A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a building which serves as a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territory. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for
Roman forts and hill forts were the main antecedents of castles in Europe, which emerged in the 9th century in Carolingian France. The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. The advent of cannon and gunpowder changed the needs of warfare in Europe, limiting the effectiveness of the castle and leading to the rise of the fort. Cannon in the Middle Ages were large tubular Firearms designed to fire a heavy Projectile over a long distance Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for
Similar constructions in Russia (Kremlin) and feudal Japan (Shiro) are also considered castles. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending View01jpg|thumb|right|250px|Remains of the Kolomna Kremlin]] Kremlin (Кремль Kreml) is the Russian word for "fortress" "citadel" or "castle" For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. were Fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their most well-known form in the 16th century
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Definition
Castle comes from the Latin word castellum. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This is a diminutive of the word castrum, which means "fortified place". The word "castle" (Castell) was introduced into English shortly before the Norman Conquest to denote this type of fortress, then new to England, brought in by the Norman knights. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In Spain, a fortified dwelling on a height for the administering authority retains its Moorish name of alcázar, whilst shiro also figure prominently in Japanese history, where the feudal daimyō inhabited them. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Alcazar (disambiguation An alcázar is a Spanish Castle, from the Arabic word القصر al qasr meaning were Fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their most well-known form in the 16th century The written history of Japan begins with brief references in the 1st century AD Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts The ( were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings
A French castle is a Château-Fort, for in French a simple château connotes a grand country house at the heart of an estate, with non-military, purely residential function. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great For other uses see Estate. An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds When European castles were opened up and expanded into pleasure dwellings and power houses from the late 15th century, their "castle" designations, relics of the feudal age, often remained attached to the dwelling, resulting in many non-military castles and châteaux. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed For other senses of this word see Château (disambiguation. A château (plural châteaux) is a Manor house or residence
In Germany there are two names for what would be called a castle in English, Burg (Burh) and Schloss. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A Burg is a medieval structure of military significance, while a Schloss was built after the Middle Ages as a palace and not for defensive purposes. However, these are not usually palaces in the French style, but instead are styled on medieval mountain castles and fairytale notions, and from all appearances are often castles to an English speaker.
In Celtic countries, Caer or castell (Welsh), dún and caisleán (Irish), dùn and caisteal (Scots Gaelic) are used. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Dun (from the Brythonic Din (modern Welsh Dinas and Gaelic Dùn, meaning fort) is now used both as a generic term for a fort Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages.
In spite of the generally accepted definition, the word "castle" is sometimes used to mean a citadel (such as the castles of Badajoz and Burgos) or small detached forts d'arrêt in modern times and, traditionally, in Britain it has also been used to refer to prehistoric earthworks (e. A citadel is a fortress for protecting a Town, sometimes incorporating a Castle. Badajoz - (IPA, formerly written Badajos in English the capital of the Spanish province of Badajoz in the autonomous community History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement g. Maiden Castle). Maiden Castle is a Hill fort, mostly dating from the Iron Age, in the Civil parish of Winterborne Monkton, situated 2 Miles south The use of the Spanish equivalent castillo can be equally misleading, as it can refer to true castles and forts (eg. Castillo de San Marcos); terms such as Fortaleza ("fortress") are in similar situations. The Castillo de San Marcos is a Spanish built Fort located in the city of St
Defining features
The chief distinguishing features of castles, as opposed to other defensive structures, can be defined as follows:
- Castles were places of protection from an invading enemy, a place of retreat. This is the purpose behind such stereotypical castle features as portcullises, battlements and drawbridges. A portcullis is a latticed Grille or Gate made of wood metal or a combination of the two A battlement, (also called a Crenellation) in defensive Architecture such as that of City walls or Castles comprises a Parapet A drawbridge is a type of Movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a Castle.
- Castles were also offensive weapons, built in otherwise hostile territories from which to control surrounding lands, as forward camps. In particular, during the High Middle Ages, castles were often built for territorial expansion and regional control. The High Middle Ages was the period of European history in the 11th 12th and 13th centuries (AD 1000&ndash1299 A castle was a stronghold from which a lord could control surrounding territory.
- Castles were either built as, or evolved into, residences for the monarch or lord who built them.
These three purposes distinguish the castle from other fortresses — which are usually purely defensive (like citadels and city walls) or purely offensive (a military camp) — or edifices that are entirely residential in nature, like palaces. Castles such as the Tower of London served as prisons. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London [1]
Evolution
A castle was not only a bastion and place for detention of prisoners but also a social place where a knight or lord could entertain his peers. Over time the aesthetics of the design increased in importance, as the appearance and size began to reflect the prestige and power of the occupant.
