Introduction
What is a Castle?
A castle is a "large building or group of buildings fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and in many cases a moat," according to the New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd edition). "Castle" is based off the Latin word for fort, "castellum."
Castles played an important role in medieval times. They were crucial in defending against sieges by offering an extremely strong and sturdy structure, capable of withstanding trebuchets, mangonels, and battering rams. Castles were built in the first place to protect both peasants and nobles.
Castle building was a sign of strength for lords and kings who took up the opportunity of a large, timely construction project. Their kingdoms benefited in most cases because it protected the territory from invasions. Castles began being built shortly after the turn of the millennium in Europe.
The first known castle was the Windsor Castle in London, built in 1066 AD in Normandy by the first Norman king of England - William the Conqueror (Sierra). Eventually, 9 castles total were built for William.
Building a castle was no small feat, however. When castles were first made of wood, they were easy and quick to build, but did not have a lasting impact that benefited the country. Stone castles took many years, and some of the larger ones took up to twenty years to build, such as The Tower of London (Sierra). Even after a castle was was "officially" completed (if ever), future kings and lords continued to improve them to hold up to the evolving weaponry of the medieval times.
Although castles were a pain in many ways to build because of the resources required, the location in which they had to be built, and the landscape on which they were built, most of them paid off during times of warfare. Spears and arrows were no match to the strong stone walls of castles. There is no doubt castles were effective in this way. That was, until the invention of gunpowder and the cannon. After that point, castles were nearly useless.
If a castle was being besieged, the people inside would survive on the stored food. Usually, there was more than enough food to live on until the attacks died off. The most common way a castle would be defeated was by being besieged long enough until those inside would be forced to surrender. Otherwise, the destruction of the entire structure was extremely difficult with the weapons of the time.
Photograph Credit (above): Caerlaverock Castle (Robins)
Table of Contents
- Castle Architecture & Construction »
Although castles started as wooden structures, it was quickly realized that stone was a better material for which to use. Also, many common terms exist that are used to describe parts of castles - learn what they all mean here. - Castle Life »
Would you want to live in a castle during medieval times? If you said "yes," read this page and you might change your mind. Although castle life may have a "romantic" reputation today, the reality could not have been further from the truth. - Castle Defense »
The main reason castles were built in the first place was to defend against sieges and all the weapons that enemies used in attempt to destroy it. - Examples of Castles »
Many castles still stand today all over Europe. Get a glimpse at some real-world examples which changed the course of history that are located in Wales, Belgium, England, Italy, Germany, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. - Photos of Castles »
Enjoy an interactive Flash photo slideshow of castles all over Europe. - Bibliography »
View the sources that were used to research for creating this site. - Related Links »
If you want to explore further into medieval castles, look at this long list of helpful URLs.