Medieval castles of Europe. Knight's castles of the Middle Ages: diagram, structure and defense
Which castle inspired Pyotr Tchaikovsky to create Swan Lake? Where was Indiana Jones filmed? How do ancient European castles function today? Lovers of mystical landscapes, romantic trips and mysterious legends! Our material is especially for you!
Eltz (German: Burg Eltz) is a castle located in Rhineland-Palatinate (Wirsch commune) in the valley of the Elzbach River. Together with the Bürresheim Palace, it is considered the only building in western Germany that has never been destroyed or captured. The castle was not damaged even during the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries. and the events of the French Revolution.
The castle has been perfectly preserved to this day. It is surrounded on three sides by a river and rises on a cliff 70 meters high. This makes it consistently popular among tourists and photographers.
Official site
Bled Castle, Slovenia (11th century)
One of the oldest castles in Slovenia (Slovenian: Blejski grad) is located on the top of a 130-meter cliff near the lake of the same name near the city of Bled. The oldest part of the castle is the Romanesque tower, which was used for housing, defense, and to monitor the surrounding area.
During World War II, the headquarters of German troops was located here. In 1947, there was a fire in the castle, due to which some of the buildings were damaged. A few years later, the castle was restored and it resumed its activities as a historical museum. The museum's collection includes clothing, weapons and household items.
Official site
(XIX century)
The romantic castle of King Ludwig II is located near the town of Füssen in southwestern Bavaria. The castle was the inspiration for the construction of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. Neuschwanstein (German: Schloß Neuschwanstein) is also featured in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a castle in the fictional land of Vulgaria. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was fascinated by the view of Neuschwanstein. According to historians, it was here that he came up with the idea of creating the ballet “Swan Lake”.
Neuschwanstein Castle is shown in the films “Ludwig II: The Splendor and Fall of the King” (1955, directed by Helmut Keutner), “Ludwig” (1972, directed by Luchino Visconti), “Ludwig II” (2012, directed by Marie Noel and Peter Zehr).
Currently the castle is a museum. To visit, you need to buy a ticket at the ticket center and go up to the castle by bus, on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. The only person who “lives” in the castle at the moment and is its custodian is the watchman.
Official site
The castle in Livorno received its name due to the fact that the local coastline is known as Boccale (Jug) or Cala dei Pirati (Pirate Bay). The center of the modern Castello del Boccale was an observation tower, built by order of the Medici in 16th century, presumably on the ruins of an older structure from the period of the Pisan Republic. Throughout its history, the appearance of the castle has undergone changes more than once. Behind last years A thorough restoration of the Castello del Boccale was carried out, after which the castle was divided into several residential apartments.
The legendary castle (rum. Bran Castle) is located in the picturesque town of Bran, 30 km from Brasov, on the border of Muntenia and Transylvania. It was originally built at the end of the 14th century with the help and resources of local residents for exemption from paying taxes to the state treasury for several centuries. Thanks to its location on top of a cliff and its trapezoidal shape, the castle served as a strategic defensive fortress.
The castle has 4 levels connected by a staircase. During its history, the castle changed several owners: it belonged to the ruler Mircea the Old, the inhabitants of Brasov and the Habsburg Empire... According to legend, during his campaigns the famous governor Vlad the Impaler-Dracula spent the night in the castle, and its surroundings were the favorite hunting ground of the ruler the Impaler.
Currently, the castle belongs to a descendant of the Romanian kings, the grandson of Queen Mary, Dominic of Habsburg (in 2006, according to the new Romanian law on the return of territories to the previous owners). After the castle was handed over to the owner, all the furniture was taken to museums in Bucharest. And Dominic Habsburg had to recreate the decoration of the castle, buying various antique items.
Official site
Alcazar Castle, Spain (9th century)
The fortress of the Spanish kings Alcázar (Spanish: Alcázar) is located in the historical part of the city of Segovia on a cliff. Over the years of its existence, the Alcazar was not only a royal palace, but also a prison, as well as an artillery academy. According to archaeologists, even in ancient Roman times there was a military fortification on the site of the Alcazar. During the Middle Ages, the castle was the favorite residence of the kings of Castile. In 1953, the Alcazar was turned into a museum.
Currently, it remains one of the most visited tourist destinations in Spain. The palace has a museum in which furniture, interiors, a collection of weapons, and portraits of the kings of Castile are exhibited. 11 halls and the tallest tower are available for viewing - the Tower of Juan II.
Chateau de Chambord, France (XVI century)
Chambord (French: Château de Chambord) is one of the most recognizable castles in France, an architectural masterpiece of the Renaissance. The length of the facade is 156 m, width 117 m, the castle has 426 rooms, 77 staircases, 282 fireplaces and 800 sculpturally decorated capitals.
According to historical research, Leonardo da Vinci himself took part in the design. Since 1981, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2005, the castle has the status of a state public and commercial enterprise. On the second floor of the castle there is now a branch of the Museum of Hunting and Nature.