Castles were built as defensive measures and offensive weapons, but often over time comfortable homes evolved within the fortified walls. An example is the Windsor Castle, first built as a Norman Conquest fortress; today a home to the Queen of the United Kingdom. Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Alhambra in Al-Andalus incorporated both defensive and residential features, but after the Reconquista unified Spain, its importance shifted and it became a palace under Charles V. This article is about the Alhambra in Granada Spain For other meanings see Alhambra (disambiguation. Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Palace of Charles V, in Granada, Spain, is a Renacentist construction located on the top of the hill of the Assabica inside the Nasrid
Architecture and development
Early castles
Antecedents
From as early as Neolithic times (between 8500 BC-2500 BC), people built hill forts to protect themselves. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Many earthworks survive today, along with evidence of palisades to accompany the ditches. palisade is a steel or wooden Fence or wall of variable height usually used as a defensive structure The Romans commonly encountered hill forts (called oppida) built by their enemies. Oppidum (plural oppida) is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of Ancient Rome. Though primitive, they were often effective and required extensive siege engines and other siege warfare techniques to overcome, such as at the Battle of Alesia. A siege engine is a device that is designed to Break or circumvent City walls and other Fortifications in Siege warfare. The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September 52 BC around the Gallic Oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and The Romans own fortifications (castra) varied from simple temporary earthworks thrown up by armies on the move, to elaborate permanent stone constructions, notably the milecastles of Hadrian's Wall. The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military A milecastle or milecastle fort is a fortified structure constructed along Hadrian's Wall in Great Britain. Hadrian's Wall ( Latin: perhaps Vallum Aelium, "the Aelian wall" is a stone and turf Fortification built by the Roman Roman forts were generally rectangular with rounded corners. The Roman engineer Vitruvius was the first to note the three main advantages of round corner towers: more efficient use of stone, improved defence against battering rams and improved field of fire. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c 80–70 BC died after c 15 BC was a Roman Writer, Architect and Engineer (possibly praefectus fabrum A battering ram is a Siege engine originating in ancient times to break open Fortification walls or doors The field of fire of a Weapon (or group of weapons is the area around it that it can easily and effectively reached by gunfire It was not until the 13th century that these advantages were rediscovered.
The first castles
The earliest recorded structures universally acknowledged by historians as 'castles' were built in the late 9th century, and included wood, earth and stone structures. [1] Roman fortifications, or, when possible or needed, other edifices, were often turned into castles or similar structures during the early Middle Ages. A famous example is that of the Hadrian's Mausoleum in Rome, which is known to have been used as a fortress as early as 537, during the Gothic War. For the town with the same name see Castel Sant'Angelo (RI The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 See Gothic War (376-382 for the war on the Danube The Gothic War was a war fought in Italy and the adjoining regions of Dalmatia, Sardinia [2] Other late Antiquity-early Medieval castles survive in Brescia and Trento in Italy
Construction of new castles in Europe is attested from the Carolingian era, but their construction seems to have been related mainly to the defence of frontiers and state properties, and the right to fortify was a royal privilege. Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. As early as 864, Charles the Bald issued an edict ordering the destruction of private fortifications erected without his permission. Charles the Bald ( 13 June 823 – 6 October 877) Holy Roman Emperor (875–877 as Charles II) and King of West Francia However, changes took place from the late 9th century, probably under the pressure of raids by the Vikings and Magyars, and due to the general decline of the Carolingian Empire, and the consequent loss of centralized authority, which resulted in a proliferation of castles. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. [1] There was also frequent fortification of cities, monasteries, ports and rural settlements in this period. In 906, a deacon in Verona asked Berengar I of Italy for permission to build a castle in Nogara "due to the heathens ravages". Verona is a city and provincial capital in Veneto, Northern Italy. Nogara is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 100 km southwest of
As the Carolingian Empire broke up into duchies and counties, factions struggling for power created a military infrastructure, to protect their rights, their domains, and their followers. It is within this historical context that feudalism began to emerge. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The early castle formed an integral part of feudalism: it provided a residence for the lord; provided protection for his followers as guaranteed by their feudal oaths of loyalty and allegiance, while the garrison of the castle was made up of the lord's followers, as per their feudal obligations. Many examples of defensive programs as part of feudalism exist. In the 10th century for example, in the Loire Valley, Fulk Nerra embarked on a massive castle-building program to control his county of Anjou, and neighbouring Touraine. Loire Valley (Vallée de la Loire is known as the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French Language. Anjou is a former County (c 880) Duchy ( 1360) and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Touraine may also refer to Alain Touraine, French sociologist In Normandy at around the same time, a military state emerged with a dense network of castles and feudal allegiances. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Similar arrangements with regards to defensive and holding of territory also occurred in other parts of Europe around this time. .
