Medieval Castles In Medieval Times

For anyone to react effectively in a situation, a level of maturity is required in order to think through the correct course of action. A time of constant change, not only of the world at large, but also of the individual is described by Cynthia Rylant. In I Had Seen Castles, Rylant uses the change of the time and of the world’s view to show the change and growth in Diane’s emotional and mental maturity.

Spain has the most formidable castles in the world. Spain has more than 1000 Spanish castles recorded through history. The castles were built for various reasons. However, the primary reason was to stop the Arabs when they invaded Spain in 711. The Spanish built so many of them in fact. These castles were mostly concentrated in the northern part which was where the Arabs advanced when they attacked. And when the Spanish military moved to reconquer the peninsula towards the south, they built additional strongholds to prevent the Arabs from reclaiming Spain. These castles were known as Castilla.

Castles, palaces, and cathedrals are scattered across Europe. Each one possesses unique characteristics and architecture bearing resemblance of their time. Some castles incorporate Greek influence, roman or gothic influence in design. Other castles and palaces are surrounded by sculptures outside in the courtyard or include sculptures worshiped as an altarpiece. While any one of these things would serve to make an ordinary castle more elaborate there is one palace that possesses all of these: The Palace of Versailles in France. The Palace of Versailles has managed to incorporate classic architecture, exquisite sculptures, and amalgamated the old design with the newer design trends of the day.

The Moors also built atalayas, or watchtowers and rock castles that served as part of the defense system for the castle. The watchtowers were used as communication devices for castles that were great distances apart. The watchtowers would signal the castle in case of an enemy attack by using smoke and mirrors. They built rock castles, or small defense castles high on rocks, using the natural terrain to the maximum effect. Since the rock castles were small they did not house many soldiers.

As knights increased their social standing, with some becoming nobles, the idea of owning a castle became a common idea. War was often a way for one side to gain large amounts of wealth, which allowed more castles to be built. This allowed for the development of many different types of castles.

Castles are huge, strong houses, where kings and lords once lived with their families, soldiers and servants. They were built to provide safety from attack and to display the owner's wealth. The first proper castles were built in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were introduced by William the Conqueror, when he invaded England from his homeland in France.

The Middle Ages, also known as the Medieval era, though scarred with a history of violence and war, has given the world some of the most marvelous and beautiful pieces of art, particularly in architecture. The Middle Ages is the name given to the time period from the late 5th century to the 15th century, particular to European history. The construction of these types of buildings was a constant for various cultures for a thousand years. They can be categorized into three phases; Pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Gothic. The most important buildings during medieval times were religious, defensive and governmental or power related.

Castles were extremely important during 1066 – 1500 and they changed overtime to get more protection. A castle is a fortification that was used in the middle ages to protect territory against an invasion. They were important during these times because many kings and lords wanted to show off how wealthy they are and they used them as bases, controlling their land and people from a higher point.

The castle would usually be built on higher ground to see enemies coming from below. This would also help to build a moat, the drawbridge would be the only pathway from the land to the castle. The castle would have multiple stories from basements to dungeons. The toilet would be built at the bottom story to let the waste go down into the water below.

Castles were constructed strategically as military structures to defend against attackers and enemies. They were built to maximize their defense features and limit any weaknesses that the enemy could capitalize on. Around the 10th century, Normans began to build motte and bailey castles to protect themselves from any Viking invasions or attacks which depended on the element of surprise. Motte and bailey castles got their name from their motte which is a mound of earth and their bailey, a flat enclosed area that is usually surrounded by a wooden fence. On top of the motte was the keep which was a tower or structure that operated as the last line of defense. The motte was sometimes human-made and was combined with a nearby hill. The keep was also where

During the Middle Ages, castles were extremely important. Castles were either a peaceful home for nobles, knights and their servants or a busy military command centre. Because castles were such important features of the Middle Ages, it makes sense that they would last nearly the whole period of time and beyond. The Middle Ages lasted from 476ce through to the renaissance, which lasted from the 14th- 17th century. Throughout the Middle Ages the styles of fighting and defence changed, which also meant that the designs of castles changed to support the new techniques of war. Castles were introduced after William the Conqueror introduced feudalism after winning the battle of the Hastings in 1066ce. Feudalism was the social organization of Medieval

     Medieval tactics were essential for an attack or siege of a castle. Many tactics and strategies helped develop much-improved version of an attacking artifact, like weapons and sieging machinery. The knights of Medieval England which were the cavalry, improved as the years went by, but never actually had any tactics or strategies. The usual knight would just go out there and fight. The knights were the counter offensive against a small siege, but they were ineffective against a large siege of a castle. A siege was very essential for medieval warfare. Siege was like the most important part of an attack; that is if you’re attacking a castle.

In 1066, there was a new way of construction due to the arrival of the Normans. The Normans brought the Motte and Bailey Castles and the Concentric Circle Castles to Europe. Castles were used by royalty to have secure protection from attacks. Castles would be expensive and take a long time to build, making it only available to the rich and powerful. The first castles that were built during the arrival of the Normans were the Motte and Bailey Castles, which then progressed into the Concentric Circle Castles.

Ever since its creation by Gundolf in 1078, the Tower of London has served many purposes. Whether it was a royal residence or prison and torture chamber, most importantly, it has been a significant symbol and monument of English history and architecture. A small, modest building, many tourists are surprised to see the Tower of London, as it is not the magnificent, tall tower they were expecting. For some years, the Tower of London was used as a royal residence where monarchs would stay for a night before departing to continue their journey the next day. More interestingly, it was used as a prison, torture chamber, and execution grounds.

The Tower of London is one of the most famous and visited historic monuments in the world. For some people it conjures up images of Norman architecture and towering battlements, but most associate it with arms and armour, ravens, the Crown Jewels, Yeoman Warders, imprisonment, death and ghostly apparitions. But this does not do it justice: the history of the Tower and its buildings is a vast, fascinating and complex subject, intertwined with the history of the country of England, its government, its kings and queens, and its people and institutions. The castle's first four centuries, during the Middle Ages, saw the development of the layout of buildings that we know today and its