Official site
Windsor Castle, UK (11th century)
Situated on a hill in the Thames Valley, Windsor Castle ( Windsor Castle) has been a symbol of the monarchy for more than 900 years. Over the centuries, the appearance of the castle changed in accordance with the capabilities of the ruling monarchs. It acquired its modern appearance as a result of reconstruction after a fire in 1992. The castle occupies 52,609 square meters and combines the features of a fortress, a palace and a small city.
Today the palace is owned by the Occupied Royal Palaces Estate organization on behalf of the nation. consumer services carried out by the Royal Household department. Windsor Castle is the largest residential castle in the world (about 500 people live and work there). Elizabeth II spends a month in the spring and a week in June at the castle to participate in traditional ceremonies associated with the Order of the Garter. About a million tourists visit the castle every year.
Official site
Corvin Castle, Romania (XIV century)
The ancestral seat of the feudal house of Hunyadi in the south of Transylvania, in the modern Romanian city of Hunedoara. Initially, the fortress had an oval shape, and the only defensive tower was located in the northern wing, while on the southern side it was closed by a stone wall.
In 1441-1446, under the governor Janos Hunyadi, seven towers were built, and in 1446-1453. They founded the chapel, built the main halls and the southern wing with utility rooms. As a result, the appearance of the castle combines elements of late Gothic and early Renaissance.
In 1974, the castle was opened to visitors as a museum. Tourists are taken to the castle over a gigantic bridge, they are shown a vast hall for knightly feasts and two towers, one of which bears the name of the monk John Capistran, and the second has the romantic name “Do not be afraid.”
They also say that it was in this castle of Hunyadi that Dracula, who was overthrown from the throne of Vlad the Impaler, was kept for 7 years.
Official site
Liechtenstein Castle, Austria (12th century)
One of the most unusual castles in architecture (German - Burg Liechtenstein) is located on the edge of the Vienna Woods. The castle was built in the 12th century, but was destroyed twice by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683. In 1884 the castle was restored. Further damage was caused to the castle during the Second World War. Finally, in the 1950s, the castle was restored by the efforts of the townspeople. Since 2007, the castle, like more than 800 years ago, is under the jurisdiction of relatives of its founders - the princely family of Liechtenstein.
The modern popularity of Liechtenstein Castle is associated with the Johann Nestroy Theater Festival held here in the summer. The castle is open to visitors.
Official site
Chillon Castle (French: Château de Chillon) is located near Lake Geneva, 3 km from the city of Montreux, and is a complex of 25 elements from different eras of construction. The peculiarities of the location and construction allowed the owners of the castle to completely control the strategically important road that ran between the lake and mountains. For a certain period of time, the road to the Saint Bernard Pass served as the only transport route from Northern Europe to Southern Europe. The depth of the lake ensured safety: an attack from this side was simply impossible. Stone wall The castle facing the road is fortified with three towers. The opposite side of the castle is residential.
Like most castles, Chillon Castle also served as a prison. Louis the Pious kept Abbot Vala of Corvey prisoner here. In the middle of the 14th century, during the plague epidemic, Jews who were accused of poisoning water sources were kept and tortured in the castle.
George Byron's poem "The Prisoner of Chillon" takes place in Chillon Castle. The historical basis for the poem was the imprisonment in the castle by order of Charles III of Savoy François Bonivard in the years 1530–1536. The image of the castle was romanticized in the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Percy Shelley, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas.
Official site
Hohenzollern Castle, Germany (XIII century)
Hohenzollern Castle (German: Burg Hohenzollern) is located in Baden-Württemberg, 50 km south of Stuttgart, on the top of Mount Hohenzollern at an altitude of 855 meters. Over the years of its existence, the castle was destroyed several times.
Some of the most famous relics kept in the museum are the crown of the Prussian kings and the uniform that belonged to Frederick the Great. From 1952 to 1991, the remains of Frederick I and Frederick the Great rested in the castle museum. After the reunification of East and West Germany in 1991, the ashes of the Prussian kings were returned to Potsdam.
Currently, the castle belongs 2/3 to the Brandenburg-Prussian Hohenzollern line and 1/3 to the Swabian-Catholic line. About 300 thousand tourists visit it annually.
Official site
Castle Walsen, Belgium (11th century)
Hello, dear reader!
After all, medieval architects in Europe were geniuses - they built castles, luxurious buildings that were also extremely practical. Castles, unlike modern mansions, not only demonstrated the wealth of their owners, but also served as powerful fortresses that could hold a defense for several years, and at the same time life in them did not stop.
Medieval castles
Even the very fact that many castles, having survived wars, natural disasters and the carelessness of their owners, still stand intact, suggests that more reliable housing has not yet been invented. They are also incredibly beautiful and seem to have appeared in our world from the pages of fairy tales and legends. Their tall spiers remind of the times when the hearts of beauties were fought for, and the air was saturated with chivalry and courage.
To get you into the romantic mood, I have collected in this material 20 of the most famous castles that still remain on Earth. You will definitely want to visit them and, perhaps, stay to live.
