Layers of history at medieval site.
31 August 2007
Irish Times
Excavations at the remains of a medieval castle in Tulsk, Co Roscommon, have unearthed the castle latrine and a pair of dice made out of antler or bone about 500 years ago, writes Marese McDonagh.
Archaeologists have uncovered layers of history at the site, including part of a tower house castle and a 16th century military structure linked to the notorious Sir Richard Bingham, who was governor of Connacht during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I at the end of the 1500s.
According to Dr Niall Brady, who led the Discovery Programme project, the finds will provide valuable insight into the lives of Gaelic chieftains and their households during the late medieval period, a facet of Irish history which he feels has been largely ignored.
Excavation at the ring fort in Tulsk began in 2004 and a series of summer digs have taken place since then, with this year's yielding a number of significant finds, including two ring pins, possibly used as clasps for cloaks, dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries.
Tulsk was the base of the O'Conor Roe chieftains and the discovery of part of a medieval castle is regarded as a milestone in the search for more information about rural areas which were controlled by chieftains and not by the British crown from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
The finds connected with Bingham, who was known as "the flail of Connacht", were a "bonus", as they had not been expected at this site, according to Dr Brady.
"We found musket shot, English coins, iron arrowheads, evidence of the presence of soldiers which had nothing to do with domesticity," he pointed out.
The archaeologists believe that the tower house castle was in ruins by the time of Bingham's reign as governor of Connacht as several stones from the tower were reused in the 16th century buildings. Situated on top of an earthen mound or ring fort, the tower of the castle, with its commanding views over the northern approaches to Tulsk, would have represented a clear statement of the power and status of the local Gaelic lord.
The excavation suggests that the tower was rebuilt a number of times right up to the late 16th century, when Tulsk was garrisoned.
Despite the persistent rain, which made the summer dig more difficult, the team managed to excavate into the ditch surrounding the castle, where they uncovered the medieval garderobe, or latrine, of the castle.
Appropriately, the excavation was based beside the Cruachan At Heritage Centre in Tulsk, the focal point of one of the most important Celtic royal sites in Europe, with a reputed 60 national monuments within a four-mile radius. It was the seat of the kings of Connacht and is also believed to have been home to the warrior queen, Maeve, who launched the famous cattle raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúalinge) from this area.
The Washington Post recently described the site as "a Machu Picchu not of stone but of thatch-covered wooden palaces when Helen of Troy was just a kid".
Dr Brady said he hoped that as the excavations ended for another year these most recent finds would reinforce the importance of Tulsk as a key heritage attraction. The ring fort site his team is exploring stands beside a site known as Castleland, where it is believed another castle was built for the O'Conors in the early 1400s.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
California winemaker becomes king of the castle
California winemaker becomes king of the castle: Grumbles from Napa locals over $30m folly built to honour Italian ancestors
Ed Pilkington, New York
31 August 2007
The Guardian
They may be 6,000 miles apart, but were you to take a tour of a medieval castle in Tuscany and then visit Calistoga in California you could be forgiven for being more than a little confused.
For nestled among rows of vines in Napa Valley, America's most renowned wine-growing area, stands an enormous castle that even a seasoned visitor to Chiantishire would find authentic. The castle, all 11,150 sq metres (120,000 sq ft) of it (pictured right), is built with 850,000 aged bricks imported from Europe, hand-carved stones, lime-based mortar, turrets and a moat.
The folly, which has taken 13 years and something in the order of $30m (pounds 15m) to build, is the work of Daryl Sattui, who has been a Napa Valley winemaker for 30 years. He conceived the idea for a castle in the 13th-century style in honour of his great-grandfather Vittorio, who came to San Francisco from Genoa in 1882 in the great wave of Italian emigration to America.
Vittorio arrived as a baker, but developed a winemaking business based on Napa grapes that became highly successful until it was shut down by prohibition in 1920.
Half a century later, his great-grand-son set himself the challenge of restarting the family business, beginning with a $500-a-month lease on a tiny plot of land which he converted into his first winery. The property was so run down that he and his wife lived in a converted VW minivan for several years.
Mr Sattui began crushing his first grapes in 1975 and used Vittorio's original hand-corking machine. Over the years he has followed and surpassed the success of his great-grandfather, turning the business into a multimillion-dollar venture.
