At the mention of castles of the Middle Ages, picturesque walls entwined with ivy, beautiful ladies in high towers and noble knights in shining armor come to mind. But it was not these lofty images that motivated the feudal lords to build impregnable walls with loopholes, but harsh reality.
During the Middle Ages, Europe experienced many changes. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the processes of migration of peoples began, new kingdoms and states appeared. All this was accompanied by constant conflicts and strife.
feudal nobleman, who had a knighthood, to protect himself from enemies, and even the closest neighbors could become them, was forced to strengthen his home as much as possible and build a castle.
Wikipedia offers to distinguish between a castle and a fortress. Fortress - walled area land with houses and other buildings. The castle is smaller. This is a single structure, which includes walls, towers, bridges and other structures.
The castle was the private fortress of a noble lord and his family. In addition to the direct function of protection, it was an indicator of power and wealth. But not all knights could afford it. The owner could be a whole knightly order - a community of warriors.
How and from what materials were medieval castles built?
Construction of a real castle was a laborious and costly process. All work was carried out by hand and sometimes lasted for decades.
Before construction began, a suitable site had to be selected. The most impregnable castles were erected on the cliffs of steep cliffs. However, more often they chose a hill with an open view and a river nearby. The water artery was necessary to fill the ditches, and was also used as a way to transport goods.
A deep ditch was dug on the ground and a mound was formed. Then, with the help of scaffolding, walls were erected.
The challenge was building a well.. I had to dig deep down or gouge the rock.
The choice of material for construction depended on many factors. Of decisive importance were:
- terrain;
- human resources;
- budget.
If there was a quarry nearby, the structure was built of stone, otherwise wood, sand, limestone or bricks were used. For the outside, we used facing materials, for example, processed stone. The elements of the walls were connected with lime mortar.
Although glass was known in those days, it was not used in castles. Narrow windows were covered with mica, leather or parchment. Inside the living quarters of the owners of the castle, the walls were often covered with frescoes and hung with tapestries. In the rest of the rooms, they limited themselves to a layer of lime or left untouched masonry.
What elements did castles consist of?
Precise lock configuration depended on local traditions, landscape, wealth of the owner. Over time, new engineering solutions appeared. Previously built structures were often completed and rebuilt. Among all Medieval fortifications, several traditional elements can be distinguished.
Moat, bridge and gate
The castle was surrounded by a moat. If there was a river nearby, it was flooded. Wolf pits were arranged at the bottom - depressions with stakes or sharp rods.
It was possible to get inside through the moat only with the help of a bridge. Huge logs served as supports. Part of the bridge rose and closed the passage inside. The mechanism of the drawbridge was designed in such a way that 2 guards could handle it. In some castles, the bridge had a swing mechanism.
The gate was double-leaf and closed transverse beam that slides into the wall. Although they were knocked together from several layers of durable boards and upholstered with iron, the gate remained the most vulnerable part of the structure. They were protected by a gate tower with a guard room. The entrance to the castle turned into a long narrow passage with holes in the ceiling and walls. If the enemy was inside, a stream of boiling water or resin poured on him.
In addition to wooden gates, there was often a lattice, which was closed with a winch and ropes. In an emergency, the ropes were cut off, the barrier fell sharply.
An additional element of the protection of the gate was the barbican - the walls coming from the gate. Opponents had to squeeze in into the passage between them under a hail of arrows.
Walls and towers
The height of the walls of the medieval fortification reached 25 meters. They had a powerful base and withstood the blows of battering rams. The deep foundation was designed to protect against undermining. The thickness of the walls to the top decreased, they became sloping. At the top, behind the battlements, was a platform. Being on it, the defenders fired at the enemies through slot-like holes, threw down stones or poured resin.
Double walls were often built . Overcoming the first hurdle, opponents fell into a narrow space in front of the second wall, where they became easy prey for archers.
At the corners of the perimeter there were watchtowers that protruded forward in relation to the wall. Inside, they were divided into floors, each of which was a separate room. In large castles, the towers had a vertical partition for strengthening.
All the stairs in the towers were spiral and very steep. If the enemy penetrated the inner territory, the defender had an advantage and could throw the aggressor down. Initially, the towers had a rectangular shape. But this interfered with the review during the defense. Replaced by round buildings.
