posted 08-20-2000 03:44 PM           

Gordon.

posted 08-25-2000 07:03 AM            

Nijmegen or Nimwegen was once a roman military camp called NOVIOMAGUM with a 'castellum' of 100x100m on a place named Valkhof today. It was here that Charlemagne built one of his most important palaces, as Einhard tells us in chapter 17 of his 'Vita Karoli Magni'. Charlemagne was very often there between 777 and 808 AD., same as the other carolingian Emperors and Kings after him. During the winter of 880/881, an army of Vikings took Nimwegen and fortified the royal palace, but set fire as they were forced to leave. The last Carolingians used it again as residence, and after them the ottonian Kings of Germany. The Emperess Theophanu loved the place and died here in 991. During the 11th century, the Kings of the salian dynasty have often visited the 'palatium' of Nimwegen - for the last time Heinrich III. in 1046.
In 1047, Earl Gottfried of Niederlothringen destroyed the royal palace - the next visit of a King was in 1145 (Konrad III.) and Friedrich Barbarossa had to rebuild the whole complex in the late 12th century, as an inscription there tells us. A century later, the castle was in the posession of the Earls of Geldern and later the Earls of Juelich.
In 1390, the castle was destroyed forever, because the stones and the space were to be used for the new citywalls of Nimwegen. Only two very old (carolingian fundaments?) chapells remain today of the once so important royal palace: St.Martin and St.Nikolaus.

I hope this was what you've been looking for...