Disney films draw on a wide variety of sources, from traditional fairy tales to historic personalities. But what about those imposing castles? As it turns out, the world is dotted with the actual castles that served as models for Disney’s creations. Come along with ViewCation as we explore real-life castles that inspired Disney castles and films.
Álcazar of Segovia
The Alcazar of Segovia, a medieval fortress located in Segovia, Spain, served as the model for the castle that served as the home of the Queen in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” If you ask Meredith Cohen, a medieval architecture historian, there’s a nice balance between reality and Disney fantasy in the cartoon. She cites the cartoon’s small windows and stone facade as examples of realistic details, adding that such features were common in historic castles and used to deter intruders. The real castle, however, has a lot fewer turrets, as may be readily observed. Cohen, elaborated on the notion that the Walt Disney Company inflated the number of towers and turrets in its castle to make it seem more fantastical and mystical. Even though the Evil Queen and Snow White lived in an alcázar in the 1937 film, the alcázar has been utilized for a variety of functions since its inception in the 12th century. It was originally built as a stronghold, but over the years, it has served as a royal palace, a state jail, the Royal College of Artillery, and the Military Historical Archive, as stated on the monument’s official website. Aside from the aesthetic inspiration, there is also the inspiration of functionality. Considering that the Queen essentially imprisoned Snow White in the castle and the Spanish Palace also had a dungeon, perhaps the two settings are more similar than they initially appear. Nowadays, the Alcazar serves as a museum and archive that anyone can visit.
Chillon Castle In Switzerland
This castle, also known by its French name, Château de Chillon, was built around 1150. Located on the eastern edge of the lake, between Montreux and Villeneuve, the Rhône Valley in the Alps is easily accessible from this location. From the 12th century through the late 18th century, the island castle served as a stronghold, an arsenal, a prison, and a summer retreat; today, it is open to the public as one of the most well-known castles in Switzerland. Due to its composition as a collection of 25 separate structures, the castle was obviously not constructed all at once. Do you recall the magnificent home that Prince Eric had in the 1989 version of The Little Mermaid? According to Condé Nast Traveler, it was designed to evoke the “equally stunning” Chillon Castle. However, in contrast to the castle that Prince Eric occupies, this one is located on a lake rather than by the ocean.
Mont-Saint-Michel
Those familiar with the Disney film Tangled may see some parallels between the real-life French island of Mont Saint-Michel and the fictitious kingdom of Corona. In an interview with AnimatedViews.com, visual development designer Laurent Ben-Mimoun explained that an island with a Renaissance castle, resembling Mont Saint-Michel, was the idea for the film. However, the final output was put together from several sources, and the animation’s use of the Corona Castle as a setting is a great example of how to incorporate a real building into a fictional plot. Mont-Saint-Michel is a French island off the coast of Normandy that was once home to a Benedictine abbey. After a while, the church was converted into a jail, and in reality, you may only visit Mont-Saint-Michel twice a day, during times of low tide. These two points are symbolic representations of two crucial events in the princess’s tale: The jail represents Rapunzel’s early years spent imprisoned in a tower, while the rising and falling tides represent her hair, representing the limited methods she had to communicate with the outside world. Ben-Mimoun further disclosed that the bulk of the inspiration came from the French Renaissance, for example, the chubby towers of Chenonceau (Château de Chenonceau).
Craigievar Castle
It is widely believed that the famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany, is widely believed to have been Disney’s primary inspiration for the famous edifice in his 1950 masterpiece, Cinderella. However, the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) considers Craigievar Castle to be the landmark holding that title. The official NTS website touts the bibbidi bobbidi gorgeous setting in Aberdeenshire, roughly 2.5 hours north of Edinburgh, with the first bullet point being “Discover the stunning pink castle thought to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.” The Craigievar Castle is more like a millennial pink fantasy that could only have sprung from a fairy tale, but it is actually the inspiration behind the setting of one of the most beloved fairy tales. Among the most recognizable and beloved structures in all of Scotland, this tower house was first constructed in the Scottish Baronial style in 1576 and has remained mostly untouched since William Forbes’ completion of it around 1626. Craigievar was inhabited by a single family until the 1960s, during which time it was transformed into a unique medley of homey furnishings and priceless artefacts.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein, built in Bavaria at King Ludwig II’s behest, served as the model for King Stefan’s castle in the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. However, Disney included some extra magical touches, much like the Queen’s castle in Snow White. Like other castles in Disney animations, various elements of King Stefan’s palace hint at several time periods. In addition to the pointed arches typical of the Gothic style, there are also turrets in the Renaissance and Gothic styles, as well as the Scandinavian tradition.