Behind the main gate was a narrow courtyard, which was well shot through.
The rest of the interior space the castle was occupied by buildings. Among them:
In large knightly castles, there was a garden inside, and sometimes a whole garden.
The central and most fortified structure of any castle is the donjon tower. In the lower part there was a storehouse with food supplies and an arsenal with weapons and equipment. Above was the guard room, the kitchen. The upper part was occupied by the dwelling of the owner and his family. A throwing weapon or catapult was installed on the roof. The outer walls of the donjon had small ledges. There were restrooms. Holes opened outward, waste fell down. From the donjon, underground passages could lead to a shelter or neighboring buildings.
Mandatory elements of a castle in the Middle Ages was a church or chapel. It could be located in the central tower or be a separate building.
The castle could not do without a well. In the absence of a source of water, the inhabitants would not have held out for several days during the siege. The well was protected by a separate building.
Living conditions in the castle
The castle provided the need for security. However, other benefits of its inhabitants often had to be neglected.
Little light penetrated inside the premises, since the windows were replaced by narrow loopholes, which were covered with dense materials. Living rooms were heated with fireplaces, but this did not save them from dank dampness and cold. In the harsh winter, the walls froze through through. Using the latrines during the cold season was especially uncomfortable.
Residents often had to neglect hygiene. Most of the water from the well went to maintain life functions and care for animals.
Over time, the structure of castles became more complex, new elements appeared. However, the development of gunpowder guns deprived the castles of the main advantage - impregnability. They were replaced by fortresses with more complex engineering solutions.
Gradually, the castles of the Middle Ages, many of which have survived to this day, turned into architectural monuments and remind of the era of chivalry.
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If you are a fan of traveling to places with a century of history that smells of archaism, take a look at what ancient castles are still inhabited by people and even ghosts.
Modern skyscrapers and designer exhibition centers are gradually replacing traditional architecture from cities. Against the background of their popularity, the desire to live in a secluded castle seems extravagant. However, in every corner of Europe you can find old houses that have been preserved thanks to the efforts of loving owners. And while they may not be as comfortable as state-of-the-art penthouses, castles have their own charm.
1. Château Plessis-Bourret, France
Appearance its so severe that the castle is more like a defensive fortress. Its interior decoration will amaze even the most sophisticated person, accustomed to luxurious decorations. It has not undergone any modifications: the absolute preservation of the original design makes the chateau truly unique. Plessis-Bourret was built in 1472 by Jean Bourret, who served as Minister of Finance under King Louis XI. The bribe-taker Bure was so afraid of the uprising of the inhabitants of his lands that he ordered the palace to be fenced with the widest moat in France. The drawbridge, which makes it possible to leave it, is still used for its intended purpose.
Modern owners do not hide their historical monument either from curious tourists or from filmmakers. In 2003, Penelope Cruz spent several unforgettable weeks in the castle, filming in the film "Fanfan Tulip" with Vincent Perez. Today, anyone can follow her example by renting one of Plessy-Burret's rooms as hotel room. For those who prefer five-star hotels, there are free and individual excursions with a guide lasting several hours.
2. Residence of the Queen of Great Britain in the county of Berkshire, England
Windsor Castle is the largest and most famous among the brethren that are still considered residential. Its splendor and scale frighten and amaze at the same time: on an area of 45,000 m² there is a complex of buildings with 1,000 residential premises. For 900 years, Windsor has belonged to the ruling dynasty and all its members have the right to upgrade the estate to their taste. Each new monarch expanded and expanded the area of possessions, until the adjacent hardwood forest began to be considered a Berkshire park. At the end of the last century, the Queen's residence was urgently reconstructed due to a massive fire.
The Queen of England today uses Windsor as a means of defeating other heads of state and other eminent guests. She invites them to live in rooms decorated with originals by Rembrandt and Rubens, antique candlesticks and gilded moldings on the ceiling. Who after that will be able to refuse a political request to a royal person?
3. Berkeley Castle, England
The second most populous palace in England after Windsor. At the end of the 12th century, it was bought by the Berkeley family, which is in the title of Lords. In 1327, members of an influential family involuntarily became prison guards in their own house. Opponents of King Edward II deposed him and placed him in Berkeley, demanding from his owners an obligation to prevent any attempt to escape. In the same year, the estate began to be distinguished from the rest of the castles in the area by a high fence instead of a moat with water that was familiar to the eye in those days. For six months, the prisoner tried to leave Berkeley twice, after which he was executed by the new ruler.