An important part of his winning formula is to attract tourists and wine fanatics to his vineyards, and then sell wine to them directly o avoiding having to share the profits with middlemen. So there is a commercial logic to building a medieval castle in the rolling hills of Napa: it is certain to bring in hordes of tourists, together with their wallets. But Mr Sattui, who started out planning to build a modest monastery on the site but expanded his ambitions to a castle more than 10 times the size, with 107 rooms o insists that this is primarily a labour of love.
"I wanted to pay homage to my relations, who came out of Italy and were pioneer winemakers in California and very successful, until prohibition forced them out," he told the San Jose Mercury.
What has struck visitors to the castle is its attention to detail. Its 22-metre great hall is lined with frescoes that took two Italian painters 18 months to complete. The huge underground cellar has about 40 cross vaults. There is also a dungeon o and a torture room complete with a reproduction rack.
Not everybody is convinced by the construction, however, no matter how true it is to its inspiration. There have been grumblings from Napa residents about the 'Disneyfication' of the area.
When contributors to a Napa Valley wine blog, Cork Board, took a tour of the castle recently they overheard visitors mutter Disneyland, indicating to us they no longer felt as though they were in Napa Valley.
Others might complain about the structure's name, Castello de Amorosa o Castle of Love o which is as sweet as the dessert wine Mr Sattui produces.
Ed Pilkington, New York
31 August 2007
The Guardian
They may be 6,000 miles apart, but were you to take a tour of a medieval castle in Tuscany and then visit Calistoga in California you could be forgiven for being more than a little confused.
For nestled among rows of vines in Napa Valley, America's most renowned wine-growing area, stands an enormous castle that even a seasoned visitor to Chiantishire would find authentic. The castle, all 11,150 sq metres (120,000 sq ft) of it (pictured right), is built with 850,000 aged bricks imported from Europe, hand-carved stones, lime-based mortar, turrets and a moat.
The folly, which has taken 13 years and something in the order of $30m (pounds 15m) to build, is the work of Daryl Sattui, who has been a Napa Valley winemaker for 30 years. He conceived the idea for a castle in the 13th-century style in honour of his great-grandfather Vittorio, who came to San Francisco from Genoa in 1882 in the great wave of Italian emigration to America.
Vittorio arrived as a baker, but developed a winemaking business based on Napa grapes that became highly successful until it was shut down by prohibition in 1920.
Half a century later, his great-grand-son set himself the challenge of restarting the family business, beginning with a $500-a-month lease on a tiny plot of land which he converted into his first winery. The property was so run down that he and his wife lived in a converted VW minivan for several years.
Mr Sattui began crushing his first grapes in 1975 and used Vittorio's original hand-corking machine. Over the years he has followed and surpassed the success of his great-grandfather, turning the business into a multimillion-dollar venture.
An important part of his winning formula is to attract tourists and wine fanatics to his vineyards, and then sell wine to them directly o avoiding having to share the profits with middlemen. So there is a commercial logic to building a medieval castle in the rolling hills of Napa: it is certain to bring in hordes of tourists, together with their wallets. But Mr Sattui, who started out planning to build a modest monastery on the site but expanded his ambitions to a castle more than 10 times the size, with 107 rooms o insists that this is primarily a labour of love.
"I wanted to pay homage to my relations, who came out of Italy and were pioneer winemakers in California and very successful, until prohibition forced them out," he told the San Jose Mercury.
What has struck visitors to the castle is its attention to detail. Its 22-metre great hall is lined with frescoes that took two Italian painters 18 months to complete. The huge underground cellar has about 40 cross vaults. There is also a dungeon o and a torture room complete with a reproduction rack.
Not everybody is convinced by the construction, however, no matter how true it is to its inspiration. There have been grumblings from Napa residents about the 'Disneyfication' of the area.
When contributors to a Napa Valley wine blog, Cork Board, took a tour of the castle recently they overheard visitors mutter Disneyland, indicating to us they no longer felt as though they were in Napa Valley.
Others might complain about the structure's name, Castello de Amorosa o Castle of Love o which is as sweet as the dessert wine Mr Sattui produces.