When compared to Ludwig II’s other castles, Neuschwanstein most clearly represents the king’s aspirations and ambitions. The castle wasn’t built to display the monarchy so much as to provide a refuge.
Neuschwanstein was a technological marvel even for its time; it simply wore a medieval façade. Even though the castle looked like it was straight out of the Middle Ages, state-of-the-art technology was running the show, and every modern convenience was available. Every room of the Palace, the monarch’s official dwelling, has a central heating system that blows hot air. Hot and cold running water was accessible in the kitchen, and running water was available on all floors.
Taj Mahal
One of the most distinctive castles in any Disney feature animation is the Sultan’s Palace from Aladdin. According to production designer Gemma Jackson’s interview with Entertainment Weekly, the castle of the Sultan in the made-up country of Agrabah in the 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin was a “real jumble” of influences from throughout the world.
The stately mansion is crowned by a massive onion dome atop a central tower, a design element that is repeated everywhere in the house, and it has a processional stairway that leads to an arched door. One of India’s most recognizable structures served as the basis for the Sultan’s Palace, which is today recognized around the world.
The Taj Mahal, a white marble mausoleum with a domed roof, is the centrepiece of a larger complex of buildings that together make up one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Beginning in about 1631 AD, the construction of the Taj Complex took thousands of skilled artists and craftspeople twenty-two years to complete. The main tomb was finished in 1648 AD, while the surrounding buildings and gardens were completed in 1653 AD. The Taj Mahal is the most famous building of Mughal architecture, which combines Persian, Indian, and Islamic traditions.
Hôtel de Glace
While not technically a castle, this structure served as the model for one of Disney’s most recent and recognizable castles, the one Elsa built out of ice in the film Frozen.
The Hôtel de Glace in Quebec served as inspiration for Frozen director Chris Buck. The name of the hotel translates to “Ice Hotel,” and it is exactly what it sounds like. During an interview with ScreenSlam in 2014, months after the film’s theatrical debut, Buck revealed that he had visited the hotel roughly five years earlier to scout it out and get a feel for what a building made entirely of ice and snow would look like.
The hotel apparently couldn’t let the idea die since the “Frozen Suite” was available for booking during most of March 2014. It resembled Elsa and Anna’s bedroom from the animated film and was carved entirely out of ice and snow.
Almost certainly, this hotel’s popularity has skyrocketed since the release of Frozen.
Eilean Donan and Dunnottar Castle
The castle that Merida and her many relatives lived in was purportedly modelled after several others. The fictional DunBroch from the movie Brave was modelled after two real-life castles: Eilean Donan Castle and Dunnottar Castle, both of which are situated in Scotland. Even while the animation is a near-perfect representation of the real buildings (especially the stone exterior and horizontal profile), there are a few discrepancies. Firstly, stone castles didn’t appear until the 11th century, while the story takes place in the 10th. Also, the Palace looks quite broken down for a place where people are still supposed to be living. This could be symbolic of the rivalry between the many clans in the film.
VisitScotland, the official tourism organization of Scotland, reports that the Pixar animators who worked on the film Brave were profoundly moved by the country’s natural beauty and rich tradition during their two trips to Scotland in the summer of 2006 and the fall of 2007.
Cháteau de Chambord
It’s feasible, sort of, to stay at the same hotel that served as the basis for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. According to Sarah Greenwood, who worked as a production designer for the 2017 live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson, the Cháteau de Chambord served as inspiration for the 1991 animation and the film. Even if you can’t see yourself spending the night nearby, a day trip to the chateau is a must. As a heads up, the French gardens are magnificent.
Despite Chambord’s great fame and the interest, it has generated among historians over the years, the building’s designer remains a mystery. Despite this, it cannot be denied that Leonardo da Vinci’s influence can be seen throughout the château of Chambord.
For an authentic Beauty and the Beast experience, travellers should take the six-hour trip across the country to the Alsace area of France, which was said to be the inspiration for Belle’s small town. In 2018, Adventures by Disney expanded one of its European river cruises to include Riquewihr, a town in Alsace that serves as a stand-in for Belle’s hometown in the film.
There you have it. It’s now time to hear from you. Which of the real-life castles above would you love to visit?