Knight's castles of the Middle Ages: scheme, arrangement and defense. History of medieval knights' castles

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Functions

The main functions of the feudal castle with suburbs were:

military (center of military operations, means of military control over the district),
administrative and political (administrative center of the district, the place where political life countries),
cultural and economic (handicraft and trade center of the district, a place of the highest elite and folk culture).

Defining characteristics

There is a widespread notion that castles only existed in Europe, where they originated, and in the Middle East, where they were moved by the Crusaders. Contrary to this view, similar structures appear in 16th and 17th century Japan, where they develop without direct contact and influence from Europe and have a completely different history of development, are built differently from European castles and are designed to withstand attacks of a completely different nature.

Elements

Hill

A mound of earth, often mixed with gravel, peat, limestone, or brushwood. The height of the embankment in most cases did not exceed 5 meters, although sometimes it reached 10 meters or more. The surface was often covered with clay or wooden decking. The hill was round or nearly square at the base, and the diameter of the hill was at least twice its height.

At the top, a wooden, and later a stone, defensive tower was erected, surrounded by a palisade. Around the hill there was a moat filled with water or dry, from the earth of which a mound was formed. Access to the tower was through a rocker wooden bridge and a staircase arranged on a hillside.

Courtyard

A large courtyard with an area (with rare exceptions) of no more than 2 hectares, surrounding or adjacent to the hill, as well as various residential and outbuildings - the dwellings of the owner of the castle and his soldiers, stables, a forge, warehouses, a kitchen, etc. - inside it. From the outside, the court was protected by a wooden palisade, then by a moat, which was filled from the nearest body of water, and by an earthen rampart. The space inside the courtyard itself could be divided into several parts, or several adjoining courtyards were built near the hill.

donjon

The castles themselves appeared in the Middle Ages and were the dwellings of the noble feudal lords. Due to feudal fragmentation and, as a result, frequent internecine wars, the dwelling of the feudal lord had to perform a defensive task. Castles were usually built on high ground, islands, rock ledges, and other hard-to-reach places.

With the end of the Middle Ages, castles began to lose their original - defensive - task, which has now given way to a residential one. With the development of artillery, the defensive task of castles disappeared completely; features of castle architecture were preserved only as decorative elements ( french castle Pierrefonds, late 14th century).

A regular layout with a pronounced symmetry prevailed, the main building acquired a palatial character (Madrid Castle in Paris, XV-XVI centuries) or Nesvizh Castle in Belarus (XVI century) In the XVI century, castle architecture in Western Europe finally supplanted by the palace. The defensive task was preserved for the longest time by the castles of Georgia, which were actively built until the 18th century.

There were castles that belonged not to one feudal lord, but to a knightly order. Such castles were larger, as an example, the Königsberg Castle.

Castles in Russia

The main part of the medieval castle was the central tower - donjon, which served as a citadel. In addition to its defensive functions, the donjon was the direct dwelling of the feudal lord. also in main tower often there were living rooms of other inhabitants of the castle, a well, utility rooms (food warehouses, etc.). Often in the donjon there was a large front hall for receptions. Donjon elements can be found in the castle architecture of Western and Central Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, etc.

Wasserschloss in Schwerin

Usually the castle had a small courtyard, which was surrounded by massive battlements with towers and well-fortified gates. This was followed by the outer courtyard, which included outbuildings, as well as the castle garden and vegetable garden. The whole castle was surrounded by a second row of walls and a moat, across which a drawbridge was thrown. If the terrain allowed, then the moat was filled with water and the castle turned into a castle on the water.

The centers of defense of the walls of the castle were the towers protruding beyond the plane of the walls, which made it possible to organize flanking shelling of those going to attack. In Russian fortification, sections of the walls between the towers were called paraslas. In this regard, the castles were in terms of a polygon, the walls of which followed the terrain. Numerous examples of such structures have survived to this day in the UK, Germany, France, Ukraine and Belarus (for example, Mir Castle in Belarus or Lutsk Castle in Ukraine).

Over time, the structure of castles became more complex; the territory of the castles already included barracks, a court, a church, a prison and other structures (Cousy Castle in France, XIII century; Wartburg Castle in Germany, XI century; Harleck Castle in Great Britain, XIII century).

Rosenberg Castle in Kronach. moat and ventilation towers of the auditory gallery

With the beginning of the mass use of gunpowder, the decline of the era of castle building begins. So, the besiegers began to carry out, if the soil allowed it, sapper work - quietly dig saps, which made it possible to bring large explosive charges under the walls (storming the Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century). As a measure of struggle, besieged in advance at a noticeable distance from the walls of the diggings underground gallery, from which they were listening in order to detect tunnels and destroy them in a timely manner.