Castles were introduced to the British Isles around the early 11th century, by Norman-French followers of King Edward the Confessor. King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last [1] When William the Conqueror executed the Norman Conquest of England, he brought with him the practice of building a castle to protect and hold the land, by then quite familiar on the mainland of Western Europe
Residential Towers
Some of the earliest recognizable castles were essentially fortified residential halls, enclosed by a defensive wall. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Halls which functioned as habitation for an important person, chieftain or lord, and his followers, had existed since the earliest times all over Europe. During the times of uncertainty which followed the collapse of Carolingian authority, it became necessary to more strongly fortify the habitation and possessions. As a result the wooden halls were replaced by much stronger stone buildings as early as the 10th century. Examples include Langeais and Doué-la-Fontaine. Langeais is a French commune in the département of Indre-et-Loire in the region of Centre. Doué-la-Fontaine, Maine-et-Loire, France, is a small town and commune of less than 8000 residents located in the heart of Anjou, a few kilometers
Motte-and-bailey
The motte-and-bailey is a plan common to many early castles. Encastellation (sometimes castellation, which can also mean Crenellation) is the process whereby the Feudal kingdoms of Europe became dotted nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively An essential feature of this type was a circular mound of earth surrounded by a dry ditch and flattened at the top. Around the crest of its summit was placed a timber palisade, a tower, possibly residential. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or palisade is a steel or wooden Fence or wall of variable height usually used as a defensive structure [1] This moated mound was styled in Old French motte (Latin mota), a word still common in French place-names. A moat is deep broad Trench, usually filled with Water, that surrounds a structure installation or town normally to provide it with a preliminary line of Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In addition to the mound, a bailey or basse court of horseshoe shape was usually appended to it, so that the mound stood on the line of the enceinte. nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively A horseshoe is a U-shaped item made of metal or of modern synthetic materials nailed or glued to the Hooves of Horses and some other Draught The latter housed the domestic quarters, stables, stores, a forge and a water well. A stable is a Building in which Livestock, especially Horses are kept A forge is the workplace of a smith or a Blacksmith. A forge is sometimes referred to as a smithy. These earthworks were dug from the perimeter area, leaving a defensive ditch. [1] In many cases the motte seems to be a later addition to an already existing wooden settlement, surrounded by a wood palisade. Lewes Castle, built by Gulielmus de Warenne, is an unusual example, as it featured two mottes. Lewes Castle stands at the highest point of Lewes, East Sussex, England on an artificial mound built originally of Chalk blocks William de Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey, (died 1088 was one of the Norman Nobles who fought at the Battle of Hastings and became great landowners in [1] Wooden castles were built up until the 12th century.
A description of this earlier castle is given in the life of St John, Bishop of Terouanne:
| “ | The rich and the noble of that region being much given to feuds and bloodshed, fortify themselves . A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight . . and by these strongholds subdue their equals and oppress their inferiors. They heap up a mound as high as they are able, and dig round it as broad a ditch as they can . . . Round the summit of the mound they construct a palisade of timber to act as a wall. Inside the palisade they erect a house, or rather a citadel, which looks down on the whole neighbourhood. A citadel is a fortress for protecting a Town, sometimes incorporating a Castle. [3] | ” |
Defensive features
Keep
Most castles, even from the earliest times, followed certain standards of design and construction. Generally, the central feature of the castle was the keep, or donjon, the main commanding tower. A keep is a strong central Tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress [1] The primary function of the keep varied, but usually it was a residential structure functioning as a redoubt in times of trouble, but could also be used as a secure storage area, or, later, as a prison. A redoubt is a Fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort usually relying on earthworks though others In motte and bailey castles, the keep typically surmounted the motte. Many early castles and certain later ones were nothing more than simple towers. The tower houses of Britain and Ireland, as well as peel towers, are examples of this type. A tower house is a particular type of stone structure built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or Tower houses built along the English and Scottish Borders, intended as watch towers where Most, however, required outer walls of some sort. The keep was contained within the walls or attached to the walls. The area delineated by the walls was known as the bailey or the court, and the enclosure known as the enceinte. nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively
Enceinte
