Great Castles of Europe

15/03/2024

LAST CHANCE!! Join us this Sunday for our St. Patrick's Day Virtual Sojourn and journey to Ireland's greatest castles with historian and castleologist, Paul Martin Remfry. Space is limited! Register today https://bit.ly/3v3z5Mt

12/03/2024

Wake up to the breathtaking beauty of Holy Island during your stay at Manor House Hotel, one of the accommodations on our Anglo Saxon Britain Sojourn. Once a graceful summer home of the lord of several nearby manors, this 10-room hotel boasts magnificent views of both the castle and the harbor. Learn more about our Anglo Saxon Britain tour at our website today! https://bit.ly/42eoFW8

04/03/2024

Experience a journey to Ireland's greatest castles this St. Patrick's Day! Join us for a live, 90-minute virtual travel experience led by renowned historian, Paul Martin Remfry! Register online today https://bit.ly/3PupRQr

22/02/2024

Experience the medeival majesty of Europe's most historic castles on any of our Great Castles sojourns! Departures for 2024 and 2025 are now open!

https://bit.ly/47P9y6J

15/02/2024

It's time for you to discover your most amazing vacation! Explore all of our unique, expert-led sojourns that allow you to see the world and have the experience of a lifetime! https://bit.ly/3SJAIqt

29/01/2024

Experience the magical ambience of Camelot Castle Hotel when you join us on our Uncovering Camelot sojourn. Curious about where else you'll stay when you travel with us? Request your itinerary for any of our fascinating historical sojourns on our website!

https://bit.ly/3SpxPLk

24/01/2024

Departures for our 2024 and 2025 historical sojourns are now open for booking! Sieze your opportunity for a once in a lifetime travel experience today! Links below for details!

Anglo Saxon Britain Sojourn: https://bit.ly/42eoFW8
In the Footsteps of the Plantagenets Sojourn: https://bit.ly/3SetMRS
Lost Castles of Wales Sojourn: https://bit.ly/47OWIW8

22/01/2024

Meet Paul Remfry: author, historian, and one of the greatest castle scholars of our era! Paul is our Sojourn leader for all of our Great Castles tours, and brings the incredible history of these medieval landmarks and the people who lived in them to life. Don't miss your chance to travel and learn with this passionate historian!

https://bit.ly/47P9y6J

16/01/2024

Make your next journey one that brings history to life! Our sojourns offer unique, curated travel experiences that reveal the places, people, and events that have shaped our world. Discover the perfect sojourn for you on our website!

18/04/2023

http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/Sicily/Aci.html

16/03/2023

The Black Gate of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1895 and today.

28/02/2023

We are pleased to announce the inaugural departure of CASTLES IN THE CLOUDS. Join us in southern France this June to explore the remarkable story of the Cathars, their citadels, and the Albigensian Crusade in Medieval Languedoc. Click for more information and to request a copy of the detailed itinerary: bit.ly/3Y1wDOZ

25/02/2023

King Roger II of Sicily died today, 26 February 1154, in Palermo.

Perhaps King Roger's greatest claim to lasting fame was the building of the royal chapel within the older palace of Palermo. This chapel was commissioned in 1132 and built upon an older chapel which became it's crypt. The new chapel took eight years to build, with the mosaics still being only partially finished by 1143. It is reminiscent of a domed basilica and has three apses, as is usual in Byzantine architecture, with six pointed arches (three on each side of the central nave). These arches rest on recycled classical columns. Beyond this the chapel has typical Norman architecture, while the door decoration has Arabic arches and Arabic scripts adorn the roof as well as the Byzantine style dome. There are clusters of four eight-pointed stars, typical of Muslim design, arranged on the ceiling so as to form a Christian cross. This mix is typical of the ‘Norman' kingdom that ended in 1194. Other remarkable features of the chapel include the muqarnas ceiling with hundreds of facets painted with many ornamental vegetal and zoomorphic designs as well as scenes of daily life.
The chapel mosaics are world renowned with the oldest covering the ceiling, the drum, and the dome. The shimmering mosaics of the transept, presumably date from the 1140s and are in the Byzantine style. The rest date to the 1160s or the 1170s and are executed in a cruder manner and feature Latin rather than Greek inscriptions.

Join us in visiting the Norman Palace and Chapel every May.

24/02/2023

Castles Stalker...join us for Great Castles of Scotland to visit this stunning medieval marvel and many more. See the tour details: http://www.scholarlysojourns.com/all-sojourns/great-castles-of-scotland/great-castles-of-scotland/

20/01/2023

Join us Sunday, February 12 for a fascinating virtual sojourn: The Medieval Castle: An Introduction. Register here: http://www.scholarlysojourns.com/all-virtual-sojourns/the-medieval-castle/

24/11/2022