Reichsburg Castle, Germany
The thousand-year-old castle was originally the residence of King Conrad III of Germany and then King Louis XIV of France. The fortress was burned by the French in 1689 and would have fallen into oblivion, but a German businessman acquired its remains in 1868 and spent much of his wealth restoring the castle.
Mont Saint Michel, France
The impregnable castle of Mont Saint-Michel, surrounded on all sides by the sea, is one of the most popular attractions in France after Paris. Built in 709, it still looks stunning.
Hochosterwitz Castle, Austria
The medieval castle of Hochosterwitz was built back in the 9th century. Its towers still vigilantly monitor the surrounding area, proudly towering above it at an altitude of 160 m. And in sunny weather they can be admired even at a distance of 30 km
Bled Castle, Slovenia
The castle is located on a hundred-meter cliff, hanging menacingly over Lake Bled. In addition to the magnificent view from the windows of the castle, this place has a rich history - the residence of the Serbian queen of the dynasty, and later of Marshal Josip Broz Tito, was located here
Hohenzollern Castle, Germany
This castle is located on the top of the Hohenzollern mountain, 2800 meters above sea level. During its heyday, the castle in this fortress was considered the residence of the Prussian emperors.
Barciense Castle, Spain
Barciense Castle in the Spanish province of Toledo was built in the 15th century by a local count. For 100 years, the castle served as a powerful artillery fortress, and today these empty walls attract only photographers and tourists.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
The romantic castle of the Bavarian king Ludwig II was built in the middle of the 19th century, and at that time its architecture was considered very extravagant. Be that as it may, it was its walls that inspired the creators of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland
Methoni Castle, Greece
Since the 14th century, the Venetian castle-fortress of Methoni has been the center of battles and the last outpost of Europeans in these parts in the battles against the Turks, who dreamed of capturing the Peloponnese. Today, only ruins remain of the fortress.
Hohenschwangau Castle, Germany
This castle-fortress was built by the Knights of Schwangau in the 12th century and was the residence of many rulers, including the famous King Ludwig II, who hosted the composer Richard Wagner within these walls
Chillon Castle, Switzerland
This medieval bastille resembles a warship from a bird's eye view. The castle's rich history and distinctive appearance have served as inspiration for many famous writers. In the 16th century, the castle was used as a state prison, as described by George Byron in his poem “The Prisoner of Chillon.”
Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland
The castle, located on a rocky island in the Loch Duich fjord, is one of Scotland's most romantic castles, famous for its heather honey and legends. Many films have been filmed here, but most importantly, the castle is open to visitors and everyone can touch the stones of its history.
Bodiam Castle, England
Since its founding in the 14th century, Bodiam Castle has seen many owners, all of whom enjoyed fighting. Therefore, when Lord Curzon acquired it in 1917, only ruins remained of the castle. Fortunately, its walls were quickly restored, and now the castle stands as good as new.
Guaita Castle, San Marino
The castle has been located on the top of the inaccessible Monte Titano mountain since the 11th century and, together with two other towers, protects the oldest state in the world, San Marino.
Swallow's Nest, Crimea
Initially, there was a small wooden house on the rock of Cape Ai-Todor. And “Swallow’s Nest” received its current appearance thanks to the oil industrialist Baron Steingel, who loved to vacation in Crimea. He decided to build a romantic castle that resembles medieval buildings on the banks of the Rhine River
Castle Stalker, Scotland
Castle Stalker, which means "Falconer", was built in 1320 and belonged to the MacDougall clan. Since that time, its walls have survived a huge number of strife and wars, which affected the condition of the castle. In 1965, the owner of the castle became Colonel D. R. Stewart from Allward, who personally, together with his wife, family members and friends, restored the building
Bran Castle, Romania
Bran Castle is the pearl of Transylvania, a mysterious fort museum where the famous legend of Count Dracula - the vampire, murderer and commander Vlad the Impaler - was born. According to legend, he spent the night here during his campaigns, and the forest surrounding Bran Castle was Tepes’s favorite hunting ground.
Vyborg Castle, Russia
Vyborg Castle was founded by the Swedes in 1293, during one of the crusades against Karelian land. It remained Scandinavian until 1710, when the troops of Peter I pushed the Swedes back far and wide. From that time on, the castle managed to be a warehouse, a barracks, and even a prison for the Decembrists. And today there is a museum here.
Cashel Castle, Ireland
Cashel Castle was the seat of the kings of Ireland for several hundred years before the Norman invasion. Here in the 5th century AD. e. Saint Patrick lived and preached. The castle walls witnessed the bloody suppression of the revolution by the troops of Oliver Cromwell, who burned soldiers alive here. Since then, the castle has become a symbol of the cruelty of the British, the true courage and fortitude of the Irish.
Kilhurn Castle, Scotland
The very beautiful and even slightly creepy ruins of Kilhurn Castle are located on the shores of the picturesque Lake Euw. The history of this castle, unlike most castles in Scotland, proceeded quite calmly - numerous earls lived here, who replaced each other. In 1769, the building was damaged by a lightning strike, and soon it was finally abandoned, as it remains to this day.