The enceinte of the castle is another recognizable feature. Enceinte ( Lat. in, within cinctus, girdled to be distinguished from the word meaning pregnant, from in, not and cinctus Essentially the enceinte is the entire fortified enclosure of the castle precincts. In some cases this area was demarcated by a simple defensive wall or barrier. More often the wall was surmounted by a walkway to defend the castle. As with Roman and earlier architecture, projecting flanking towers were usually added to the wall to improve defence. Later castles were built on a concentric plan, where enceinte walls (also called curtain walls) and towers formed two rings around the keep, resulting in an inner and an outer court, pushing the enemy further from the core walls and keep. A concentric castle (or multiple castle) is a Castle within a castle with two or more concentric rings of Curtain walls and in cases no central Curtain wall is a term used to describe a building Façade which does not carry any dead load from the building other than its own dead load
4.JL.jpg/300px-Carcassonne(France)4.JL.jpg)
Gatehouse
The gates were a weak point in the defenses of castles, so gatehouses could be strengthened with flanking towers, a turning or removable bridge, doors, and a heavy portcullis. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture, A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by Walls or an opening in a Fence. A gatehouse is a feature of European Castles Manor houses and Mansions Originally a gatehouse was a fortified structure built over the gateway A portcullis is a latticed Grille or Gate made of wood metal or a combination of the two There would often be multiple portcullises, with arrow slits in the sides of the gate passage, allowing the defenders to trap the enemy and kill them within the gate. Additionally, gates were often placed in such a manner as to channel attacking forces against a series of perilous defensive fortifications, enabling the defenders to defend on their terms. Many gatehouses had a second body. Archers in the second body could shoot down at their enemies while they were defenseless.
Additional features
Castles featured an array of defences to delay the attackers' progress towards the keep. Moats and ditches formed the most obvious, as these would have to be filled in before heavy siege engines could be moved towards the walls. A siege engine is a device that is designed to Break or circumvent City walls and other Fortifications in Siege warfare. [4] Overhanging wooden hoardings could be constructed if a castle was under threat. A hoarding was a temporary wooden (shed-like construction that was placed on the exterior of the Ramparts of a Castle during a Siege. These covered walkways would allow several lines of fire. [1] Later, permanent fixtures known as "machicolation" were built in stone. A machicolation is a Floor opening between the supporting Corbels of a Battlement, through which stones and lethally hot liquids and substances Perhaps the most notable features of castle defence were the crenellations and merlons, which offered relative cover for archers. Crenellation (or crenelation, also known as castellation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that frames the tops of the walls of many medieval Castles A merlon, in Architecture, forms the solid part of an embattled Parapet, sometimes pierced by Embrasures The word comes from the [1] "Murder holes" and embrasures might be built into the walls and gatehouse so projectiles could be launched at the attackers. A murder-hole is a hole in the Ceiling of a Gateway or passageway in a Fortification through which the defenders can fire throw or pour dangerous or noxious The term embrasure, in Military architecture, refers to the opening in a Crenellation or Battlement between the two raised solid portions or Merlons
Construction
- See also: Medieval technology and Stonemasonry
Castles were constructed of wood, stone and also brick. A large number of contemporary accounts have survived that explain how castles were built. A large skilled workforce was needed to construct castles, including ditch diggers, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and engineers. Medieval machines and inventions, such as the treadwheel crane, became indispensable during construction, and techniques of building wooden scaffolding were improved upon from Antiquity. Medieval technology refers to the technology used in medieval Europe, which generally does not include the parts of Europe under Arab rule, such as Islamic A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a Winder, Wire ropes or Chains and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to Scaffolding is a temporary framework used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures [5] Nevertheless, castles could take many years to complete, although the time needed depended greatly from type, location, resources, time period, construction materials, etc.
Finding stone was the first concern of medieval builders, and a major preoccupation was to have quarries close at hand. [6] There are famous examples of some castles where stone was quarried on site, such as Chinon, Château de Coucy and Château Gaillard. The Château de Coucy is a French Castle in the commune of Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, in the département of Aisne Château-Gaillard is a ruined medieval Castle, located above the town of Les Andelys, in the Eure département of [6] Yet even without the usual costs of transport, it is estimated that as many as 800 stonemasons would have been used in building Château de Coucy in the early 13th century, as well as perhaps 800 other craftsmen. [7] Beaumaris Castle in Wales, has surviving records from 1295–96 which describe 200 quarrymen, 400 stonemasons and as many as 2000 minor workmen. [8] Castles, not surprisingly were expensive to build, considering workers and materials. For example, costs for Beaumaris, which was in and of itself part of a bigger castle program, was £14,500 (roughly $8–9 billion in today's money).