The heirs of the castle inhabit only 20% of its area: the rest is used as a hotel and a museum. But the main source of their income is cinema. Berkeley's interiors can be seen in the TV series Wolf Hall, Castle in the Country and the film The Other Boleyn Girl.
4. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Built on an extinct volcano, the palace rises 120 meters above sea level. Scientists have found that the first walls appeared here in the Iron Age: they were built by warriors planning a raid on the Anglian tribes. Edinburgh Castle has changed over the centuries from English to Scottish property and vice versa. Ten years ago, the British Ministry of Defense finally abandoned it. Residents of Scotland's largest tourist attraction were not affected by the decision. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a dynasty of caretakers has been living in the castle, whose only duty is to fire a cannon every hour during daylight hours.
5. Warwick Castle, England
The vast majority of the residents of the house are TV and Youtube stars. The estate, built back in 1068 by William the Conqueror, is a regular participant in the show with psychics, "ghost hunters" and magicians. It even made it into the book Haunted Houses of Great Britain and Ireland. Anyone can find footage of internal surveillance cameras with evidence of their existence on video hosting sites.
Extreme temperature fluctuations, light anomalies and mysterious rustles are arranged by the "Gray Lady" and her assistants. The pensioner, who is the heiress of the earl-owner of Warwick, is also familiar with her. For 100 years, her figure has been bumping into the inhabitants of the palace in its long corridors and scaredly shied away at the sight of children. She can't walk through walls, which is why Warwick is used to suddenly opening doors. Those who have seen her up close say that she is the ghost of an old woman dressed in a gray dress. The "Gray Lady" is assisted by the county poet Fulk Greville, who was strangled in the Water Tower in 1628. His chilling screams are heard from the Tower several times a week. In addition to this couple, there are more than 10 unidentified ghosts living in Warwick.
6. Rock of Cashel, Ireland
In the castle on the rock of Cashel lives the caretaker of the cemetery, which spontaneously arose near its walls. A group of medieval buildings built between the 12th and 15th centuries is adjacent to the Cormac Chapel, a small Romanesque church that houses the sarcophagus of the first owner of the fortress, after whom it is named. During a surprise enemy attack locals tried to hide in the church, but they were all brutally killed. They were buried there, and soon new burials began to appear around the graves of the unfortunate victims. According to legend, dozens of spirits also live there.
7. Kronborg Estate, Denmark
Built in 1420, the castle on the outskirts of Copenhagen is officially listed world heritage UNESCO. In order to prevent capture by the Swedes, it was designed as a complex system of labyrinths and underground passages. Creative personalities live in Kronborg - directors, actors, screenwriters. Every spring they create a new interpretation of the theatrical production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet and present it to the audience.
8. Bran Palace, Romania
In picturesque Transylvania is the estate of the bloodiest Romanian of all time - Count Dracula. Bran is a famous tourist attraction in the country, as well as a hotel with rooms in the form of wooden log cabins decorated with tiles. The legendary vampire liked to stay there during his lifetime, but he left no trace of himself in Bran. The interior decoration of the castle has been preserved since the time of Queen Mary: she lived in it after the count and decorated it with a large number of books, porcelain and icons. The latter, according to rumors, she needed to prevent the nightly visits of the vampire.
9. Pfalzgrafenstein Estate, Germany
Even native Germans are unable to pronounce the name correctly the first time. It is located in the middle of the Rhine River: the island of Pfalzgrafenstein used to be completely deserted and uninhabited. A fortress was built on top of it as a royal customs house to check on ships passing by. Later it became the residence of the local nobility. In the 20th century, the state needed to use the Pfalzgrafenstein as a lighthouse. Now the caretaker lives there, and in order to visit him, you will have to cross the Rhine in the old fashioned way by boat.
10. Fortification of Castel del Monte, Italy
The author of this building was never found. In the 15th century, it was created as an astronomical calendar, in each room of which you can find out the time by sundial or a date according to the light calendar. There are 8 floors in Castel del Monte, 8 rooms are designed on each of them. Modern astronomers have managed to prove that the location of the fortress is really ideal for observing the starry sky. It was equipped as an observatory in which scientists live all year round.
