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VIANDEN

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 17 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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VIANDEN , an See also:

ancient See also:town in the See also:grand duchy of See also:Luxemburg, on the See also:banks of the Our, See also:close to the Prussian frontier. Pop. (1905) 2350. It possesses one of the See also:oldest charters in See also:Europe, granted See also:early in the 14th See also:century by See also:Philip, See also:count of Vianden, from whom the See also:family of See also:Nassau-Vianden sprang, and who was consequently the ancestor of See also:William of See also:Orange and See also:Queen See also:Wilhelmina of See also:Holland. The semi-mythical foundress of this family was Bertha, " the See also:White See also:Lady " who figures in many See also:German legends. The See also:original name of Vianden was Viennensis or See also:Vienna, and its probable derivation is from the See also:Celtic See also:Vien (See also:rock). The extensive ruins of the ancient See also:castle stand on an See also:eminence of the little town, but the See also:chapel which forms See also:part of it was restored in 1849 by See also:Prince See also:Henry of the See also:Netherlands. The See also:size and importance of this castle in its See also:prime may be gauged from the fact that the Knights' See also:Hall could accommodate five See also:hundred men-at-arms. A remarkable feature of the chapel is an hexagonal hole in the centre of the See also:floor, opening upon a See also:bare subterranean See also:dungeon. This has been regarded as an instance of the " See also:double chapel," but it seems to have been constructed by See also:order of the crusader Count See also:Frederick II. on the See also:model of the See also:Church of the See also:Holy See also:Sepulchre. In the neighbourhood of Vianden are other ruined castles, notably those of Stolzemburg and Falkenstein. The little town and its pleasant surroundings have been praised by many, among others by See also:Victor See also:Hugo, who resided here on several occasions.

During his last visit he wrote his See also:

fine See also:work L'Annee terrible. In the See also:time of the See also:Romans the Vianden valley was covered with vineyards, but at the See also:present See also:day its See also:chief source of See also:wealth is derived from the rearing of pigs.

End of Article: VIANDEN

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