Lichtenstein Castle, Germany
Built in the 12th century, this castle was destroyed several times. It was finally restored in 1884 and since then the castle has become a filming location for many films, including The Three Musketeers.
There are thousands of fortresses, palaces and castles in Europe. Some of them, unfortunately, have fallen into disrepair, but there are also many perfectly preserved buildings from different eras. Below is a list of the ten best-preserved castles in the world.
Mont Saint Michel, France
Mont Saint-Michel is a municipality and a rocky island with an area of 100 hectares, turned into an island fortress. Located 285 km west of Paris, in the Lower Normandy region, Manche department, France. The complex on the island has existed since 709 and has a population of 43 people (2011). The unique architecture and nature make Mont Saint-Michel the most visited tourist destination in Normandy. The island welcomes more than 3 million people every year.
Brodick Castle, Scotland
Ninth place on the list of the best-preserved castles in the world is Brodick Castle, which is located in the eastern part of the Isle of Arran, near the small town of Brodick, Scotland. This castle was built in the 5th century and was gradually expanded and completed over the centuries. Served as the home of the Dukes of Hamilton for almost 500 years, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
Bran Castle, Romania
Bran Castle is located 30 km from the city of Brasov, near the small town of Bran, Romania. It was built in 1212 with funds from local residents and served as a strategic defensive fortress in a mountain valley in southern Transylvania. Currently, the castle belongs to a descendant of the Romanian kings, the grandson of Queen Mary - Dominic of Habsburg. In the 19th century, this castle became world famous thanks to the novel “Dracula” by Irish writer Bram Stoker. Nowadays it is the most visited tourist attraction in Romania.
Coca Castle, Spain
Coca Castle is located 54 km northwest of Segovia, Spain. It was built at the end of the 15th century by Archbishop Alonso de Fonseca. Its construction began in 1453. The castle is surrounded by a deep moat and a double fortress wall 2.5 meters wide. It is considered a magnificent example of architectural design in the Mudejar style. Belongs to the Alba family. Now it houses a school for foresters.
Eltz Castle, Germany
In sixth place on the list of the best-preserved castles in the world is Eltz Castle, located on a 70-meter-high cliff in the municipality of Wierschem in the Elzbach River valley, Germany. It was probably built in the 12th century. It has been owned by the Eltz family for over 800 years. Throughout its existence, it has never been captured or destroyed. Today the entire complex belongs to Count Karl of Eltz, who made the castle available to the general public.
Marienburg Castle, Poland
Marienburg Castle is located in Malbork, Poland. This classic example medieval fortification, being the largest brick medieval castle in the world and one of the most impressive in Europe. This castle was built in honor of the Virgin Mary and founded by the Teutonic knights on the banks of the Nogat (the mouth of the Vistula) in 1274. It was built in several stages and expanded until the first half of the 15th century. Served as the residence of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1309 to 1456. Today, Marienburg Castle is a museum listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Neuschwanstein, Germany
Neuschwanstein is a well-preserved 19th-century castle located 5 km from the city of Füssen in southern Bavaria, Germany. Is former residence the last Bavarian king, Ludwig II (1864–1886). Construction of this castle began in 1869, designed by court architect Eduard Riedel, and was completed in 1883. This castle was intended to be the king's personal retreat, but was opened to the public shortly after the death of Ludwig, who lived in it for only about six months. Since then, the castle has been visited by more than 61 million people. More than 1,300,000 tourists from all over the world come here every year.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Throughout its history, Edinburgh Castle has been a kind of “key to Scotland”. It is located on Castle Rock in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. The first indication of the existence of this castle dates back to the reign of King David I, who convened meetings of nobles and church officials here starting in 1139. The oldest building in the castle and Edinburgh is St. Margaret's Chapel, dating back to the early 12th century. Today Edinburgh Castle is open to the public and is Scotland's main tourist attraction.
Windsor Castle, England
Windsor Castle is a royal palace located on a hill in the Thames River valley, 34 km west of London, England. The palace was built between 1070–1086 by William I the Conqueror and was constantly expanded by subsequent rulers. Now the castle is the official residence of British monarchs in Windsor (Berkshire). The complex of Windsor Castle, located on a five-hectare area, includes fortifications, a palace and a town. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world. The current Queen Elizabeth II spent most of her childhood here.
Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Prague Castle is the best preserved fortress located in the center of the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. The first building on this site was built in the 9th century. Subsequently, Prague Castle was expanded and completed until it became one of the largest castle complexes in Europe. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest castle in the world - its length is 570 m, its width is 130 meters, and it covers an area of about 70,000 square meters. m. Today it is the residence of the President of the Republic, formerly Czech rulers and some Holy Roman Emperors.
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The Middle Ages in Europe were a turbulent time. The feudal lords, for any reason, organized small wars among themselves - or rather, not even wars, but, in modern language, armed “showdowns”. If a neighbor had money, it had to be taken away.