Indeed, everyone has their own associations with ancient castles. But what do we know about their structure and the purpose for which they were built? How did they serve those who lived outside their walls?
Although medieval castles look mysterious, their construction had certain goals.
We have been familiar with castles since childhood, when fairy tales were read to us before going to bed. Many imagine the castle as a sparkling mansion in which the princess lives happily.
In reality, not all castles are decorated with gold and precious stones. Those that were erected in the medieval era served the specific purpose of protecting the people behind their walls.
Nowadays, castles can be museums or residences of the royal family. However, in the distant past it was impregnable fortresses used during the war. The planning of the castle assumed protection from enemies
Thinking about the first line of defense of a castle, you probably imagine a moat filled with water. Indeed, a moat separated the castle from the surrounding area. But far from always he stopped the enemies
Most of all, castle designers feared that the enemies would start digging under the walls in order to penetrate the castle. But the moat made this impossible - the water immediately flooded any tunnels
In some castles, the moat was not outside it, but was located between the first and second walls. Thus, the one who started digging the tunnel soon received an unpleasant surprise.
Speaking of unpleasant surprises, ditches did not exist solely to keep the enemy from digging tunnels. The moats were also designed for people living in the castle to dump their waste into it.
There were other ways to defend the castle. One of the oldest traditions was the concentric circles of defense. Looking at this building from above, you can see that several rows of thick walls really make the capture of the castle very difficult.
Concentric defense circles are a series of obstacles. When we look at medieval castles today, their layout may seem familiar to us. But at the time they were built, it was a real innovation.
For those who attacked the castle, this meant that the army had to overcome one obstacle after another, which slowed them down. First there was a wall, behind it a ditch, behind which there was another wall, and so on ...
The main gate of the castle can look impressive. Perceives them as such modern man. But in ancient times, the main gate was more than awesome. They were just deadly
Often the main gate consisted of two barriers. If the enemies passed through the first entrance, they could fall into a trap located between the first and second gates. So the breakthrough was not always successful.
The trap awaits enemies in the towers of the castle. There are narrow gaps in the walls that allowed the defenders to shoot the attackers.
But the secret fortifications of the castles do not end there. Stairwells played an important role. Most of them are designed narrow and spiral clockwise. This was also an important reason.
They were designed so that the soldiers climbing them had their right hand closer to the wall. Thus, the stairs prevented them from using weapons.
But the inhabitants of the castle were well aware of the location of the cramped and narrow stairs, which gave them maximum benefit if the enemy suddenly penetrated the castle
Secret corridors were also an important part of any castle. They served various purposes and were one of the means of saving those who lived in the castle.
Through secret corridors it was possible to get into the premises in which the locals had the opportunity to hide. In the event of a siege, there were food supplies
Sometimes secret passages could reach reserve wells if the attackers penetrated the castle walls and poisoned the water supplies. While the castles may look pretentious, they were important military strongholds.
Speaking of secrets medieval castles, then this is only a small part of them
The design and foresight of these fortresses were unique. It is even difficult to understand what complex structures they represented!
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Lenka, tell me first, how did it happen that you became the caretaker of the castle? I know that this is a very interesting and difficult story.
Actually, it's also a very long story. By the time this all happened, that is, by 2007, I had already tried many professions in my life: I worked as an English teacher, led excursions in Prague, Paris and London for several years, even sold lingerie in my friend's boutique.
Khotovina Castle, 2008
It all happened quite suddenly. I led a historical dance group for about 10 years. And once, going to one of the festivals in Romania, I met a driver who often traveled from Romania to the Czech Republic and back. It was a talkative guy. We were chatting, and suddenly he said: “You know, your English is so excellent, I have a client, I always pick her up from the airport. She is a real baroness from a castle in the village of Khotovyn. She lives in the USA, and when she comes here, she is always alone. He doesn't know anyone from the village. She will arrive in a month, I have to introduce you!”
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So in August 2007 I met Jamie Nadherny. She was, without exaggeration, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She was 28, I was 32. We became fast friends.
What was this castle and how did it end up in Jamie's hands?
