Swiss castle reopens on 550th anniversary of Grandson battle

The inauguration of the restored castle for the general public is scheduled for this weekend. Keystone-SDA

On Monday, Swiss officials commemorated the 550th anniversary of the battle of Grandson, which saw the Confederates defeat the army of the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, on March 2, 1476. To mark the occasion, the castle was reopened to the public following 15 years of renovation work.

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The ceremony took place at the foot of the building, in the presence of Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, as well as cantonal ministers Christelle Luisier and Isabelle Moret (canton Vaud) and Sylvie Bonvin-Sansonnens (canton Fribourg).

“We are not celebrating a military confrontation, but a part of Swiss history,” said Cassis, recalling that “the country has been shaped over the centuries by conflicts” such as the Burgundian Wars, the Wars of Religion and the Sonderbund War. “From these divisions emerged the Switzerland of today, which has understood how to hold itself together,” he added.

Luisier recalled that the Confederates had defeated a larger and more powerful army at Grandson. “It was not a spectacular victory, but a collective one,” she said. “Today, as 550 years ago, unity is not a slogan but a condition for survival.”

The value of the restored monument extends beyond the realm of culture alone, Moret said. “Grandson Castle is the flagship of a rapidly developing region,” said the minister responsible for the economy and heritage. ‘It will act as a major economic catalyst for northern Vaud,” she added, emphasising that heritage benefits tourism, which in turn benefits the economy.

At the end of the ceremony, the public were given a glimpse of the renovated historic monument and its new immersive exhibition, entitled Grandson: 1,000 Years of History. The inauguration for the general public is scheduled for this weekend.

Translated from French with AI/gw

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