Slot Purmersteijn, Medieval castle in Purmerend, Netherlands
Slot Purmersteijn was a castle with four corner towers, thick defensive walls, and two octagonal gatehouse towers facing south across a wide moat system. The structure sat on soft peat soil, which required additional buttresses to support its weight.
Willem Eggert, treasurer of Holland and Zeeland, built Slot Purmersteijn between 1410 and 1413 as his administrative center and residence. The building stood until 1713, when it eventually collapsed.
The castle served as a regional administrative hub where local lords made decisions affecting surrounding villages and their rights. Visitors can sense the importance this place held for West-Friesland's governance, even though only foundations remain today.
The site is today part of archaeological remains, where excavations have revealed the castle's foundations including a main tower with walls over one meter thick. Visiting requires attention to the subtle traces left below ground and the preserved foundations.
The castle was built on peat soil, which caused settling problems and required extra support measures to keep it upright. These ground issues were ultimately a reason the structure eventually lost its stability.
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