However, the development of artillery and the increase in its destructive effect eventually forced the abandonment of the use of castles as the basis of defensive strategy and tactics. The time has come for fortresses - complex engineering structures with a developed system of bastions, ravelins, etc.; the art of building fortresses - fortification - developed. The recognized fortification authority of this era was Chief Engineer Louis XIV Marshal of France Sebastien de Vauban (1633-1707).

Such fortresses, sometimes developed over time from castles, were also used during World War II to pin down enemy forces and delay his advance (see: Brest Fortress).

Construction

The construction of the castle began with the choice of location and building materials. A wooden castle was cheaper and easier to build than a stone castle. The cost of building most castles has not survived to this day; most surviving documents on the topic are from royal palaces. A castle made of wood with a motte and a bailey could have been built by unskilled labor - peasants dependent on the feudal lord who already had the skills necessary to build a wooden castle (they knew how to cut wood, dig and work with wood). Forced to work for the feudal lord, the workers most likely were not paid anything, so building a castle out of wood was cheap. According to experts, it took 50 workers and 40 days to build a medium-sized hill - 5 meters high and 15 meters wide. The famous architect en: James of Saint George, responsible for the construction of the Beaumaris castle, described the costs associated with the construction of the castle:

If you think where so much money can be spent in a week, we inform you that we needed and will need in the future 400 masons, as well as 2000 less experienced women, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats for the supply of stone; 200 workers at the quarry; 30 blacksmiths and carpenters to lay cross beams and floors, as well as to perform other necessary work. That's not including the garrison... and the purchase of materials. required a large number of... Payments to the workers are still delayed, and we have great difficulty keeping the workers because they simply have nowhere to live.

A study was conducted examining the costs associated with the construction of the castle of Lange, built in 992 in France. stone tower 16 meters high, 17.5 meters wide and 10 meters long with walls averaging 1.5 meters. The walls contain 1200 square meters of stone and have a surface of 1600 square meters. It was estimated that the tower took 83,000 man-days to build, most of which required unskilled labor.

Stone castles were not only expensive to build, but also to keep in good condition because they contained a large amount of timber, which was often unseasoned and in need of constant care.

Medieval machines and inventions proved indispensable during construction; antique timber frame construction methods have been improved. The search for stone for construction was one of the main problems; often the solution was a quarry near the castle.

Due to the scarcity of stone, alternative materials were used, such as brick, which was also used for aesthetic reasons, as it was in vogue. Therefore, even despite the sufficient amount of stone, some builders chose brick as the main material for building the castle.

The material for construction depended on the area: in Denmark there are few quarries, so most of its castles are made of wood or brick, in Spain most castles are made of stone, while in Eastern Europe castles were usually built using wood.

Castles today

Nowadays, castles perform a decorative function. Some of them are turned into restaurants, others become museums. Some are being restored and sold or rented.

Hello dear reader!

Still, 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 the defense for several years, and at the same time life did not stop in them.

medieval castles

Even the fact that many castles, having survived wars, natural disasters and the carelessness of the owners, are still intact, suggests that they have not yet come up with a more reliable home. And they are insanely beautiful and seem to have appeared in our world from the pages of fairy tales and legends. Their high spiers are reminiscent of the times when beauties fought for the hearts, and the air was saturated with chivalry and courage.

In order for you to be imbued with a romantic mood, I have collected in this material 20 of the most famous castles that still remain on Earth. They will certainly want to visit and, possibly, stay to live.

Reichsburg Castle, Germany

The thousand-year-old castle was originally the residence of the King of Germany, Conrad III, and then of the King of France, Louis XIV. The fortress was burned down by the French in 1689 and would have sunk into oblivion, but a German businessman purchased the remains in 1868 and spent most of his wealth rebuilding 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 Hochosterwitz was built in the distant 9th century. Its towers are still vigilantly watching the surrounding area, proudly rising above it at a height 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, menacingly hanging 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 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 the 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 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. Rich story and the characteristic appearance of the castle served as inspiration for many famous writers. In the 16th century, the castle was used as state prison, which George Byron described 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 the most romantic castles in Scotland, famous for its heather honey and legends. Many films were filmed here, but the most important thing is that 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 gone through many owners, each of whom liked to fight. 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 from the 11th century is located on the top impregnable mountain Monte Titano and, together with two other towers, protects the oldest state in the world, San Marino.

swallow's Nest, Crimea

Initially, on the rock of Cape Ai-Todor there was a small wooden house. And the Swallow's Nest got its current look thanks to the oil industrialist Baron Steingel, who loved to relax in the 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 MacDougal clan. Since that time, its walls have experienced a huge number of strife and wars, which affected the state of the castle. In 1965, Colonel D. R. Stewart of Allward became the owner of the castle, who personally restored the structure with his wife, family members and friends.

