Last modified: 2012-10-27 by ivan sache
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The municipality of Beaufort (in Luxemburgian, Beefort; 2,300 inhabitants in 2011; 1,374 ha) is located in the hilly and rocky region of Luxembourg known as Little Switzerland, close to Echternach. The municipality is made of the villages of Beaufort (2,078 inh.), Dillingen (190 inh.) and Grundhof (32 inh.).
Ivan Sache, 23 June 2012
![[Flag of Beaufort Castle]](../images/l/lu-bef.gif)
Flag of Beaufort Castle - Image by Ivan Sache, 23 June 2012
Beaufort is mostly known for the romantic ruins of its castle (website).
According to a document dated 1192, the oldest known lord of Beaufort
was Walter of Wiltz. The earliest castle, built in the beginning of the 11th century, was a small, square fort protected by a ditch and a second wall. Around the first half of the 12th century, a donjon was added to the fort while its gate was relocated and increased. The castle was transferred in 1348 to the lords of Orley, following the
marriage of Adelaïde of Beaufort with William of Orley. The new lords
significantly increased the castle; their descendant, Bernard of
Valbrück was listed as lord of Beaufort in 1539. At the time, a wing
with large windows was built in Renaissance style, while the defences
of the castle were improved with the addition of the artillery tower.
Ruined during the Thirty Years' War, the lords of Beaufort had to sell
their domains, most of them being acquired on 27 November 1639 by
Baron John of Beck, Governor of the Province of Luxembourg on behalf
of the King of Spain. Beck started the building of a new Renaissance
castle in 1643 but never lived in the castle; he died in 1648 after
the battle of Lens and was succeeded by his son, who completed the
building of the castle.
The old medieval castle, deemed obsolete and abandoned, was used as a
stone quarry in the early 19th century. In 1850, the castle was
proclaimeda historical monument, which stopped its destruction. Its new
owner, Henri Even, started the restoration in 1893. In 1928, his son-
in-law Edmond Linckels opened the castle to the public. The two
castles - the medieval and the Renaissance - were eventually acquired
by the State of Luxembourg on 1981.
The main tower of Beaufort Castle flies a flag horizontally divided
yellow-red-yellow-red-yellow.
The exact meaning of the flag is unknown to me, although the flag, undoubtedly, uses the colours of Beaufort. The lords of Beaufort bore
"Or a chief gules charged with a five-pointed label argent". These
arms were derived from the arms of the lords of Wiltz, "Or a chief
gules". After her marriage with William of Orley, Adelaïde of Beaufort
quartered her arms to "Quarterly, 1. and 4. Argent two pallets gules
(Orley), 2. and 3. Or a chief gules charged with a five-pointed label
argent (Beaufort)". These arms are represented in different parts of
the old castle, for instance the keystone of the artillery tower (photos).
The flag is not a banner of the municipal arms of Beaufort, either,
although these arms were derived from the arms of the lords of Beaufort. The municipal arms of Beaufort (presentation) are "Or a tower gules crenelated of five pieces masoned sable a chief gules charged with a five-pointed label argent". The arms were designed in 1986 by M. Lenertz, adopted on 3 July 1986 by the Municipal Council and confirmed on 10 October 1986 by a Decree of the Executive signed on 10 October 1986.
Ivan Sache, 23 June 2012