Chotoviny Castle (Zámek Chotoviny) was built in 1770-1780 by Cardinal Kaspar Migazzi. He rebuilt old fortress XIV century. The castle changed owners several times until it was bought by Jamie's distant ancestor Jan Nadgerna, who later received the title of baron.
Khotovina Castle, photo 1900
The sad history of the castle began with great-great-grandfather Jamie Erwin and his beautiful wife Leopoldina (Dinky). She was an amazing woman: she shot better than any man, smoked cigars and donated a lot to the church.
In 1938, both of Erwin's daughters took German citizenship, for which Dink and Erwin disinherited them. So the castle passed to their youngest son Wenceslas Erwin. He and his wife Sophia never harmed anyone, but after the war, Khotovina became a “nest of communists” and the castle was taken away from the family. The couple had to go to Salzburg, and later to the USA, where Jamie, the fifth child of the baron, was born.
When her father returned to the Czech Republic in 1992, he managed to return the family's property and even slightly restore the castle, which was in a completely terrible state. Jamie was the only daughter of his who wanted to keep the castle. The rest of her brothers and sisters preferred to inherit something more profitable and practical: forests, ponds and fields ...
Tell us a little about Jamie, you always spoke very warmly about her. Who was the baroness?
Maybe because Jamie was a very kind and warm person, everyone wanted to fool her.
Left to right: Peter, Baroness Jamie, Lenka
First she hired a woman from the US, let's call her S. She was supposed to look after the castle while Jamie was in the States. Despite the title, Jamie's life was no different in places from ours. Her son was seven years old, she was a single mother, constantly in conflict with her nightmare ex and graduated from university. Because of this, Jamie could not move to the Czech Republic.
I began to help S. take care of the castle, but ended up with S. completely washing her hands. So when Jamie came back from the US, she kicked her out of her job...
After that, Jamie offered me her place. To be honest, I did not feel that I was ready to take on such a responsibility: I had no economic education. On the other hand, I had a huge organizational experience: I could conduct excursions in the castle, help with the organization of weddings and celebrations ... I told Jamie that I would be happy to take on the cultural part, but someone else should deal with financial issues.
Jamie said that she had such a person - a nice educated guy from the USA K., let's call him that. Looking ahead a little, K. didn't lift a finger for Jamie or the castle. A year later, he left the castle, ruining it completely and leaving us an unbearable debt of $ 85,000 "as a keepsake".
What was your first impression of the Khotovina castle?
Oh, I'm in love! No, we were completely unprepared for the amount of work that awaited us, nor for the lifestyle, but we were ready to go to any lengths for Jamie.
What is it like to live in a castle? Is there a lot of work? What was the hardest?
What most people don't understand about the castle is that as great as it looks, it's still just a huge house anyway. We even have a proverb: "A small house - few problems, a big house - a lot of problems."
Piotr, my boyfriend, moved with me to the castle to help with the household. We did field trips, organized weddings, corporate events, flower shows, whatever it took to make some money for Jamie. We ourselves did not receive a penny for our work.
In addition to work related to cultural life castle, had to perform banal household work. Every spring and autumn we washed all 86 windows of the castle, every winter we cleared the snow. Every Monday we had to wash the floors and vacuum in each of the 69 rooms of the castle ... I'm not talking about the garden and 26 hectares of park. The work was just a sea: 12-16 hours a day. And so for three years.
Were there ghosts in the castle?
Our ghost was Baroness Dinka - the same Leopoldina. At times, at night, she strolled through the bedroom, which had once been her salon. We often heard it, not only us.
In that room lay a beautiful oval-shaped carpet. He was lying on another carpet, and it was very difficult to move him, I did not succeed - I had to call Peter. But every time the tourists left the castle, and we locked the rooms until the morning, in the morning we found this carpet rolled up - Dinka wandered.
And when we washed the castle for the last time before selling it, we suddenly felt that she had left. The carpet no longer rolled up, and the building seemed empty and unfamiliar. We became uncomfortable and very sad. But when Sergei M. arrived with his wife, we showed them everything, and when we entered this room, we found that the carpet was folded again! She returned - I'm sure that Dinka would never have returned if she thought that the castle was in bad hands.
She was the good spirit of the castle.
Were there evil spirits? Or what scared you?