Lots of land and peasants? This is simply indecent, because God ordered sharing. And if knightly honor is affected, then here without a little victorious war there was simply no way around it.
Initially, these fortifications were made of wood and did not resemble the castles we know in any way - except that a ditch was dug in front of the entrance and a wooden palisade was placed around the house.
The manorial courts of Hasterknaup and Elmendorv are the ancestors of the castles.
However, progress did not stand still - with the development of military affairs, the feudal lords had to modernize their fortifications so that they could withstand a massive assault using stone cannonballs and rams.
The besieged castle of Mortan (withstood the siege for 6 months).
Beaumarie Castle, owned by Edward I.
Welcome
We are heading to the castle, which stands on a ledge of a mountain slope, at the edge of a fertile valley. The road goes through a small settlement - one of those that usually grew up near the fortress wall. Simple people live here - mostly artisans, and warriors guarding the outer perimeter of defense (in particular, guarding our road). These are the so-called “castle people”.
Scheme of castle structures. Note that there are two gate towers, the largest one standing separately.
The first obstacle is a deep ditch, and in front of it is a shaft of excavated earth. The moat can be transverse (separates the castle wall from the plateau) or crescent-shaped, curved forward. If the landscape allows, a moat encircles the entire castle in a circle.
The bottom shape of ditches could be V-shaped or U-shaped (the latter is the most common). If the soil under the castle is rocky, then ditches were either not made at all, or they were cut down to a shallow depth, preventing only the advance of infantry (it is almost impossible to dig under the castle wall in the rock - therefore the depth of the ditch was not of decisive importance).
The crest of the earthen rampart lying directly in front of the ditch (which makes it seem even deeper) often carried a palisade - a fence made of wooden stakes dug into the ground, pointed and tightly fitted to each other.
TO external wall The castle is led by a bridge spanning a moat. Depending on the size of the ditch and bridge, the latter is supported by one or more supports (huge logs). The outer part of the bridge is fixed, but the last section (right next to the wall) is movable.
Scheme of the entrance to the castle: 2 - gallery on the wall, 3 - drawbridge, 4 - grate.
Counterweights on the gate lift.
This drawbridge is designed so that in a vertical position it covers the gate. The bridge is powered by mechanisms hidden in the building above them. From the bridge to the lifting machines, ropes or chains go into the wall openings. To facilitate the work of people servicing the bridge mechanism, the ropes were sometimes equipped with heavy counterweights, taking part of the weight of this structure on themselves.
Of particular interest is the bridge, which worked on the principle of a swing (it is called “tipping” or “swinging”). One half of it was inside - lying on the ground under the gate, and the other stretched across the ditch. When inner part rose, covering the entrance to the castle, the outer one (which sometimes the attackers already managed to run into) sank down into the ditch, where the so-called “wolf pit” was built (sharp stakes dug into the ground), invisible from the side while the bridge was lowered.
To enter the castle when the gates were closed, there was a side gate next to them, to which a separate lift ladder was usually laid.
The gate is the most vulnerable part of the castle; it was usually not made directly into its wall, but was located in the so-called “gate towers”. Most often, the gates were double-leaf, and the doors were knocked together from two layers of boards. To protect against arson, they were lined with iron on the outside. At the same time, in one of the doors there was a small narrow door that could only be passed through by bending over. In addition to locks and iron bolts, the gate was closed by a transverse beam lying in the wall channel and sliding into the opposite wall. The cross beam could also be inserted into hook-shaped slots on the walls. Its main purpose was to protect the goal from being attacked by attackers.
Behind the gate there was usually a lowering grate. Most often it was made of wood, with lower ends bound in iron. But there were also iron gratings made from steel tetrahedral rods. The lattice could descend from a gap in the arch of the gate portal, or be located behind them (on the inside of the gate tower), descending along grooves in the walls.
The grate hung on ropes or chains, which in case of danger could be cut off so that it would quickly fall down, blocking the path of the invaders.
Inside the gate tower there were rooms for guards. They kept watch on the upper platform of the tower, asked the guests the purpose of their visit, opened the gates, and, if necessary, could shoot with a bow all those who passed under them. For this purpose, in the arch of the gate portal there were vertical loopholes, as well as “resin noses” - holes for pouring hot resin onto the attackers.
All on the wall!
Zwinger at Lanek Castle.
At the top of the wall there was a gallery for defense soldiers. On the outside of the castle they were protected by a strong parapet of half human height, on which stone battlements were regularly located. You could stand behind them at full height and, for example, load a crossbow. The shape of the teeth was extremely varied - rectangular, round, swallowtail, decoratively decorated. Some castles had covered galleries ( wooden canopy) to protect soldiers from bad weather.
A special type of loophole is a ball loophole. It was a freely rotating wooden ball fixed to the wall with a slot for firing.
Pedestrian gallery on the wall.
Balconies (the so-called “machiculi”) were installed in the walls very rarely - for example, in the case when the wall was too narrow for the free passage of several soldiers, and, as a rule, performed only decorative functions.
