| This impressive hall with its heavy oak beams and the family coats of arms is the biggest room in the castle. It served the earlier inhabitants as a meeting hall. During family discussions the principle of freedom of speech was in effect as shown by the two "fools masks", one in the corner and the other under the middle beam. Along with this was the "flower of silence" (a rose) above the door which showed that no word spoken in council should be communicated to anyone outside the chamber. The suits of armour, weapons and other military equipment were first placed in the Knights Hall during the Romantic period in the 19th century. It is full of historical specialities, for example the valuable Gobelin from the late 17th century or the Maximilian armour weighing 60 pounds. | |
| This Gobelin - a tapestry from the royal Gobelin workshop in Paris - is from the late 17th century. It shows the Greek sun-god and the moon-god Selene at an evening meal surrounded by nine Muses. This Gobelin is in honour of Ludwig XIV who called himself the "Sun-king" and always dressed up as the sun-god at celebrations. |  |
| This "Maximillian fluted armour" weighs at least 60 pounds and is from the 1520’s. It is called after the Emperor Maximilian - the so-called "last German knight". The fluting of its armour plate makes it especially strong. However, with the development of firearms, armour suddenly offered very little in the way of protection - and became no more than scrap iron. |  |
The articles shown here are just a few of the objects of interest waiting for you in the Knights Hall. We look forward to you visit.