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SMALL BUSINESS
Famous Castles:
The Pop Culture Connection
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For several centuries luxury castles have inspired a variety of artists from rock stars to film directors to fairytale writers.
Billy Idol, Bram Stoker and the masterminds behind the 8th 'Pokémon' movie are just some of those who have drawn inspiration from famous castles. See our photo collection of castles that have made their way into pop culture over the ages.
Next: Coral CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Wilfredo Lee, AP
Coral Castle
Homestead, Fla.
Built: Early 20th Century
Pop culture connection: The story behind the creation of this castle inspired Billy Idol to write the song 'Sweet 16.'
Highlights: Edward Leedskalnin, a man who weighed only 100 lbs., carved and sculpted more than 1,100 tons of coral rock as a testimony to his lost love, 16-year-old Agnes. It is alledged that Leedskalnin single-handedly built the castle, including its magnetic current AC, without any outside assistance or large machinery.
Next: Bran CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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AP
Bran Castle
Transylvania, Romania
Built: 1212 by Teutonic knights
Pop culture connection: Two centuries after being built the castle was used by Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the Dracula legend of a blood-sucking vampire and Bram Stoker's 'Dracula.'
Highlights: The castle sits atop a 200-ft. tall rock overlooking the village of Bran. Rooms and towers surround an inner courtyard. The castle features underground passages and a dungeon where Dracula allegedly spent two days during the Ottoman Empire occupation.
Next: La RondinaiaMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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AP
La Rondinaia
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Built: Late 19th century
Pop culture connection: Gore Vidal, a prolific playwright, essayist, scriptwriter and novelist, did much of his writing here, including part of the script for 'Ben Hur.' The Italian villa was also used in 'The Life Aquatic,' featuring Bill Murray.
Highlights: La Rondinaia, which means swallow's nest, was built into the side of a cliff, with six stories and multilevel terraces wrapped around it in a labyrinth of stairs and balconies. A broad wall of windows faces the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Next: Rockingham CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Corbis
Rockingham Castle
Northamptonshire, England
Built: 900 years ago
Pop culture connection: This castle was the inspiration behind Chesney Wold in Charles Dickens' 'Bleak House.'
Highlights: The castle overlooks the magnificent Welland Valley with fine views of five counties. It hosts 12 acres of sweeping lawns and gardens set among medieval fortifications. A magnificent wild garden in the ravine below contains over 200 species of trees and shrubs, many rare.
Next: The Haines Shoe HouseMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Joseph Kaczmarek, AP
The Haines Shoe House
Hellam, Pa.
Built: 1948-1949
Pop culture connection: Influenced by the old lady who lived in a shoe, the "Shoe Wizard" Colonel Mahlon M. Haines built this guest home for advertising purposes.
Highlights: The work boot stands 25 feet tall and is 48 feet long.
Next: Singer CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Courtsey Singer Castle
Singer Castle
Dark Island, St. Lawrence River
Built: Completed in 1905
Pop culture connection: This castle was inspired by 'Woodstock,' a novel written by the prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott.
Highlights: Among the secret passageways, 28 rooms and a dungeon, this five-story castle features a great hall with stone arched walls, massive pillars, and ceilings sculpted by Italian masons. Its spatial complexities create a number of perspective views that complicate the visitor's perception.
Next: La Chateau d'UsseMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Bo Zaunders, Corbis
La Chateau d'Usse
Rigny-Ussé, in the Indre-et-Loire, France
Built: 11th Century (mid 1400s)
Pop culture connection: It is believed that Charles Perrault wrote his famous story, 'Sleeping Beauty,' based on Usse.
Highlights: It was built with many roofs, turrets, dormer windows and chimneys. Outside it features blue roofs and fortified white stone walls, while inside is more open with a courtyard and gardens. The castle has a beautiful view of the Forest of Chinon and the valley below.
Next: Neuschwanstein CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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AFP/Getty Images
Neuschwanstein Castle
Southwest Bavaria, Germany
Built: Construction began in 1869 by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria.
Pop culture connection: The design pays homage to the operas of Richard Wagner. It served as an influence for Cinderella's castle in Disney's Magical Kingdom, and Oroduran Castle in the 8th 'Pokémon' movie.
Highlights: Its fantastical nature isn't owed to an architect, but to theatrical set designer Christian Jank. It features a room made to look like a cavern, and a secret flushing toilet in the master bedroom.
Next: Highclere CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Jack Sharp, AFP / Getty Images
Highclere Castle
Newbury, England
Built: 1830s
Pop culture connection: Its exterior was used for the orgy scenes in the Stanley Kubrick film, 'Eyes Wide Shut.' It was also featured in the 1987 movie version of 'The Secret Garden' and the TV version of 'Jeeves and Wooster.'
Highlights: This Victorian country house is the largest mansion in Hampshire. It features a stunning vaulted ceiling in its saloon, a library with a collection of two-centuries-old books, a drawing room, a music room and a smoking room.
Next: Ennis Brown HouseMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Ian Horn, ZUMA Press
Ennis Brown House
Los Angeles
Built: 1924
Pop culture connection: It was been Harrison Ford's home in the film 'Blade Runner' and served as a villain's hide out in 'Karate Kid II.' It can also be seen in 'House on Haunted Hill.'
Highlights: Ennis Brown House is a Mayan-temple influenced structure built of precast concrete blocks. Its interior features a maze of staircases. It suffered years of neglect and has been declared uninhabitable.
Next: Hearst CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Armando Arorizo, ZUMA Press
Hearst Castle
San Simeon, Calif.
Built: 1919
Pop culture connection: This castle was the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane's Xanadu in Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane.'
Highlights: Hearst Castle was built on a 40,000 acre ranch. It's like a small self-contained city, with 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world's largest private zoo.
Next: Schloss Frohnburg CastleMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Gaetan Bally, AP
Schloss Frohnburg Castle
Salzburg, Austria
Built: 17th century
Pop culture connection: The Frohnburg Castle was used in the movie 'The Sound of Music' as the front of the Von Trapp villa. It can be seen in a few scenes, including when Maria arrives at the Von Trapp villa and dances her way through the front gate.
Highlights: The Frohnburg serves these days as a dormitory and concert venue for the Salzburger Universität Mozarteum, the art University.
Next: Wilton HouseMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Christopher Simon Sykes, Hulton Archive/ Getty
Wilton House
West of Salisbury, England
Built: 450 years ago
Pop culture connection: The elaborate décor and sumptuous architecture have enticed several film directors to feature its interior settings. It can be seen in 'The Madness of King George,' 'Barry Lyndon,' and 'The Bounty' among others.
Highlights: One of the staterooms has been called the finest surviving 17th century stateroom in England. Designed to display the family portraits, it has been visited by every British monarch since Charles II.
Next: Chateau de ChillonMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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Chateau de Chillon
Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Built: 12th century
Pop culture connection: This castle inspired novels by Alexandre Dumas, Rousseau and Victor Hugo.
Highlights: The castle consists of 25 building units. The oldest part dates back to the first millennium. It features Roman and early Gothic architecture, a tower and a dungeon. It was in this prison where Bonivard was chained to a pillar between 1530 and 1536. Bonivard's destiny inspired George Gordon, Lord Byron, to write the famous poem 'The Prisoner of Chillon' (1816).
Next: More From AOLMore From AOL Money & Finance:
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