Vers-le-Château, ville médiévale, Castle ruin in Bois-d'Amont, canton of Fribourg, Switzerland
The Château d'Arconciel is a castle ruin set on a narrow rocky ridge on the right bank of the Sarine river, in the area of Bois-d'Amont in the canton of Fribourg. The remains include a large square tower, stretches of stone wall, and a ditch that once controlled access to the site.
The lordship of Arconciel was first recorded in 1082, when the land was granted to a man named Conon by the emperor. By the 15th century the castle was already falling into ruin, and its stones were later taken to build other structures in the surrounding area.
The ruin takes its name from the old lordship of Arconciel, which gave its identity to the castle and the surrounding community for centuries. Visitors walking the site today can still make out the shape of the defensive ditch and the rocky plateau where a small medieval settlement once stood.
The easiest approach to the ruin is from the northeast, via a farm called Gotalla, along a path that follows an old earthen mound. The terrain is steep and uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea before setting out.
Archaeologists working the site have found objects going back nearly 7,000 years, including flint arrowheads and pottery fragments, showing the ridge was used long before the medieval castle was built. Inside the enclosure, shallow square marks in the ground show where wooden buildings once stood as living quarters.
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