In some cases, transporting stone over large distances was altogether impractical, and in the Low countries, a lack of good building stone meant that castles were generally brick. The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt Brick castles were predominant in Scandinavia and the Baltic. The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the [9]
Later developments
Innovation and scientific design
During the Crusades, opportunities were afforded to western engineers to study the massive fortifications of the Byzantine Empire as well as fortifications built by the Islamic inhabitants of the Holy Land. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The buildings they encountered in the late 10th century featured innovations which were not common in Europe at that time. This included in part regularly-spaced flanking towers of round or variable construction, and geometric scientific design. This revolutionized the art of castle-building in Europe, which henceforward followed these principles.
Designers soon realized that a second line of defences should be built within the main enceinte, and a third line or keep inside the second line,[10] while a wall must be flanked by projecting towers. Thus from the Byzantine engineers, European castles derived the principle of mutual defence of all the parts of a fortress. The donjon of Western Europe was regarded as the fortress, the outer walls as accessory defences; in the East each envelope was a fortress in itself, and the keep became merely the last refuge of the garrison, used only when all else had been captured. Many scholars have noted that in the 13th century there was a tendency toward the strengthening of the enceinte, and a reduced role of the keep in both military and residential context.
In Richard I of England's fortress of Château-Gaillard Les Andelys, the innermost ward was protected by an elaborate system of strong appended defences, which included a strong tête-de-pont protecting the Seine bridge. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death Château-Gaillard is a ruined medieval Castle, located above the town of Les Andelys, in the Eure département of Les Andelys is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France. The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie [11] The castle stood upon high ground and consisted of three distinct enceintes or wards besides the keep, which was in this case merely a strong tower forming part of the innermost ward. Frederick II's Castel del Monte in Puglia has no keep at all: built on high ground, it is an octagonal structure with eight polygonal corner towers. Frederick II ( December 26, 1194 &ndash December 13, 1250) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was a Pretender to the title Castel del Monte can refer to Castel del Monte (Abruzzo, a commune and town in Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy.
Round towers, rather than square towers, were now becoming common, with the finest examples of their employment as keeps being at Conisborough in England and at Falaise and Coucy in France. Siege artillery of the 13th century was primitive, but it was realized that against mining and battering rams, corners in castle stonework were more vulnerable than a uniform curved surface. Mining, undermining, or sapping was a Siege method used since antiquity against a Walled city, Fortress or Castle
The next development was the extension of the principle of successive lines of defence to form what is called the "concentric" castle, in which each ward was placed wholly within another which enveloped it. A concentric castle (or multiple castle) is a Castle within a castle with two or more concentric rings of Curtain walls and in cases no central This was inspired by the Walls of Constantinople, and thus places built on a flat site became for the first time more formidable than strongholds perched upon rocks and hills, where some points could not be as heavily fortified as others for lack of space. The Walls of Constantinople are a series of stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey) since its In these cases, the fall of the inner ward by surprise, escalade, or even sometimes by ordinary siege, entailed the fall of the whole castle. Escalade is the act of scaling Defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of Ladders and was a prominent feature of Siege warfare in medieval The adoption of the concentric system precluded any such mischance, and thus, even though siege engines improved during the 13th and 14th centuries, the defences of strong concentric castle, or naturally inaccessible castles, retained its importance during the Late Middle Ages. The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (AD 1300–1499
Construction of castles in this period was often connected to the necessity to establish a strong central power against local fragmentation, or in newly conquered lands: examples are the large building programs of Edward I of England in Wales, Philip I August of France, the Ezzelino IV da Romano and the Scaligers in northern Italy, Frederick II and Charles I of Anjou in southern Italy (often reusing former Norman or even Byzantine and Lombard structures), King Denis I in Portugal, and notably the Teutonic Knights in their conquest of Pagan lands in Prussia and Poland. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost Ezzelino III da Romano ( April 25, 1194 &ndash October 7, 1259) was an Italian conqueror dictator Political figure Charles I ( 21 March 1226 &ndash 7 January 1285) commonly called Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian -born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to Denis ( Portuguese: Dinis or Diniz, diˈniʃ 9 October 1261 in Lisbon – 7 January, 1325 in The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland In Germany, stone structures appeared in Hesse, Thuringia, Alsace and Saxony, commissioned by the powerful local aristocracy. Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Structures in northern Germany were usually simpler, often taking advantage of water streams.