Once in 2010, Peter told me that he was alone in the castle and was already packing his things in his room on the ground floor. It was already very late, he was just getting ready to move into my apartment for the winter - in winter we spent the night in another place, there was no electricity in the castle, we had to light our way with oil lamps at night.
And suddenly he heard the castle bell ringing - there was a tower with a clock and a bell in the castle. Only after a few moments Peter realized that there was no electricity, and the bell was ringing precisely from electricity. So something that happens is simply impossible! In addition, the time was "uneven" - not half, not a quarter and not an hour, two or three, that is, not the time when the bell tolls.
He ran out into the hall and saw that all five chandeliers were swinging as if under gusts of wind, and at the end of the hall Peter noticed a dark silhouette. Peter, in fact, is a very logical man, but that case really shocked him.
Well, have any funny stories happened to you?
Once we received tourists, and then one elderly lady looked out of the window and said: “You have some kind of gypsy sitting there near the fountain, you ought to drive her away!” “No, no,” Peter said quickly, “this is our baroness.” And it's just Jamie changing clothes to clean the fountain.
Did you manage to earn any money?
Here I must explain. It was obvious to all of us that Jamie's only option was to sell him. It was just a race against time: we needed to earn money for Jamie to pay off debts. Otherwise, the castle would have to be sold under the hammer, having bailed out mere pennies for it.
Khotoviny was sold in 2011 to a Russian named Sergei M. With the proceeds, Jamie bought the farm she had always dreamed of. She loved horses, taught drawing at school and painted in her own studio.
Would you repeat this experience if offered?
Of course, if you need to help a friend. Jamie and I had an amazing connection: we absolutely trusted each other, we never had a question of money, and for almost 4 years we helped Jamie for free. In fact, we lived on the funds that Peter received for his performances. Not much, but we had enough.
We really, really wanted to help Jamie in any way we could. We felt that she was abandoned, deceived and there was no one to help her. And if there is someone whom no one can help, you simply must do it, no matter what the cost. I won't say it was easy though.
It was a monstrous stress, we lost a lot of nerves, and we still have to work very hard to plug a hole in the budget ...
But, you know, it was a really amazing experience. And if it were necessary to repeat everything that we did, I would not hesitate.
There are few things in the world more interesting than knight's castles The Middle Ages: these majestic fortresses breathe the evidence of distant eras with grandiose battles, they saw both the most perfect nobility and the meanest betrayal. And not only historians and military experts are trying to unravel the secrets of ancient fortifications. The knight's castle is interesting for everyone - a writer and a layman, an avid tourist and a simple housewife. This is, so to speak, a mass artistic image.
How the idea was born
A very turbulent time - in addition to big wars, the feudal lords constantly fought with each other. In a neighborly way, so as not to be bored. Aristocrats fortified their dwellings from invasion: at first they would only dig a moat in front of the entrance and put up a wooden palisade. With the acquisition of siege experience, the fortifications became more and more powerful - so that the ram could withstand and not be afraid of stone cores. In antiquity, this is how the Romans surrounded the army with a palisade on vacation. Stone structures began to be built by the Normans, and only in the 12th century did classical European knightly castles of the Middle Ages appear.
Transformation into a fortress
Gradually, the castle turned into a fortress, it was surrounded by a stone wall, into which tall towers. The main goal is to make the knight's castle inaccessible to attackers. At the same time to be able to monitor the entire district. The castle must have its own source of drinking water - suddenly a long siege is ahead.
The towers were built in such a way as to hold any number of enemies for as long as possible, even alone. For example, they are narrow and so steep that a warrior walking second cannot help the first in any way - neither with a sword nor with a spear. And it was necessary to climb them counterclockwise, so as not to hide behind the shield.
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Imagine mountain slope on which a knight's castle was erected. Photo attached. Such structures were always built at a height, and if there was no suitable natural landscape, they made an artificial hill.
The knight's castle in the Middle Ages is not only knights and feudal lords. Near and around the castle there were always small settlements, where all kinds of artisans settled and, of course, warriors guarding the perimeter.
Those who walk along the road always turn their right side to the fortress, the one that cannot be covered by a shield. There is no high vegetation - no hiding. The first obstacle is the moat. It can be around the castle or across between the castle wall and the plateau, even crescent-shaped if the terrain allows.
