Castle/keep location
March 16, 2010 7:18 AM Subscribe
Anyone know where this old castle/keep is located and maybe a bit of its history?
Pollomacho: I think it's not the scale so much as the light. Your brain is telling you that if the lighting in the sky is so dramatic then there should be harsh shadows all over the church / castle, but there aren't. Someone did a lot of Photoshop tweaking on that sky, maybe even a full replacement. As for the location, I have no idea. I'll vote Germany and see what happens.
posted by komara at 7:48 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by komara at 7:48 AM on March 16, 2010
The rhododendrons and privet hedge make it look Scottish to me, but then I agree with Pollomacho that it may be a religious building rather than a castle - possibly an abbey? but googling for abbeys in Scotland gets me a lot of gothic buildings. Intriguing...
posted by melisande at 8:02 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by melisande at 8:02 AM on March 16, 2010
It looks Norman to me, and likely a church. I think the key may be the plants around it as melisande mentions.
posted by pointystick at 8:04 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by pointystick at 8:04 AM on March 16, 2010
I tried playing with Google Goggles, and all I found was this image as part of a collection of clearly-photoshopped images on a Russian website with lots of NSFW background images.
Perhaps this page will be useful to someone?
posted by JMOZ at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2010
Perhaps this page will be useful to someone?
posted by JMOZ at 8:10 AM on March 16, 2010
The red plant in the center looks like bougainvillea to me. Maybe Spain?
But really, how can one tell.
Do you have a source for the photo?
posted by SLC Mom at 8:28 AM on March 16, 2010
But really, how can one tell.
Do you have a source for the photo?
posted by SLC Mom at 8:28 AM on March 16, 2010
Looks like a abbey to me too, probably Romanesque, 11th or 12th century, southern Europe (Italy, France, or Spain most likely). The windows are small and round-headed (I think- I'm having trouble making them out) and the tower is squat and blocky, all indicating that it's probably pre-Gothic. No windows in the clerestory either.
posted by GodricVT at 8:45 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by GodricVT at 8:45 AM on March 16, 2010
Architecturally and in setting a bit like Notre Dame de Valère in Sion, Switzerland but not actually there I think, though that might be the neck of the woods. Here's another couple of images - belfry seems similar though gable end not.
posted by Abiezer at 8:50 AM on March 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Abiezer at 8:50 AM on March 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
Pollomacho: I think it's not the scale so much as the light.
No, its the scale. The shrubs in the foreground are the size of the church. Check out the ivy leaves at the very bottomThe bricks in the foreground and on the church are the same size suggesting that they are either fake and shopped in or that the church is not that far away and is small.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2010
No, its the scale. The shrubs in the foreground are the size of the church. Check out the ivy leaves at the very bottomThe bricks in the foreground and on the church are the same size suggesting that they are either fake and shopped in or that the church is not that far away and is small.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2010
Props to Abiezer. Here's a shot of Valere from a similar angle, and I think it's pretty undeniable. Home to the world's oldest playable pipe organ.
posted by drlith at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by drlith at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
Or, I should say the church and the wall are farther away and the shrubbery is shopped in.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:38 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by Pollomacho at 9:38 AM on March 16, 2010
That's a better shot drlith and does look more like it - I was looking for something form the reverse angle to the second one I posted.
Pollomacho - it reminded me a bit of those old hand-tinted postcards except for the sky.
posted by Abiezer at 9:41 AM on March 16, 2010
Pollomacho - it reminded me a bit of those old hand-tinted postcards except for the sky.
posted by Abiezer at 9:41 AM on March 16, 2010
Response by poster: Hey all--thanks for all the input. Seems to be Valere in Switzerland but heavily photoshopped.
Thanks Abiezer and drlith!
posted by luvmywife at 9:45 AM on March 16, 2010
Thanks Abiezer and drlith!
posted by luvmywife at 9:45 AM on March 16, 2010
Wow, nice one Abiezer. This one had me flummoxed. I'll blame it on the wacky processing.
posted by GodricVT at 9:49 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by GodricVT at 9:49 AM on March 16, 2010
I know - I thought Scotland at first glance too like melisande above. Never actually been to Valere, but have read about it and seen pictures before.
posted by Abiezer at 9:59 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by Abiezer at 9:59 AM on March 16, 2010
Wow, yeah, the faked in plants really threw me off the trail. Never would have gotten onto the right track. Nice job, Abiezer et al.
posted by Justinian at 10:07 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by Justinian at 10:07 AM on March 16, 2010
Where did you find the original photo?
posted by idiomatika at 11:02 AM on March 16, 2010
posted by idiomatika at 11:02 AM on March 16, 2010
Response by poster: I got the original from one of those email attachments that pass around the internet from friends/family. Interestingly, most of the pictures in that russian website (NSFW) were part of the attachment.
posted by luvmywife at 1:12 PM on March 16, 2010
posted by luvmywife at 1:12 PM on March 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:24 AM on March 16, 2010