Initially, castles were square in shape, but later, people made the towers round so they would be able to see attackers coming from any direction. They also weren't the cleanest places: People kept dogs and cats inside the castle to help control the rat population. Facts About CastlesĬastles may have been safe, but they were usually cold and drafty. It's said to have inspired Walt Disney when he created Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland. But maybe one of the most famous castles is Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, built for King Ludwig II. Richard the Lionheart built Château Gaillard in France in 1196. Michael's Mount is a medieval castle in southwest England, and it sits on a tidal island: When the tide is out, you can walk to it. Since then, it's been used as a prison, an armory, and a royal palace. The Tower of London is also a castle, and it was built in 1066. They also spend time at Balmoral Castle, which is in Scotland. One of the most famous castles is Windsor Castle in England, where the British royal family lives.
A castle also would have a great hall for formal celebrations, a chapel for religious services, and a gatehouse for the soldiers who guarded the gate. Arrow slits in the walls allowed archers to shoot arrows from safety. Battlements were in place to allow defenders to have some protection as they fought against attackers. Many castles featured cutouts at the tops of the towers and walls, known as battlements. In the center of the castle, the keep was a special tower designed to be the safest place within the castle walls. A drawbridge could be lowered to allow people to cross over the moat into the castle, and the drawbridge would be raised to keep others out. The moat around a castle was a deep ditch filled with water. Castles were often built on the tops of hills so the people inside could see attackers coming from a distance. Castles usually consisted of a group of buildings that were surrounded by a huge wall and a moat designed to keep attackers out. Initially, castles were built out of wood, but eventually, people made castles from stone because they were stronger and lasted longer. The Normans were the first group of people to build castles in England, although the Romans before them had built forts that the Normans then expanded and improved. Many ancient castles still stand in Europe today, and some of them have been home to the same family for many generations. They were also a status symbol to show other people how important a family was. The main purpose of castles was to protect the people who lived there from invasions. Castles were common in Europe during the Middle Ages and were often the homes of royal families or other powerful people. When you think of castles, you probably imagine huge stone fortresses with towers, moats, and drawbridges.
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