Response to the advent of gunpowder
The advent of gunpowder in the Middle Ages signalled a change in the purpose of a castle - from being purely a military building, it became increasingly a residential one. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes From the Renaissance onward, this loosening of military importance allowed for a more aesthetic approach to construction, for example the Castello Estense of Ferrara in Italy, the castles of Valderrobres and Manzanares el Real in Spain and the series of highly decorated castles built (or rebuilt) in France along the Loire starting from the 15th century
Whilst siegecraft had consisted of throwing machines such as trebuchets, the primary aims in the construction of castle walls were height and thickness. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The Castle Estense or Castle of Saint Michele is an imposing moated medieval structure in the center of Ferrara, northern Italy. Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Valderrobres ( Catalan: Vall-de-roures, Aragonese: Balderrobres) is a Municipality and the major town of the Comarca Manzanares el Real is a 6140 inhabitant town in the northern area of the autonomous Community of Madrid. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Loire ( Arpitan: Lêre, Occitan: Léger) is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the A trebuchet or trebucket is a Siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages either to smash Masonry Walls or to throw However it became almost impossible to follow this ideal to cope with ever more powerful cannons. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural Existing castles which retained military importance were updated, as far as practically possible, to cope with new siege technologies. One example is the English fortress of Bodiam, built from 1385, provided with opposite slit to allow firing from arquebuses. Bodiam is a small village and Civil parish in East Sussex, England in the valley of the River Rother near to the Sussex villages of The Arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus or hackbut; from Dutch haakbus, meaning "hook gun" is But inevitably, those fortifications previously deemed impregnable, eventually proved inadequate in the face of gunpowder. These include Friesack Castle (which was reduced in two days (during February 1414), by Frederick I with "Heavy Peg" (Faule Grete), and other guns; Constantinople (the massively strong walls of which were breached in 1453 to the Ottomans after lengthy cannon bombardment); and Nanstein Castle (Franz von Sickingen's stronghold at Landstuhl, was ruined in one day in 1523 by the artillery of Philip of Hesse). Frederick (Friedrich September 21, 1371 &ndash September 20, 1440) was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Franz von Sickingen ( March 2 1481 - May 7, 1523) was a German Knight, one of the most notable figures of the first period Architects of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, many of whom were also renowned as engineers, were called to plan countermeasures; e. g. Guillén Sagrera, Giuliano da Sangallo the Younger, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Leonardo da Vinci. Giuliano da Sangallo (c 1443 – 1516 was an Italian sculptor architect and Military engineer active during the Italian Renaissance Francesco di Giorgio Martini (baptised September 23, 1439 – 1502 was an Italian painter of the Sienese School, a sculptor an architect Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi ( 7 March, 1481 &mdash 6 January, 1537) was an Italian Architect and painter, born in a small Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( April 15 1452 – May 2 1519 was an Italian Polymath, having been a scientist Mathematician, Engineer Viollet-le-Duc, in his Annals of a Fortress, gives a full account of the repeated renovations of a fortress (at an imaginary site in the valley of the Doubs), the construction by Charles the Bold of artillery towers at the angles of the castle, the protection of the masonry by earthen outworks, boulevards and demi-boulevards, and, in the 17th century, the final service of the medieval walls and towers as a pure enceinte de sfireti. Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc ( January 27 1814 &ndash September 17, 1879) was a French Architect and theorist famous for his "restorations" Charles the Bold or Charles the Rash (Charles le Téméraire ( 21 November 1433 &ndash 5 January 1477) baptised Charles Martin
The general adoption of cannons led therefore to the disappearing (or to the loss of importance) of majestic towers and merlons. Walls of new fortresses were thicker and angulated, towers became lower and stouter. Examples of the late type of castle-fortress are that in Sarzana (Italy), that built by Henry VIII of England in Deal, the Fort de Salses constructed by Ferdinand II of Aragon and the Imperial Castle of Nurnberg. Sarzana is a Town and comune in the Province of La Spezia, of Liguria, Italy, 15 km east of Spezia, on the Railway to Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of In Cryptography, DEAL ( Data Encryption Algorithm with Larger blocks) is a Block cipher derived from the Data Encryption Standard (DES The Fort de Salses (also called Forteresse de Salses is a Catalan fortress in the commune of Salses-le-Château, situated in the French Ferdinand II of Aragon the Catholic (Fernando II de Aragón y V de Castilla "el Católico" Ferran II d'Aragó "el Catòlic" Ferrando II d'Aragón
In the end, the introduction of gunpowder led to a disappearing of traditional castles, in the meaning of a building intended for both military and residential roles. This transition began in the 14th century and was fully underway by the 15th. In the 16th century the feudal fastness had become an anachronism. Here and there we find old castles serving in secondary roles, as forts d'arret or block-houses in mountain passes and defiles, and in some few cases, as at Dover, they formed the nucleus of purely military places of arms. In Military science, a blockhouse is a small isolated Fort in the form of a single building In a range of hills or especially of mountains, a pass (also gap, notch, col, saddle, bwlch, Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills Dover Castle is situated at Dover, Kent and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history Normally castles, when they were not let to fell into ruins, became peaceful mansions, or were merged in the fortifications of the town which has grown up around it.
