest part of the castle dates from the early 11th century. It was a small square-shaped fortress on a massive rock, surrounded by a wide ditch and a second wall facing the valley. Around the first half of the 12th century, a flanking tower was added and the access gate was moved and enlarged. The marriage of Adelaide of Beaufort with William of Orley in 1348 meant that the castle became the property of the House of Orley. The lords of Orley expanded the castle towards the valley. The wing containing the well and the upper rooms as well as the lower part of the main tower date from this period. Since 1539 Bernard of Velbrück was Lord of Beaufort. The House of Beaufort became ruined by the

Thirty Year War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

and thus was forced to sell up. On 27.11.1639 Johann Baron von Beck, governor of the province of Luxembourg on behalf of the Spanish King, acquired the greatest part of its properties. It is likely that he built the wing with the large

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

style windows in the main tower and the northwestern cannon tower. After 1643 he ordered the building of the new renaissance chateau. Johann von Beck, however, died of injuries received at the Battle of Lens in 1648 before he could even move in. His son finished the construction in 1649. The old abandoned knights' castle slowly decayed. At the beginning of the 19th century it was used as a quarry. In 1850 the Luxembourg government declared the castle a cultural heritage. As of 1893 Beaufort castle acquired a new look under the new owner Henri Even and his son Joseph Linckels. The new palace was restored and the sheep farm was expanded. In 1928 Edmond Linckels cleared the rubble from the castle and the well and made the site available to the public. Since 1981 the castle and the chateau are owned by the Luxembourg state.

Gallery

Image:Beaufort plaats.jpg, Beaufort File:Beaufort, kerk in straatzicht foto10 2014-06-09 11.53.jpg, Church (l'église Saint-Michel) in the street Image:Beaufort, Luxembourg, town centre.JPG, Beaufort town centre Image:GemengBeefo.JPG, Beaufort town hall

References

External links

* *
Beaufort
(at luxcentral.com)
ADCLux
Association of Luxembourg Castles Communes in Echternach (canton) Towns in Luxembourg {{Luxembourg-geo-stub