Bran Castle, Romania

Bran Castle is the pearl of Transylvania, a mysterious museum-fort, where the famous legend of Count Dracula, a vampire, murderer and governor Vlad the Impaler, was born. According to legend, he spent the night here during the periods of 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 crusades to Karelian land. It remained Scandinavian until 1710, when the troops of Peter I pushed the Swedes back far and for a long time. Since that time, the castle managed to visit both a warehouse, and 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 A.D. e. Saint Patrick lived and preached. The walls of the castle 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 real courage and fortitude of the Irish.

Kilchurn Castle, Scotland

The very beautiful and even slightly creepy ruins of Kilchurn Castle are located on the shores of the picturesque Lake Eyve. The history of this castle, unlike most castles in Scotland, proceeded quite calmly - numerous earls lived here, who succeeded each other. In 1769, the building was struck by lightning and was soon abandoned, as it remains to this day.

Lichtenstein Castle, Germany

Built in the 12th century, this castle has been destroyed several times. It was finally restored in 1884 and since then the castle has become a filming location for many films, including the film The Three Musketeers.

Not every castle is actually a castle. Today, the word "castle" we call almost any significant building of the Middle Ages, whether it be a palace, a large estate or a fortress - in general, the dwelling of a feudal lord medieval Europe. This everyday use of the word "castle" is at odds with its original meaning, because the castle is primarily a fortification. Inside the castle territory there could be buildings for various purposes: residential, religious, and cultural. But still, first of all, the main function of the castle is defensive. From this point of view, for example, the famous romantic palace of Ludwig II - Neuschwanstein is not a castle.

location, and not the structural features of the castle - the key to its defensive power. Of course, the layout of the fortification is important for the defense of the castle, but what really makes it impregnable is not the thickness of the walls and the location of the loopholes, but the correctly chosen construction site. A steep and high hill, which is almost impossible to get close to, a sheer cliff, a winding road to the castle, which is perfectly shot from the fortress, determine the outcome of the battle to a much greater extent than any other equipment.

Gates- the most vulnerable place in the castle. Of course, the fortress should have had a central entrance (in peaceful moments, it happens that you want to enter beautifully and solemnly, the castle is not always defended). When capturing, it is always easier to break into the entrance that already exists than to create a new one by destroying massive walls. Therefore, the gates were designed in a special way - they had to be wide enough for carts and narrow enough for the enemy army. Cinema often sins by depicting a castle entrance with large wooden gates locked: such would be extremely impractical in defense.

The interior walls of the castle were colored. The interiors of medieval castles are often depicted in gray-brown tones, without any cladding, just like the inside of bare cold stone walls. But the inhabitants of medieval palaces loved bright colors and generously decorated the interior of their living quarters. The inhabitants of the castles were rich and, of course, wanted to live in luxury. Our ideas are connected with the fact that in most cases the paint has not stood the test of time.

Large windows are a rarity for a medieval castle. As a rule, they were absent altogether, giving way to multiple small window "slots" in the castle walls. In addition to the defensive purpose, the narrow window openings protected the privacy of the inhabitants of the castle. If you come across a castle building with luxurious panoramic windows, most likely they appeared at a later time, as, for example, in the castle of Roctaiade in southern France.

Secret passages, secret doors and dungeons. Walking through the castle, be aware that somewhere under you lie corridors hidden from the eyes of the layman (perhaps someone wanders through them today?). Poterns - underground corridors between the buildings of the fortress - made it possible to quietly move around the fortress or leave it. But the trouble is, if the traitor opened secret door enemy, as happened during the siege of Corfe Castle in 1645.

Assault on the castle was not such a fleeting and easy process as it is portrayed in the movies. A massive attack was a rather extreme decision in an attempt to capture the castle, putting the main military force at unreasonable risk. Castle sieges were carefully thought out and implemented for a long time. The most important thing was the ratio of the trebuchet, the throwing machine, to the thickness of the walls. It took a trebuchet from several days to several weeks to make a breach in the castle wall, especially since a simple hole in the wall did not guarantee the capture of the fortress. For example, the siege of Harlech Castle by the future King Henry V lasted about a year, and the castle fell only because the city ran out of provisions. So the rapid attacks of medieval castles are an element of cinematic fantasies, and not historical realities.

Hunger- The most powerful weapon when taking the castle. Most castles had tanks that collected rainwater, or wells. The chances of the castle inhabitants to survive during the siege depended on the water and food supplies: the option to “sit out” was the least risky for both sides.

For the defense of the castle it didn't take as many people as it seems. Castles were built in such a way as to allow those inside to calmly fight off the enemy, managing with small forces. Compare: the garrison of Harlech Castle, which held out for almost a whole year, consisted of 36 people, while the castle was surrounded by an army numbering hundreds or even thousands of soldiers. In addition, an extra person on the territory of the castle during the siege is an extra mouth, and as we remember, the issue of provisions could be decisive.