At the corners of the castle, small towers were built on the walls, most often flanking (that is, protruding outward), which allowed the defenders to fire along the walls in two directions. In the late Middle Ages, they began to be adapted for storage. Internal sides Such towers (facing the castle courtyard) were usually left open so that an enemy who broke into the wall could not gain a foothold inside them.
Flanking corner tower.
Castle from the inside
The internal structure of the locks was varied. In addition to the mentioned zwingers, behind the main gate there could be a small rectangular courtyard with loopholes in the walls - a kind of “trap” for attackers. Sometimes castles consisted of several “sections” separated internal walls. But an indispensable attribute of the castle was a large courtyard ( outbuildings, well, rooms for servants) and the central tower, also known as the “donjon”.
Donjon at Vincennes Castle.
The location of the water source depended primarily on natural causes. But if there was a choice, then the well was dug not in the square, but in a fortified room, in order to provide it with water in case of shelter during a siege. If, due to the nature of the occurrence groundwater If a well was dug behind the castle wall, then a stone tower was built above it (if possible, with wooden passages into the castle).
When there was no way to dig a well, a cistern was built in the castle to collect rainwater from the roofs. Such water needed purification - it was filtered through gravel.
The military garrison of castles in peacetime was minimal. So in 1425, two co-owners of the castle of Reichelsberg in the Lower Franconian Aube entered into an agreement that each of them would provide one armed servant, and pay two gatekeepers and two guards together.
Kitchen at Marksburg Castle.
Inside the tower there was sometimes a very high shaft going from top to bottom. It served either as a prison or a warehouse. Entry into it was possible only through a hole in the vault of the upper floor - “Angstloch” (German - terrifying hole). Depending on the purpose of the mine, the winch lowered prisoners or provisions into it.
If there were no prison premises in the castle, then the prisoners were placed in large wooden boxes made of thick boards, too small to stand up to full height. These boxes could be installed in any room of the castle.
Of course, they were taken prisoner primarily to obtain a ransom or to use the prisoner in a political game. Therefore, VIPs were provided with the highest class - guarded chambers in the tower were allocated for their maintenance. This is exactly how Frederick the Handsome “spent his time” at the castle of Trausnitz on Pfeimde and Richard the Lionheart in Trifels.
Chamber at Marksburg Castle.
Abenberg Castle tower (12th century) in section.
At the base of the tower there was a basement, which could also be used as a dungeon, and a kitchen with a pantry. Main hall (dining room, common area) occupied an entire floor and was heated by a huge fireplace (it distributed heat only a few meters, so iron baskets with coals were placed further down the hall). Above were the chambers of the feudal lord's family, heated by small stoves.
Sometimes the donjon did not serve as a living space. It could well have been used only for military-economic purposes (observation posts on the tower, dungeon, food storage). In such cases, the feudal lord’s family lived in the “palace” - the living quarters of the castle, standing apart from the tower. The palaces were built of stone and had several floors in height.
It should be noted that the living conditions in the castles were far from the most pleasant. Only the largest palaces had a large knightly hall for celebrations. It was very cold in the dungeons and palaces. Fireplace heating helped, but the walls were still covered with thick tapestries and carpets - not for decoration, but to preserve heat.
The windows let in very little sunlight (this was due to the fortification nature of the castle architecture); not all of them were glazed. Toilets were arranged in the form of a bay window in the wall. They were unheated, so visiting the outhouse in winter left people with a unique feeling.
Large temples had two floors. Commoners prayed below, and gentlemen gathered in a warm (sometimes glassed-in) choir on the second tier. The decoration of such rooms was quite modest - an altar, benches and wall paintings. Sometimes the temple served as a tomb for the family living in the castle. Less often it was used as a refuge (along with the donjon).
War on earth and underground
To take the castle, it was necessary to isolate it - that is, to block all food supply routes. That is why the attacking armies were much larger than the defending ones - about 150 people (this is true for a war of mediocre feudal lords).
The issue of provisions was the most painful. A person can live without water for several days, without food - about a month (one should take into account his low combat effectiveness during a hunger strike). Therefore, the owners of a castle preparing for a siege often took extreme measures - they drove out all the commoners who could not benefit the defense. As mentioned above, the garrison of the castles was small - it was impossible to feed an entire army under siege conditions.
The attackers had no less problems. The siege of castles sometimes lasted for years (for example, the German Turant defended from 1245 to 1248), so the question of logistics for an army of several hundred people arose especially acutely.
In the case of the siege of Turant, chroniclers claim that during all this time the soldiers of the attacking army drank 300 fuders of wine (a fuder is a huge barrel). This amounts to about 2.8 million liters. Either the census taker made a mistake, or the constant number of besiegers was more than 1000 people.
View of Eltz Castle from Trutz-Eltz Counter-Castle.
The war against castles had its own specifics. After all, any more or less high stone fortification presented a serious obstacle to conventional armies. Direct infantry attacks on the fortress could well be crowned with success, which, however, came at the cost of great casualties.
That is why, in order to successfully capture the castle, a whole complex of military measures was necessary (the siege and starvation have already been mentioned above). Among the most labor-intensive, but at the same time extremely successful ways overcoming the castle's defenses involved undermining.
Undermining was done for two purposes - to provide troops with direct access to the castle's courtyard or to destroy a section of its wall.
So, during the siege of the Altwindstein castle in Northern Alsace in 1332, a brigade of sappers of 80 (!) people took advantage of the diversionary maneuvers of their troops (periodic short attacks on the castle) and within 10 weeks made a long passage in solid rock to the south-eastern part fortresses
If the castle wall was not too large and had an unreliable wall, then a tunnel was dug under its base, the walls of which were strengthened with wooden struts. Next, the spacers were set on fire - just under the wall. The tunnel was collapsing, the base of the foundation was sagging, and the wall above this place was falling apart.
Curious devices were used to detect tunnels. For example, large copper bowls with balls inside were placed throughout the castle. If a ball in any bowl began to tremble, this was a sure sign that a tunnel was being mined nearby.
But the main argument in attacking the castle were siege engines - catapults and rams.
Storming of the castle (14th century miniature).
A type of catapult is a trebuchet.
Sometimes the catapults were loaded with barrels filled with flammable materials. To give the defenders of the castle a couple of pleasant minutes, catapults threw the severed heads of prisoners to them (especially powerful machines could even throw whole corpses over the wall).
Storming a castle using a mobile tower.
In addition to the usual ram, pendulum ones were also used. They were mounted on high mobile frames with a canopy and looked like a log suspended on a chain. The besiegers hid inside the tower and swung the chain, causing the log to hit the wall.
In response, the besieged lowered a rope from the wall, at the end of which steel hooks were attached. With this rope they caught the ram and tried to lift it up, depriving it of mobility. Sometimes an unwary soldier could get caught on such hooks.
Having overcome the rampart, broken the palisades and filled in the ditch, the attackers either stormed the castle using ladders or used tall wooden towers, the upper platform of which was flush with the wall (or even higher than it). These gigantic structures were doused with water to prevent the defenders from setting them on fire and were rolled up to the castle along a plank flooring. A heavy platform was thrown over the wall. The assault group climbed up the internal staircase, went out onto the platform and with a fight invaded the gallery of the fortress wall. Usually this meant that in a couple of minutes the castle would be taken.
Silent Sapa
Sapa (from the French sape, literally - hoe, saper - to dig) is a method of digging a ditch, trench or tunnel to approach its fortifications, used in the 16th-19th centuries. The switchback (quiet, secretive) and flying glanders are known. Work with a shift gland was carried out from the bottom of the original ditch without workers going to the surface, and with a flying gland - from the surface of the earth under the cover of a previously prepared protective embankment of barrels and bags of earth. In the 2nd half of the 17th century, specialists - sappers - appeared in the armies of a number of countries to perform such work.
The expression to act “on the sly” means: to sneak, slowly, unnoticed, to penetrate somewhere.
Fights on the castle stairs
From one floor of the tower it was possible to get to another only along a narrow and steep spiral staircase. The ascent along it was carried out only one after another - it was so narrow. At the same time, the warrior who went first could rely only on his own ability to fight, because the steepness of the turn was chosen in such a way that it was impossible to use a spear or long sword from behind the leader’s back. Therefore, the battles on the stairs were reduced to single combat between the defenders of the castle and one of the attackers. Namely the defenders, because they could easily replace each other, since there was a special extended area behind them.
Samurai castles
We know the least about exotic castles - for example, Japanese ones.
Stone castles began to be built at the end of the 16th century, taking into account European achievements in fortification. An indispensable feature of a Japanese castle are wide and deep artificial ditches with steep slopes that surrounded it on all sides. Usually they were filled with water, but sometimes this function was performed by a natural water barrier - a river, lake, swamp.
Inside the castle was complex system protective structures, consisting of several rows of walls with courtyards and gates, underground corridors and labyrinths. All these structures were located around the central square of Honmaru, on which the feudal lord's palace and the high central tenshukaku tower were erected. The latter consisted of several gradually decreasing rectangular tiers with protruding tiled roofs and pediments.
Japanese castles, as a rule, were small - about 200 meters long and 500 wide. But among them there were also real giants. Thus, Odawara Castle occupied an area of 170 hectares, and the total length of its fortress walls reached 5 kilometers, which is twice the length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.
Ancient charm
French castle of Saumur (14th century miniature).
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For some reason, when the word “fairy tale” is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is medieval castles and fortresses. Maybe because they were built in those ancient times, when wizards walked freely through the fields and meadows, and fire-breathing dragons flew over the mountain peaks.
Be that as it may, even now, looking at the castles and fortresses that have been preserved here and there, one inevitably imagines princesses sleeping in them and evil fairies conjuring magic potions. Let's take a look at the once luxurious homes of the powers that be.
