

Walmer castle isn't as "grand" as some of the other castles we've visited but it dates back to the 16th century and is another one of Henry

Also, interesting was that the Duke of Wellington died at this castle in a chair, which they still have. He was the guy who defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo so he was well known and respected. There were many different types of things that were made of his image such as coins, mugs, busts, etc. But the real interesting thing they had of him was a "death mask". When he died, they actually took some sort material and made a mask of his face. They now have it displayed inside the castle along with all these other types of replicas of him. It was very eerie. They had obviously removed his false teeth as his mouth was sunken in on the mask.
The second castle we went to see was Deal Castle. Again another one of Henry the VIII's castles to defend the coast against Spain and France. It was built in 1539 but really did not come under fire until the Second Civil War in 1648.

Nothing else too interesting about this castle, in my opinion, but we did happen upon both castles today in the midst of getting ready for weddings. So Walmer Castle clearly posted that it was closing early due to a wedding, whereas Deal Castle let us walk around in the chaos of them getting ready. They had a huge pig on a spit being roasted, and they were setting up tables outside on one of the turrets where guns used to be (and a replica of a gun is now). They also had a DJ and speakers inside one of the rooms of the castle and more speakers outside. They also had a lot of furniture that I'm pretty sure wasn't around in the time of Henry VIII. Chris said how it looked like someone brought in their furniture from their house. So it took away from the ambiance of a castle in my opinion but it would've just been empty rooms otherwise. It's kind of neat that you can rent out some of these castles for just such an occasion.
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To a castle lover: what could be more romantic than getting married in a true medieval castle in the heart of Tuscany? Beautiful Castello di Montalto della Berardenga is about a thousand years old, yet its stones are still standing thanks to loving restorations in the 16th century and again in the 19th.
Invite your closest friends to share a full week with you in this magic setting near Siena, one of the loveliest cities in Italy, and enjoy wine tasting, sports, natural spas, and tours of the countless wonders of the Hill Towns of central Italy.
Up to 44 people can stay in 10 independent apartments and houses in and around the castle, and the former granary can host up to 100 or more seated diners for your reception. Diana, the owner, can organize everything for you, from ceremony to catering to music to hairdresser and massage. See the web site at www.montalto.it and write for further details.
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