Welschbillig Castle
Welschbillig Castle is the ruin of a water castle in the municipality of Welschbillig in the county of Trier-Saarburg in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
History
As early as the 12th century there was a small predecessor castle on the site of a former Roman villa rustica from the 2nd to 4th century in the present village of Welschbillig.From 1242 to 1299 the fortifications of the castle were significantly strengthened by the Prince-Elector of Trier, Arnold II of Isenburg and, later, the Landesburg was further expanded by his successors. During the so-called Dutch War the castle was destroyed in 1673/74 by troops of the French "sun king" Louis XIV and from 1889 to 1891 the southern side was demolished to build a church.
Site
The castle built over the remains of the Roman villa survive today as the remains of a large, quadrangular castle with moats. Still visible are the gateway with its two round towers, a stone bridge over the moat and the remains of the northwest tower.The Roman villa was built in the shape of the letter "U" next to a 58.3 by 17.8 metre water basin, which was originally surrounded 112 hermas. 71 of the hermas may be seen in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier.