preview

Medieval Architecture : The Caernarvon Castle

Better Essays

Medieval Architecture: The Caernarvon Castle When people think of a medieval castle, they often tend to visualize a “fairy tale representation” of something that they had seen in a Disney film. The buildings are usually lavish-looking and filled with whimsical wonder and intrigue, but no one really wonders about the story behind the architecture and style used to construct it. This generic idea is merely scratching the surface of what an actual castle from the medieval era would look like or stand for. From the history of its walls to the drama behind its gates, medieval castles prove to be so much more than just a large, beautiful building sat on top of a hill. Once one learns of the backstory behind a castle and the brutal struggles it …show more content…

2). The king called for a military architect named Master James of St. George to help him carry out his plans. Master James, from Lake Neuchatel, Savoy, was a widely known architect that was responsible for multiple castle designs with regards to important figures during this time. Since King Edward I and his father, King Henry III, had personal connections with him, he wanted to use Master James’ expertise for this task. He was famous for designing architecture at a quick pace and had managed to make various advantageous additions to several castles in the area. Caernarvon was one of the main castles that acted as part of a “barrier” around the area to ensure numerous conquests. During this time in the late 13th century, the Welsh were rebelling against the English, and the Caernarvon seemed to serve as the pinnacle of this history-making process by acting as a stamp of dominance along with its neighboring chain of castles. The politics during this time period were based off of King Edward I’s desire to conquer, and he made sure that the castles served their purpose in order to be used as fortresses. In 1283, after the Welsh were taken over by the English, the official stone construction of Caernarvon had begun, thus marking the king’s permanent influence on the area as well as the people. Other surrounding castles had also been rebuilt or enhanced with strong defenses as well as their presences. The Caernarvon Castle’s improved

Get Access