In the Viollet-le-Duc's Annals of a Fortress the site of the feudal castle is occupied by the citadel of the walled town, for once again, with the development of the middle class and of commerce and industry, the art of the engineer came to be displayed chiefly in the fortification of cities. The baronial "castle" assumes pan passu the form of a mansion, retaining indeed for long some capacity for defence, but in the end losing all military characteristics save a few which survived as ornaments.
However, some true castles were built in the Americas by the Spanish and French colonies. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Spanish Main was the mainland coast of the Spanish Empire around the Caribbean. The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the [12] The first stage of Spanish fort construction has been termed the "castle period", which lasted from 1492 until the end of the 16th century. [13] Starting with Fortaleza Ozama, "these castles were essentially European medieval castles transposed to America. "[14] Among other defensive structures (including forts and citadels), castles were also built in New France towards the end of the 17th century. The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the [14] Where artillery was not as developed as on the battle-fields of Europe, some of Montreal's outlying forts were built like the fortified manor houses of France. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Fort Longueuil, built from 1695–1698 by a baronial family, has been described as "the most medieval looking fort built in Canada". The title Baron de Longueuil is the only currently-extant French colonial title that is recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page [14] The manor house and stables were within a fortified bailey, with a tall round turret in each corner. The "most substantial castle-like fort" near Montréal was Fort Senneville, built in 1692 with square towers connected by thick stone walls, as well as a fortified windmill. Fort Senneville is one of the outlying forts of Montreal, Quebec, built by the Canadiens of New France near the Sainte-Anne rapids A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind [14] Stone forts such as these served as defensive residences, as well as imposing structures to prevent Iroquois incursions. The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse [14]
To guard against artillery and gunfire, increasing use was made of earthen, brick and stone breastworks and this redoubts, such as the geometric fortresses of the 17th century French Marquis de Vauban. A breastwork is a Fortification. The term is usually applied to temporary fortifications often an earthwork thrown up to breast height to provide protection to defenders firing A redoubt is a Fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort usually relying on earthworks though others Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to These soon replaced castles in Europe, and eventually castles in the Americas were superseded by bastions and forts. [13]
Revival castles and the castle as a country house
From the late 18th century to the early 20th century, as a manifestation of a romantic interest in the Medieval period, and as part of the broader Gothic Revival in architecture, many so-called castles were built. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began These Castles had no defensive purpose, but incorporated stylistic elements of earlier castles, such as castellation and towers. Crenellation (or crenelation, also known as castellation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that frames the tops of the walls of many medieval Castles These features were personified in the Scottish Baronial style. The Scottish Baronial style is part of the Gothic revival in architectural styles drawing on stylistic elements and forms from Castles Tower houses Most of them were country houses. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great These revival or "mock" castles were particularly common in the British Isles, for example Belvoir Castle and Eastnor Castle. Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beaver) is a Stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir ( Eastnor Castle is a 19th century mock castle, two miles from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, by the village of Eastnor Edwin Lutyens' Castle Drogo was the last flicker of this movement in England. Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD ( 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944 Castle Drogo is a Country house near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. In Ireland, a considerable number of vast, complicated mock-castles were built, including Belfast Castle and Castle Oliver. Castle Oliver (also sometimes known as Clonodfoy) is a castle in the south part of County Limerick, Ireland. Famous revival castles in other countries include Neuschwanstein in Germany, Miramare in Italy, and Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico. Neuschwanstein Castle ( German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, lit New Swan Stone palace; nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪ̯n is a 19th-century Bavarian The Miramare Castle ( Italian: Castello di Miramare; German: Schloß Miramar) is a 19th century Castle, built for Austrian Chapultepec Castle ( Castillo de Chapultepec in Spanish is located on top of Chapultepec Hill.