(German: Schloß Neuschwanstein, literally “New Swan Stone”) is located in Germany, near the town of Fussen (German: Fussen). The castle was founded in 1869 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Construction was completed in 1891, 5 years after the unexpected death of the king. The castle is magnificent and attracts curious tourists from all over the world with its beautiful architectural forms.
This is the “dream palace” of the young king, who was never able to see it realized in its full grandeur. Ludwig II of Bavaria, the founder of the castle, ascended the throne too young. And being a dreamy person, imagining himself fairy-tale character Lohengrin, he decided to build his castle in order to hide in it from the harsh reality of the defeat of Bavaria in an alliance with Austria in 1866 in the war with Prussia.
Having moved away from state concerns, the young king demanded too much from the army of architects, artists and craftsmen. Sometimes he set completely unrealistic deadlines, which required round-the-clock work by masons and carpenters. During construction, Ludwig II delved deeper into his fictional world, for which he was later declared crazy. Architectural project The castle was constantly changing. So the guest quarters were eliminated and a small grotto was added. Small hall for audiences it was transformed into the majestic Throne Hall.
A century and a half ago, Ludwig II of Bavaria tried to hide from people behind walls medieval castle- today they come in millions to admire his fabulous refuge.
(German: Burg Hohenzollern) is an ancient castle-fortress in Baden-Württemberg, 50 km south of Stuttgart. The castle was built at an altitude of 855 m above sea level on the top of the Hohenzollern mountain. Only the third castle has survived to this day. The medieval castle fortress was first built in the 11th century and completely destroyed after its capture, at the end of a grueling siege by troops of the cities of Swabia in 1423.
On its ruins, a new fortress was built in 1454-1461, which served as a refuge for the House of Hohenzollern during the Thirty Years' War. Due to the complete loss of strategic importance by the fortress, towards the end XVIII century, the castle became noticeably dilapidated, and some parts of the building were finally dismantled.
The modern version of the castle was built in 1850-1867 on the personal instructions of King Frederick William IV, who decided to completely restore the ancestral castle of the Prussian royal house. The construction of the castle was led by the famous Berlin architect Friedrich August Stüler. He managed to combine new, large-scale castle buildings in the neo-Gothic style and the few surviving buildings of the former destroyed castles.
(Karlštejn), built by order of the Czech king and Emperor Charles IV (named in his honor) on a high limestone rock above the Berounka River, as a summer residence and storage place for the sacred relics of the royal family. The first stone for the foundation of Karlštejn Castle was laid by Archbishop Arnošt, close to the emperor, in 1348, and already in 1357 the construction of the castle was completed. Two years before the end of construction, Charles IV settled in the castle.
The stepped architecture of Karlštejn Castle, ending with a tower with a chapel of the Grand Cross, is quite common in the Czech Republic. The ensemble includes the castle itself, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Catherine Chapel, the Great Tower, the Marian Tower and the Well Tower.
The majestic Studnicna Tower and the Imperial Palace, which housed the king’s chambers, take tourists back to the Middle Ages, when a powerful monarch ruled the Czech Republic.
Royal palace and fortress in the Spanish city of Segovia, in the province of Castile and Leon. The fortress was built on a high cliff above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers. Such a favorable location made it practically impregnable. Now it is one of the most recognizable and beautiful palaces in Spain. Originally built as a fortress, the Alcazar was at one time a royal palace, a prison, and a royal artillery academy.
The Alcazar, which was a small wooden fortress in the 12th century, was later rebuilt into a stone castle and became the most impregnable defensive structure. This palace became famous for great historically significant events: the coronation of Isabella the Catholic, her first marriage to King Ferdinand of Aragon, the wedding of Anne of Austria to Philip II.
(Castelul Peleş) was built by King Carol I of Romania near the city of Sinaia in the Romanian Carpathians. The king was so fascinated by the local beauty that he bought up the surrounding lands and built a castle for hunting and summer holiday. The name of the castle was given by a small mountain river that flowed nearby.
In 1873, construction began on a grandiose structure under the leadership of architect Johann Schulz. Along with the castle, other necessary fortifications were also built. comfortable life buildings: royal stables, guard houses, hunting house and power station.
Thanks to the power plant, Peles became the first electrified castle in the world. The castle officially opened in 1883. At the same time it was installed central heating and a lift. The construction was completely completed in 1914.
It is a symbol of the small city-state of San Marino on the territory of modern Italy. The beginning of the construction of the fortress is considered to be the 10th century AD. Guaita is the first of three San Marino fortresses built on the peaks of Monte Titano.
The structure consists of two rings of fortifications; the inner one has retained all the signs of forts from the feudal era. The main entrance gate was located at a height of several meters, and it was possible to pass through it only via a drawbridge, now destroyed. The fortress was restored many times in the 15th – 17th centuries.
Well, so we looked at some medieval castles and fortresses in Europe, of course, not all. Next time we will admire the fortresses on the tops of inaccessible cliffs. There are still so many interesting discoveries ahead!