Latest news with #fortress
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
The towering Paris chateau offering a more relaxing experience than Versailles
Paris tourists can escape the throngs of Versailles and discover a calmer chateau experience at the fortress of Vincennes. This medieval royal residence, boasting Europe's tallest keep, once held figures as notorious as the Marquis de Sade. Situated just 15 minutes east of the Paris city centre by metro, the massive fortress immediately immerses visitors in history upon crossing its drawbridge. Local guide Cindy Smili-Yesli highlights its advantages over Versailles, noting its greater age and proximity to the capital. "It's a fairly quiet castle," she explains. "The visiting conditions are much more pleasant. Here, you can really take a close look at every detail of the decor in the keep." Vincennes welcomes up to 145,000 visitors annually, a stark contrast to the eight million who visit Versailles, making it an ideal choice for a more intimate historical exploration. Europe's tallest keep The Chateau of Vincennes was first built in the second part of the 14th century, as the Hundred Years War was raging between the kingdoms of France and England, on the location of a royal manor that was used as a hunting base in the nearby woods. French King Charles V, who ascended the throne in 1364, chose to make it his residence. The immense 52-metre (171-foot) keep was meant to show the extent of France's power. 'It has been a powerful symbol of the royal monarchy since the mid-14th century,' Ms Smili-Yesli said. But Vincennes was also a symbol of an historic English success against France. Henry V of England and his court moved into the chateau for some time after his successful military campaign, in accordance with the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. Henry V died at Vincennes in 1422. He was 35. 'The legend of Vincennes says that his body was reduced to ashes in the castle's kitchens, and his bones were recovered,' Ms Smili-Yesli said. Famous figures imprisoned From the 15th century, the keep housed a prison. Famous captives included future King of France Henri IV, accused of plotting, writer and philosopher Denis Diderot, and the Marquis de Sade, known for his writings on sex. 'The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in the keep of Vincennes in the mid-to-late 18th century because of his writings and his actions as a libertine," Ms Smili-Yesli said. "He was originally held on the first floor of the keep. But as he did not get along well with one of his cousins, the Count of Mirabeau, the jailers, to punish him, moved him down to the ground floor into a much less pleasant cell, subject to cold and damp.' Many common law prisoners were also imprisoned at Vincennes, including women, especially during a series of scandals in 1679 to 1680 involving poisoning and witchcraft. Some graffiti left by the captives can still be seen on the stone walls. A Gothic Holy Chapel Facing the keep, the spectacular Holy Chapel, built in the Gothic style, features stunning stained glass windows from the mid-16th century which depict the Apocalypse through various spectacular scenes. The castle served as a refuge for the royal family at shaky times. In 1648, when a series of rebellions broke out in the kingdom, young King Louis XIV settled there. The Sun King later wished to move further away from Paris, which had been hostile to him during that period. He went on to build a palace in Versailles, west of the French capital, and left Vincennes with his court in 1682.
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Huge fortress home where couple harbored 21 children was set up like a hotel
From the outside, the imposing castle-like design and gated exterior made the $4.1 million mansion appear like a fortress. Residents admired it as they walked their dogs through the high-end California neighborhood of Arcadia - and assumed the family inside just enjoyed their privacy. That's until they noticed heavily-pregnant women walking around the grounds. For behind the walls lurked a dark secret, with mothers claiming the couple who lived there were running a chilling surrogacy scheme. The owners, couple Guojun Xuan, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, made headlines after they were found to have harbored a staggering 21 surrogate babies in the house - 17 of which were under the age of three. A neighbor, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Mail he suspected the couple were operating some sort of 'maternity house' for years - and would see cars driving in and out at all times of night. He recalled: 'Some of them [the pregnant women] were Caucasian. They were exercising and walking around because maybe their backs hurt, or they want to go into labor. 'I heard rumors that this was set up like a hotel. There are nine bedrooms. The talk around the neighborhood is they even had a front desk manager, and it was like coming to a birthing hospital.' Michael Bui, another neighbor, told Daily Mail, he would never see people go in and out and never heard crying. Women who handed over babies to the couple said they believed they were helping to build a loving family and were oblivious to other surrogates recruited across the country, from Pennsylvania to Texas. The alleged ruse continued for years - for reasons that California detectives and the FBI are yet to fully uncover - until the couple brought a two-month-old to the hospital with a traumatic head injury in May. The hospital visit led to a search warrant on the lavish mansion, which turned up the horror discovery of not only the massive brood, but also indoor surveillance cameras depicting nannies 'physically and verbally' abusing the children, Arcadia Police said. When Daily Mail visited the towering property this week, there was no sign of Xuan, Zhang, or anything showing dozens of children spent their childhoods there besides a dilapidated trampoline. Xuan and Zhang were arrested after their May hospital visit and charged with child endangerment, while the Arcadia Police Department also issued an arrest warrant for one of the nannies, named as Chunmei Li, 56. Neighbors told Daily Mail this week that residents on their Arcadia street keep to themselves, enjoying the sunny California weather in the peace of their mansions. They said they were shocked to hear dozens of children lived in the home for years, as they had never seen any toys or strollers outside nor any children playing in the street. Mark Tabal, who lives about a block and a half from the home, said he passes by the castle house several times a day to walk his dog, but had not met the couple. He said: 'I've never seen any of the kids out here. It's a fairly quiet house and I've never seen the owners. Every once in a while, I see a gardener watering the bushes outside. 