There are dividing ditches even within the castle: if suddenly the enemy managed to break through, movement will be very difficult. If the soil rocks are rocky - a moat is not needed, digging under the wall is impossible. Earthworks right in front of the moat was often with a palisade.
The bridge to the outer wall is made in such a way that the defense of the knight's castle in the Middle Ages could last for years. He's uplifting. Either the whole or its extreme segment. In the raised position - vertically - this is an additional protection for the gate. If a part of the bridge was raised, the other part automatically fell into the ditch, where a "wolf pit" was arranged - a surprise for the most hasty attackers. The knight's castle in the Middle Ages was not hospitable to everyone.
Gate and gate tower
Knight's castles of the Middle Ages were most vulnerable just in the gate area. Latecomers could enter the castle through the side gate on the lifting ladder, if the bridge was already raised. The gates themselves were most often not built into the wall, but were arranged in gate towers. Usually double-leaf, from several layers of boards, sheathed with iron to protect against arson.
Locks, bolts, transverse beams moving across the opposite wall - all this helped to hold out in the siege for quite a long time. Behind the gate, in addition, a powerful iron or wooden grate usually fell. This is how the knightly castles of the Middle Ages were equipped!
The gate tower was arranged so that the guards guarding it could find out from the guests the purpose of the visit and, if necessary, treat them with an arrow from a vertical loophole. For a real siege, holes for boiling resin were also built in.
Defense of a knight's castle in the Middle Ages
The most important defensive element. It should be high, thick and better if on a plinth at an angle. The foundation under it is as deep as possible - in case of a digging.
Sometimes there is a double wall. Next to the first high - the inner one is small, but impregnable without devices (ladders and poles that were left outside). The space between the walls - the so-called zwinger - is shot through.
The outer wall at the top is equipped for the defenders of the fortress, sometimes even with a canopy from the weather. The teeth on it existed not only for beauty - it was convenient to hide behind them to their full height in order to reload, for example, a crossbow.
The loopholes in the wall were adapted for both archers and crossbowmen: narrow and long - for a bow, with an extension - for a crossbow. Ball loopholes - a fixed but rotating ball with a slot for shooting. Balconies were built mainly decorative, but if the wall is narrow, then they were used, retreating and letting the others pass.
Medieval knight towers almost always built with bulging towers at the corners. They came out to shoot along the walls in both directions. Inner side was open so that the enemy, who penetrated the walls, did not gain a foothold inside the tower.
What's inside?
In addition to zwingers, other surprises could be expected outside the gates of uninvited guests. For example, a small enclosed courtyard with loopholes in the walls. Sometimes castles were built from several autonomous sections with strong internal walls.
There was certainly a courtyard with a household inside the castle - a well, a bakery, a bathhouse, a kitchen and a donjon - the central tower. Much depended on the location of the well: not only the health, but also the life of the besieged. It happened that (remember that the castle, if not just on a hill, then on the rocks) was more expensive than all the other buildings of the castle. The Thuringian castle Kuffhäuser, for example, has a well over one hundred and forty meters deep. In rock!
central tower
The donjon is the tallest building in the castle. From there, the surroundings were monitored. And it is the central tower - the last refuge of the besieged. The most reliable! The walls are very thick. The entrance is extremely narrow and located on high altitude. The stairs leading to the door could be pulled in or destroyed. Then the knight's castle can keep the siege for quite a long time.
At the base of the donjon there was a cellar, a kitchen, a pantry. Next came the floors with stone or wooden ceilings. The stairs were wooden, with stone ceilings they could be burned to stop the enemy on the way.
The main hall was located on the whole floor. Heated by a fireplace. Above were usually the rooms of the family of the owner of the castle. There were small stoves decorated with tiles.
At the very top of the tower, most often open, there is a platform for a catapult and, most importantly, a banner! Medieval knightly castles were distinguished not only by chivalry. There were cases when the knight and his family did not use the donjon for housing, having built a stone palace (palace) not far from it. Then the donjon served as a warehouse, even a prison.
And, of course, every knight's castle necessarily had a temple. The obligatory inhabitant of the castle is the chaplain. Often he is both a clerk and a teacher, in addition to his main job. In rich castles, temples were two-story, so that the gentlemen would not pray next to the mob. The family tomb of the owner was also equipped within the temple.
