Castles
From Medieval Wiki
By Madeleine MacGillivray and Shane Keegan
Contents |
General
The original castles were made by the Normans, who used Timber to construct tall towers. These were later rebuilt in stone, but ultimately replaced by concrete castles made by King Edward I. The castles continued to expand creating many different kinds of rooms.
England
Most English castles during the Middle Ages were started in and after 1066, when the Norman Invasion required protection and defense. In fact, the castle was one of William the I of Normandy's weapons of defense. One form of castle, called the "Motte and Bailey" was born at that time and had wooden palisades, so, unfortunately weren't very protective. Sadly, most English castles were destroyed during the Civil Wars of the 1600s. Some famous English Castles are the Bodiam in East-Sussex; the Dover in Kent; the Lindesfarne in Holy Island Northumberland; the Tower of London in Greater London; and the Warwick in Warwickshire.
Scotland
Many Scottish castles had stone towers and walls and, like English castles, were built on hills, by natural waterways, trade crossroads, and near apporaches on cliffs. Most Scottish castles were used by knights in the late 13th and early 14th centuries during the Wars of Independence. Some famous Scottish castles were the Stirling; Falkrik; Eidenberg in Midlothian; Bothwell castle in Strathclyde; the Caeverock in Dumfriessire; the Cathes castle in Aberdeenshire; Eilean Donan in Ross and Cromarty; and finally, the Palace of Holy Roohouse in Midlothian.
Ireland
The Irish countryside is known for it's many medieval fortresses, castles, and manor houses seen throughout the Country. There are many hills, and lots of green scenery. The Irish started building medieval castles in the 1100s, sometime after the Norman Invasion. Quite a few of them are now ruins, but many have survived. Some of the castles that survived are now used to host weddings, banquets, and are available for rent. The ones that didn't survive are now considered very nice scenery! Some famous castles were the Blarney castle in County Cork; the Bunratty in County Courk; the Cahir in County Tipperary; the Dublin castle in Dublin, and finally; the Ross castle in County Kerry.
Wales
Welsh castles were considered to be some of the strongest ever built. They were some the few that could hold up to gunpowder. The Norman Barons, who took over Wales, could be credited for this because of their various battle tactics against the English. The person who actually did most of the building though, was Norman I, who built and resurrected castles. The castles were used a lot until about the 1400s. Some of the larger castles were named after the Anglo-Norman lords, like Caerphilly in Mid Glamorgan; Cardiff; Chepstow; and Kidwelly. Some other famous castles not named after Anglo-Norman lords were the Conwy in Gwynedd; the Harlech, also in Gwenydd; and the Pembroke in Dyfed.
Italy
Italy is full of architectural history, and is famous for its amazing ruins of arches, amphitheaters, tombs, bridges, temples, and palaces. Many of Italy's buildings started out small, but grew over the centuries. Stone strongholds were built by the Etruscans, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. Whole cities were walled for the citizens' protection. Towers would be added to castles by wealthy families for their relatives. Some Italian castles were impacted by the invading Normans as they headed for the Byzantines and Moslems. Also, some great Italian castles are preserved in Florence, Bolagna, and Volterra. Medieval Italian architecture is a blend of Norman, Islamic, and Oriental techniques. A few famous Italian castles are the Bari in Apulia; the Castelvecchio in Verona; the Fenis in Turin; Sacra di San Michele in Valle di Susa; and the San Gimignano in Tuscany.
France
French Norman castles started out as tough, sturdy, straightforward dungeons or towers. Some early medieval French dungeons are in Montrichaud, Loches, Samur, and Beaugency. It was actually a rule that all towers had a rectangular shape. The tough-built towers housed all rooms for lords and their families. There were also ceremonial rooms, garderobes which are basically toilets, chapels and cathedrals, fireplaces, state rooms, and arsenals in the towers. Only special vassals and bondsmen were allowed in the dungeons. William the Conqueror had his castle at Caen in Normandy. He greatly influenced castle building in Europe. There are many huge medieval ramparts (fortresses) throughout the French landscape. Medieval French castles, like Italian castles in the way of change, went from protective, bulky fortresses to sophisticated, lovely, elegant chateau. Associates declared ownership of French kings claimed castles and converted them into mini palaces. Some famous medieval French castles were the Avignon in Valcluse; the Foix in Ariege; Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy; the Tarascan in Provence; and Vincennes in Ile de France.
Germany
Many German castles reflect the differences of the country's landscape, with circular castles and citadels in the north, and charming fairy-tale castles on high ground in the south. Germany's castle-building techniques mostly come from the country's contact with outside people. Soldiers coming home from war would bring new ideas for castles and reflect off of the rival's defensive fortification construction. Medieval German castles and fortifications underwent lots of construction during the emergence of early feudal German states. Some well-known medieval German castles were the Falkenstein in Hettstedt; the Neuschwanstein in Neuschwanstein; the Pfalzgrafenstein near Kaub; and the Wartburg in Eisnach.
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe was and is not just one group of people. It was made up of several different ethnic groups, so the architecture varies. Nomadic Germanic tribes started building stone fortresses, similar to the architecture of the Western, and the Mediterranean. Many monasteries can be found on the Bulgarian mountains. While the most famous is the Rila Monastery, all of the monasteries were heavily protected. During raids, country people would seek shelter in the monasteries. Some legendary Eastern European castles are the Ceichenow in Poland; the Harman in Transylvania, Romania; the Karlstein in Czechoslovokia; the Premjer in Transylvania, Romania; and the Roumeli Hissa on the Bosporus.
Spain
Spain, being a peninsula, and being surrounded by the beautiful Pyrenees Mountains
Quotes
"There's about 260 rooms in the new castle which you go through, but it's all about the game play." -Don Bluth
"There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds." -Gilbert K. Chesterton
Vocabulary
Peninsula- A place that is surrounded by a body of water on three sides.
Monastery- A special religious area
Bibliography
Books-
Frances, and Joseph Geis. Daily Life In Medieval Times. new York: black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 1990.
Roberts, J.. A History Of Europe. New York: the Penguin Group, 1997.
Websites-
"Castles of the Middle Ages". 10/12/08 <http://www.medieval-castles.net/>.
"Rooms in a Medieval Castle". 9/12/08 <http://www.castles.me.uk/rooms-in-a-medieval-castle.htm>.
Article-
"castles". Britannica online. 12/12/08 <http://www.search.eb.com.ezproxy.sfpl.org/eb/article-9020711>.