See also
- List of castles
- Castles in Britain
- List of castles in Germany
- Chinese city wall (Chinese castle counterpart)
- Alcázar (Spanish castles)
- Shiro (Japanese castles)
- Kremlin (Russian castles)
- Water Castles
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Philip Wilkinson, Castles (Pocket Guides). The List of castles is a link page for any Castle in the sense of a fortified building This is a list of Castles in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, founded or occupied during the Crusades. This is a list of fictional Castles. Aberwyvern castle, from the 1983 book Castle by David Macaulay and from its companion 1986 This is a list of Castles in Germany. Baden-Württemberg Main article List of castles in Baden-Württemberg Chinese city walls ( refer to civic defensive systems used to protect towns and Cities in China in pre-modern times China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Alcazar (disambiguation An alcázar is a Spanish Castle, from the Arabic word القصر al qasr meaning Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. were Fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their most well-known form in the 16th century For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. or just suku (城 castle) is the Okinawan word for " Castle " or " Fortress. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū View01jpg|thumb|right|250px|Remains of the Kolomna Kremlin]] Kremlin (Кремль Kreml) is the Russian word for "fortress" "citadel" or "castle" Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A water castle is a Castle with outside walls generally surrounded by water ditches called Moats The surrounding water originally served as defense Publisher: DK CHILDREN; Pocket edition (September 29, 1997). ISBN 0789420473. ISBN 978-0789420473
- ^ Royal, Robert. The Pope's Army: 500 Years of the Papal Swiss Guard. Crossroads Publishing Co, 2006.
- ^ Acta Sanctorum, quoted by GT Clark, Medieval Military Architecture
- ^ Castle: Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections. Dorling Kindersley Pub (T); 1st American edition (September 1994). Dorling Kindersley is a leading publisher of illustrated reference books ISBN 978-1564584670
- ^ Erlande-Brandenburg, Alain (1995). The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages. Thames & Hudson Ltd, p. 121–126. ISBN 0500300526 ISBN 978-0500300527.
- ^ a b Erlande-Brandenburg, Alain (1995). The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages. Thames & Hudson Ltd, p. 104. ISBN 0500300526 ISBN 978-0500300527.
- ^ A Distant Mirror, Barbara Tuchman, p 11
- ^ Beaumaris Castle, CADW guide, p 3
- ^ Philip Wilkinson, Castles (Pocket Guides), p 92
- ^ Oman, Art of War: the Middle Ages, p. c20
- ^ See Clark, i. 384, and Oman, p. 533
- ^ Although it should be noted that there are no true castles in the United States.
- ^ a b René Chartrand, Spanish Main 1492–1800; Osprey Publishing
- ^ a b c d e René Chartrand, French Fortresses in North America 1535–1763: Québec, Montréal, Louisbourg and New Orleans (Fortress 27); Osprey Publishing, March 20 2005. Osprey Publishing is an Oxford (UK-based book publisher specializing in military history Osprey Publishing is an Oxford (UK-based book publisher specializing in military history ISBN 9781841767147
Sources
*This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- Allen Brown, R. (1970). English Castles. Chancellor Press. ISBN 0-907486-06-1.
- Bianchi, Vito (July-October 2006). "I Castelli". Medioevo 114–117.
- Cathcart King, D. J. (1983). Castellarium Anglicanum: An Index and Bibliography of the Castles in England, Wales and the Islands (2 vols). Kraus International Publications. ISBN 0-527-50110-7.
- Cathcart King, D. J. (1991). The Castle in England and Wales: An Interpretative History. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-00350-4.
- Gravett, Christopher (1990). Christopher Gravett is a British Historian specialising in the Military history of the Middle Ages, with an interest in the Arms Medieval Siege Warfare. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-947-8.
- Higham, R. ; Barker, P. (1992). Timber Castles. B. T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-7134-2189-4.
- Johnson, M. (2002). Behind the Castle Gate: From Medieval to Renaissance. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-26100-7.
- Kenyon, J. (1991). Medieval Fortifications. Leicester University Press. ISBN 0-7185-1392-4.
- Pounds, N. J. G. (1994). The Medieval Castle in England and Wales: A Social and Political History. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-45828-5.
- Thompson, M. W. (1987). The Decline of the Castle. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 1-85422-608-8.
- Thompson, M. W. (1991). The Rise of the Castle. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-37544-4.
External links
List of castles:
Dictionary
castle
-noun
- A large building that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king.
- A chess piece shaped like a castle tower which is also called a rook.
- (obsolete) A close helmet.
-verb
- (chess) To perform the move of castling.
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