'It's pretty suspicious to hear the news and knowing this is the house but not hearing anything.' Neighbor Art Romero told CBS News that the huge nine-bedroom, 11-bath home was set up like a hotel, with a large lobby and a desk at the front appearing like a hotel clerk. It is unclear what the couple do for work or how they acquired their considerable wealth, with public records showing they are connected to a number of investment firms. Surrogate mothers who gave their children to the couple have expressed horror at the allegations, saying they believed Zhang and Xuan were clients of a surrogacy company. The FBI is now investigating whether they misled mothers across the country. After the shock allegations made headlines this week, an image emerged showing Zhang smiling at the birth of one of the children, hugging surrogate mother Kayla Elliot, 27, from Texas. In an interview with Center for Bio Ethics and Culture on TikTok, Elliot revealed that when Zhang met her at the hospital, she was handed $2,000, and her mother, boyfriend, son and daughter $200 each. She said that Zhang appeared unemotional about the birth and that she 'wasn't holding the baby.' She said: 'The baby was wrapped in a bassinet... you would think that somebody that wanted a baby so bad would be holding on that baby and loving that baby and just in awe with that baby.' Another surrogate mother in Pennsylvania, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed to KTLA that she is currently still pregnant with a baby intended for the couple. The 15 children found in the home were aged between two-months and 13-years-old, and six others had been given away. All 21 were taken into the custody of Department of Children and Family Services. Bui said on the street outside the home this week that the staggering allegations have left their quiet neighborhood searching for answers. He asked: 'Did they send them to school? 'I don't know why no one found out about the people who carried the children. Twenty-one children! What do you want to do with all of those children?' Surrogate Elliot, 27, is now fighting to regain custody of a baby girl she gave to the couple. She said that she was told that the baby was going to a loving family who only had one child, and believed Xuan and Zhang were clients of a surrogate firm that investigators now allege they owned. She told ABC7: 'It's horrific, it's disturbing, it's damaging emotionally. 'These agencies, we're supposed to trust them and follow their guidance and come to find out this whole thing was a scam, and the parents own the agency - that was not disclosed at all beforehand. Zhang has denied the allegations, and told KTLA that officials are 'misguided and wrong... We look forward to vindicating any such claims at the appropriate time when and if any actions are brought.' Despite Zhang's alleged claim that she just wanted a large family, one expert fears the mega-family may have been connected to trafficking. Kallie Fell, executive director of the nonprofit Center of Bioethics and Culture, told ABC7 that while the couple may not have broken the law by having so many surrogate children, the situation made her fear they were part of a human trafficking ring. Fell, who is working with Elliot, said that the surrogacy industry is unregulated, and often, 'anything goes.' She said: 'These clinics, these agencies are not regulated by any governing body. 'That to me smells of trafficking... What are the intentions of having that many children at home through these assisted reproductive technologies?'
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Jon Bon Jovi refuses to sell his $43M estate in blow to plans for mysterious 'fortress' near Mar-a-Lago
Plans to create a massive oceanfront fortress in one of Palm Beach's most sought-after areas are in jeopardy after Jon Bon Jovi refused to sell his $43 million mansion. The rock star's home stands next to a 2.3-acre lot that a mysterious buyer has already purchased in an attempt to combine the land into a single development. It's no wonder that the Living on a Prayer rocker wants to hold on to his luxurious home. The property has seven bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. It boasts a private gym, two elevators, a climate-controlled wine cellar and a beachfront cabana. A massive master bedroom and bathroom overlook the ocean. A kitchen renovation in 2018 cost more than $1 million. The 63-year-old singer purchased the property in July 2020 and has spent most of his winters at the oceanfront oasis. Now his sanctuary is in jeopardy after the loaded investor bought adjacent real estate holdings, which sit only minutes away from President Donald Trump 's Mar-a-Lago resort. Several properties surrounding Bon Jovi's home have been purchased by two Delaware-based corporations: Creekshore LLC and Mango Leaf LLC. Corporations in Delaware offer a high degree of privacy by not requiring the disclosure of members' or managers' names in public filings. In 2023, the buyer nabbed a $178 million piece of prime oceanfront property that was purchased from William Lauder, the air to the Estee Lauder fortune. According to the Wall Street Journal the LLCs have spent almost $250 million so far — and show no signs of slowing down. The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's Office told the Daily Mail that many multimillion dollar homes in the area are owned by LLCs that manage the properties. While the property is just north of the president's resort it is unclear if the buyer — or group of buyers — have any connection to him or his family. The Daily Mail's attempts to reach the registered agent of the LLCs have gone unanswered. 'I can't tell you who owns the LLCs or who's behind the purchase of the properties,' a representative of the Property Appraiser's Office said. 'Because I don't know. No one in our office knows. These rich people like to operate in total secrecy. They don't like us average schmoes to know what they are up to.'
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Daily Mail
GUY ADAMS: Vegan influencer and founder of the hate-filled gossip website Tattle Life Sebastian Bond is said to be lying low in Thailand. Now he's feared to be trying to hide his fortune - as a raft of celebrities on his site line up to sue...
Every notable king has a castle – and, for Sebastian Bond, that fortress is a four-bedroom house lying a stone's throw from Glastonbury 's historic abbey. Security cameras monitor the driveway, which is protected by a set of tall metal gates, and, when the Mail visited this week, the curtains on every single window were firmly drawn.