Still, medieval architects 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 the defense for several years, and at the same time life did not stop in them.

Reichsburg Castle, Germany

Mont Saint Michel, France

Swallow's Nest, Crimea

Castle Stalker, Scotland

Bran Castle, Romania

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 I drove the Swedes back far and for a long time. Since that time, the castle managed to visit both a warehouse, and a barracks, and even a prison for the Decembrists. And today there is a museum here.

Cashel Castle, Ireland

Kilchurn Castle, Scotland

Lichtenstein Castle, Germany

For some reason, at the mention of the word "fairy tale", the first thing that comes to mind is medieval castles and fortresses. Maybe because they were built in those ancient times, when wizards freely roamed the fields and meadows, and over mountain peaks flying fire-breathing dragons.

Be that as it may, even now, looking at the castles and fortresses that have been preserved in some places, one involuntarily imagines princesses sleeping in them and evil fairies conjuring over magic potions. Let's look at the once luxurious housing of the powers that be.

(German: Schloß Neuschwanstein, literally “New Swan Stone”) is located in Germany, near the town of Füssen (German: Fussen). The castle was founded in 1869 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The 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 beauty of architectural forms.

This is the "dream palace" of the young king, who was never able to see her incarnation in her full glory. Ludwig II of Bavaria, founder of the castle, ascended the throne too young. And being a dreamy nature, imagining himself as the fairy-tale character Lohengrin, he decided to build his own castle in order to hide in it from the harsh reality of the defeat of Bavaria in alliance with Austria in 1866 in the war with Prussia.

Away from state concerns, the young king demanded too much from the army of architects, artists and artisans. Sometimes he set completely unrealistic deadlines, the observance of which required round-the-clock work of masons and carpenters. During the construction, Ludwig II went deeper and deeper into his fictional world, for which he was later recognized as crazy. The architectural design of the castle was constantly changing. So the rooms for guests were excluded and a small grotto was added. The small audience hall was transformed into the majestic Throne Room.

A century and a half ago, Ludwig II of Bavaria tried to hide from people behind the walls of a medieval castle - today they come by the millions to admire his fabulous refuge.

(German: Burg Hohenzollern) - an old 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 Mount Hohenzollern. Only the third castle has survived to this day. The medieval castle fortress was first built in the 11th century and completely destroyed after the capture, at the end of a grueling siege by the troops of the cities of Swabia in 1423.

A new fortress was built on its ruins in 1454-1461, which served as a refuge for the House of Hohenzollern throughout the Thirty Years' War. Due to the complete loss of the fortress of strategic importance, by the end of the 18th century, the castle was noticeably dilapidated, and some parts of the building were finally dismantled.

The modern version of the castle was erected in 1850-1867 on the personal instructions of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who decided to completely restore the family 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 ruined castles.

(Karlštejn), built by decree of the Czech king and emperor Charles IV (named after him) on a high limestone rock above the Berounka River, as a summer residence and a place of storage of sacred relics of the royal family. The first stone in the foundation of Karlštejn Castle was laid by Archbishop Arnošt, close to the Emperor, in 1348, and 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, which ends with a tower with the Grand Cross Chapel, is quite common in the Czech Republic. The ensemble includes the castle itself, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Catherine Chapel, big tower, Mariana and well towers.

The majestic Student Tower and imperial palace, in which the king's chambers were located, take tourists to the Middle Ages, when a powerful monarch ruled the Czech Republic.

Royal Palace and Fortress Spanish city Segovia, in the province of Castile and León. The fortress was built on high rock, above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers. Such a good location made it almost impregnable. Now it is one of the most recognizable and beautiful palaces in Spain. Built originally as a fortress, the Alcazar was at one time and royal palace, and a prison, and the 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 Anna of Austria with Philip II.

(Castelul Peleş) was built by King Carol I of Romania near the city of Sinai in the Romanian Carpathians. The king was so fascinated by the local beauty that he bought up the surrounding land and built a castle for hunting and summer holidays. The name of the castle was given by a small mountain river flowing nearby.

In 1873, the construction of a grandiose building began, under the leadership of the architect Johann Schulz. Along with the castle, other buildings necessary for a comfortable life were built: royal stables, guard houses, a hunting house and a 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, central heating and an elevator were installed in it. The construction was 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 Mount Titano.

The construction consists of two rings of fortifications, the inner one has retained all the signs of the forts of the feudal era. The main entrance gate was located at a height of several meters, and it was possible to pass through it only by 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 of them. Next time we will admire the fortresses on the tops of impregnable rocks. There are so many exciting discoveries ahead!