Underground secrets of a solitary life in Pontefract
Underground secrets of a solitary life in Pontefract
31 August 2007
Yorkshire Evening Post
Above the ground construction vehicles rumble their way around the site of a new 21st century hospital.
But buried just yards away, beneath Pontefract General Infirmary, lies a little-known piece of the town's medieval history waiting to reveal its secrets as part of this year's programme of Heritage Open Days across West Yorkshire.
The 14th century hermitage is thought to be the only one of its kind in the country and local heritage leaders say it will offer a unique glimpse back in time.
Hermitage team leader David Wilcox said: "To practise as a hermit, you had to have a licence and the first licensed hermit here was Robert de Laythorpe, who passed it on to his brother Adam. The hermitage dates back to 1386 and was rediscovered in 1854 when a workman laying a new sewer fell through the ceiling of the oratory. What exactly a hermit would do here and what would motivate someone to want to become one remains a mystery, but it's an incredible site."
The site comprises two caves carved from solid rock. Wearing hard hats, visitors will first negotiate the 63 winding steps down into a well room containing fresh spring water. Then next-door is another small cave which was used for meditation and prayer. It features an altar, cross, fireplace and domed ceiling.
Bill Booth, of the Pontefract and District Archaeological Society, which is arranging the visits, said: "This is a part of Pontefract's heritage that people really don't know about. It's been here all these years and most people don't even know it exists."
The site is now Grade 1 listed and is owned by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, whose new hospital will incorporate part of the existing infirmary. Helen Keighley, heritage outreach officer with English Heritage said: "This hermitage is a fantastic example of what Heritage Open Days are all about. No matter what your interests are or what it is you want to see, there's something for everyone somewhere in the district."
Tours around the hermitage on Southgate, Pontefract, are on Saturday, September 8. Places are limited, so booking is essential. Call 0779 502 3771.
Other events happening in the town include a folk music evening at the Counting House, Pontefract, on Thursday at 8pm and Tours of All Saints Church next Friday and Saturday.
Heritage Open Days run from next Thursday to Saturday. A full programme of events around the district can be found at www.heritageopendays.org or on the information line - 020 75 39 7907.
31 August 2007
Yorkshire Evening Post
Above the ground construction vehicles rumble their way around the site of a new 21st century hospital.
But buried just yards away, beneath Pontefract General Infirmary, lies a little-known piece of the town's medieval history waiting to reveal its secrets as part of this year's programme of Heritage Open Days across West Yorkshire.
The 14th century hermitage is thought to be the only one of its kind in the country and local heritage leaders say it will offer a unique glimpse back in time.
Hermitage team leader David Wilcox said: "To practise as a hermit, you had to have a licence and the first licensed hermit here was Robert de Laythorpe, who passed it on to his brother Adam. The hermitage dates back to 1386 and was rediscovered in 1854 when a workman laying a new sewer fell through the ceiling of the oratory. What exactly a hermit would do here and what would motivate someone to want to become one remains a mystery, but it's an incredible site."
The site comprises two caves carved from solid rock. Wearing hard hats, visitors will first negotiate the 63 winding steps down into a well room containing fresh spring water. Then next-door is another small cave which was used for meditation and prayer. It features an altar, cross, fireplace and domed ceiling.
Bill Booth, of the Pontefract and District Archaeological Society, which is arranging the visits, said: "This is a part of Pontefract's heritage that people really don't know about. It's been here all these years and most people don't even know it exists."
The site is now Grade 1 listed and is owned by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, whose new hospital will incorporate part of the existing infirmary. Helen Keighley, heritage outreach officer with English Heritage said: "This hermitage is a fantastic example of what Heritage Open Days are all about. No matter what your interests are or what it is you want to see, there's something for everyone somewhere in the district."
Tours around the hermitage on Southgate, Pontefract, are on Saturday, September 8. Places are limited, so booking is essential. Call 0779 502 3771.
Other events happening in the town include a folk music evening at the Counting House, Pontefract, on Thursday at 8pm and Tours of All Saints Church next Friday and Saturday.
Heritage Open Days run from next Thursday to Saturday. A full programme of events around the district can be found at www.heritageopendays.org or on the information line - 020 75 39 7907.
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