Where's That Castle? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italy

The Castel Sant Angelo is an ancient building in Rome, which was first constructed between around 134-39 AD as a mausoleum for the remains of the Emperor Hadrian. It was then converted into a fortress, before becoming a papal residence and then a prison. Opera fans may recall that the last act of Puccini's "Tosca" takes place here, and it is from its rooftops that the title character throws herself to her death, after the execution of her lover, Cavaradossi.

Answer: United States of America

Hearst Castle is a twentieth-century construction that can be seen on California's west coast, not far from the town of San Simeon. It was built for the multi-millionaire newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst, and was constructed over several decades between 1919 and 1947.

Its design, credited to the architect Julia Morgan and incorporating many of Hearst's own ideas, is loosely inspired by Spanish renaissance and baroque architecture. It is now open to the public, and contains much of its late owner's collection of antiques and other artwork.

Answer: India

To English speakers, the word "fort" usually suggests a military site rather smaller than a castle, but India's Mehrangarh Fort is anything but insignificant. It has a spectacular location, on a hilltop overlooking the city of Jodhpur, and construction began in 1460.

The building was substantially altered and strengthened during successive centuries, and the current building dates mostly from the seventeenth century. After withstanding many assaults over the years, it is now a museum, and houses many treasures of the Rathore clan who built it.

Answer: Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland is a treasure house of ancient castles, some in better condition than others. One of the best-known is Blarney Castle in County Cork, the current building dating back to the fifteenth century. The oldest part takes the form of a traditional square tower, but what most people come to see is the world-famous "Stone of Eloquence" or "Blarney Stone".

This is a plain lump of limestone built into the battlements of the castle, and at some point in the eighteenth century, a story seems to have developed that anyone who kisses the stone becomes blessed with the gift of the gab (for which of course all Irish are famous).

The tradition continues to this day, and attracts many thousands of visitors.

Answer: Scotland

Glamis Castle (pronounced "Glarms", to rhyme with "arms") is a Scottish castle located in the administrative area of Angus (once the county of Forfarshire). Fans of Shakespeare will recall that the Bard used Glamis Castle as the home of Macbeth, although the historic King Macbeth (who died in 1057) lived somewhere else entirely.

More recently (in 1900), the castle was the birthplace of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who later became the wife of King George VI and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. Her other daughter, Princess Margaret, was in fact also born here.

Answer: Germany

Like many German castles, the Wartburg has a spectacular site on top of a hill, looking down on the town of Eisenach. There has been a castle here since around 1067 and it became the main residence of the Landgraves of Thuringia. It became an important centre of mediaeval German culture, and in later centuries was famous for the "Sängerkrieg" (song contest) that supposedly took place there in 1207 (as featured in Richard Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser").

In 1521-22, Martin Luther stayed there after his excommunication, and translated the New Testament into German.

More recently, in 1999 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Answer: Denmark

Frederiksborg Castle can be found in the Danish town of Hillerød, just north of the capital, Copenhagen. The current building was built between around 1600 and 1620, as a palace for King Christian IV. Much of the building was substantially destroyed by fire in 1859, but was reconstructed as close as possible to the original.

It reopened in 1882 as the home of the Danish Museum of National History, and as such is now open to the public all year round.

Answer: Romania

Bran Castle can be found in central Romania, on the boundary between the regions of Wallachia and Transylvania. A castle has stood on this site since the 13th century, and parts of the surviving stone building are believed to date back to the 1370s. In his 1897 novel "Dracula", Bram Stoker adopted it as the residence of the title character, and the castle (which is now open to the public and houses a museum) attracts a large number of tourists each year by playing up this association.

Historically, there is no connection with Vlad III of Wallachia, usually credited as the inspiration for the character of Count Dracula himself.

Answer: Spain

The site of the Spanish Alcázar of Segovia (or Segovia Castle) was originally a Roman fort, chosen (like those of many castles) for its strategic value. The earliest part of the current stone building date back to the 13th century, at which time it became a residence of the monarchs of Castile.

It was subsequently used as a prison and then a military academy. It is now open to the public, and is popular for its royal associations and art collections.

Answer: England

Alnwick Castle is located in the English county of Northumberland, not far from the Scottish border. It dates back to the years following the Norman Conquest, and developed into a major fortress, playing an important defensive role in regular skirmishes with the Scots. During the turbulent rule of the Plantagenet monarchs, it was the home of the powerful Percy family, who played a crucial role in the Wars of the Roses.

It is still owned by the Dukes of Northumberland, and is a popular tourist attraction in the area. Parts of the castle were used as a location for Hogwarts in some of the earlier Harry Potter films, which did its popularity no harm at all.