How they lived in medieval castles. Koenigsburg and Alsace from a bird's eye view. The Man in the High Castle: How I Lived in a Real Castle

10 kilometers from the city of Celeste, in Alsace, on a high hill stands medieval castle, built back in 774 on the site of a Roman outpost. The castle is perfectly visible from the "wine" path and you really don't want to drive past it. Koenigsburg, and that's what it's called, I planned to visit even before my trip to France. For a long time he studied the surrounding hills of the Vosges in search of more or less preserved castles. And it turned out to be without options - everything, except for this, is only the remains of fortress walls and towers.

There are not very many signs to the castle along the road, or they are simply invisible. But, as I said, you can't get past it. In the village of Saint-Hippolyte, you can already see it from the road (on video from 53 sec.):

By the way, the coat of arms of Saint-Hippolyte is very interesting. It depicts the martyrdom (quartering) of the saint who gave the name to this place:

Literally in 10 minutes, having overcome a rather long serpentine and searching for a free place in a free parking lot, you find yourself right at the walls of this majestic building:

From where you have a stunning view of the entire Upper Rhine Valley:

We are already used to the fact that all the cathedrals, monuments and castles were closed with scaffolding on our arrival and were not upset about this.

The castle has a rich and interesting history - it can be easily found on the web. I will only note that after it was captured and plundered by the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War (1633), and then by the French (in 1648), it burned down a bit, became empty and was in a very deplorable state until the end of the 19th century. Then the French suddenly became inflamed with interest in medieval art and restored the castle, declaring it a monument.

The castle was restored according to archival documents and became one of the most visited historical monuments in France.

By the way, in 1937 Jean Renoir's film "The Grand Illusion" was filmed here.

The entrance to the castle is naturally paid, but it is not expensive. In any case, the children went for free, and I gave something around 10 euros.

Inside, all rooms are available for inspection. The interior decoration and furniture has been restored. All this gives a good idea of ​​the life of the defenders of the fortress in those dark times of iron armor and long swords.

It looks a lot like a toilet, but it's more like a prison.

Courtyard with well:

And as always, only pensioners around :)

Some other inland areas:

The guide explains something in French:

Here the knights sat and drank wine.

In the far left corner - the stove:

The fortress was not always a fortress in the sense of a defensive structure. They just lived here.
To the right is a tiled stove. Most likely, this is a later building. I suspect that initially, apart from smoky torches, there was nothing from the heat sources.

Very interesting room- armory:

I don’t know if these are genuine copies, but the size of the swords inspires quiet horror.

Another room. With a dragon.
To the left above the door is a fat muzzle of a wild boar.

Apparently, some kind of prayer:

A piece of nature within the walls of the fortress.

What caliber, I wonder?

The castle, the atmosphere and the customs of its inhabitants

The castle is a fortified dwelling of a feudal lord, a characteristic sign of the Middle Ages. Give an outline of life in the castle until the XII century. does not make sense, since there is not enough documentary material. The little that remains of the dwellings of the 10th and 11th centuries confirms that life there was almost the same as in the fortified camp. In the center of the space surrounded by a moat and a rampart with a palisade, there was the only long-term building - a donjon, which was first a wooden, then a stone round or quadrangular tower, two or three stories high. In addition to being a key defensive structure, the donjon was used as a dwelling: on each floor there were one or two halls, poorly heated and dimly lit. The rest of the buildings resembled a farm or a village where people settled as best they could. All these buildings: warehouses for inventory and fodder, a stable with a smithy, a feast hall and a kitchen, as well as residential outbuildings for the garrison located along the walls, were simply destroyed in case of serious danger, and all the inhabitants of the "castle" took refuge in the donjon, where there was chance to withstand a long siege. Only in the XII century. castle loses character traits of the fortified camp, is overgrown with more reliable stone walls and turns into a permanent home for its owners, who are already accustomed to comfort and have tried to create all the amenities for themselves. This is clearly seen in the example of the Ark castle (Fig. 1), whose donjon was erected as early as the 11th century. And in the XII century, although the same donjon remained the key defensive structure, stone walls were built on the site of the old shaft with a palisade, and all wooden buildings inside the castle were replaced with solid stone buildings.

At the end of the 12th century, after the beginning of the era of the Crusades, the nobles borrowed from the East the habit of luxury, and therefore of exotic fabrics, objects and furniture, which should have radically changed the interior of castles. Cluniac reform 16 mid-XI century. and the Cistercian movement of the 17th, 11th-12th centuries. contributed to the enrichment of the church. The prelates henceforth set an example of exquisite luxury, although a complete picture of their life cannot be obtained from written sources, despite the many complaints of abuse at that time. Obviously, the lords could not agree that, next to the arrogant wealth of the abbots and bishops, their life looked as rude as in the 10th and 11th centuries, when the property of the owner of the castle consisted of armor, weapons and a horse, pewter, several jewels, precious ingots metals, and the knight always preferred to carry all this "capital" with him.

In order for people to start building their own dwellings, where things necessary for life, supplies will eventually be concentrated and where their wealth will be stored, a sufficiently high level of civilization is required. The owner of the castle had to be sure not only of the safety of his home, but also of the reliability of the people guarding it. A person needed security guarantees from the outside as well: the neighbors had to respect him or fear him. The one who did not rise to such a level had not a dwelling, but a lair.

It should be recognized that the "weak half of mankind" worked hard to "cultivate" feudal customs. The attitude of the Germans towards women was different from that of the Romans, who most life outside the home and treated their wives, devoted to the hearth, only as creatures that should serve only for entertainment. Roman women could not influence public life. among the Germanic tribes that settled in the territory of the Roman Empire they had conquered, a woman, no matter how low, close to slavery, her position was, nevertheless, to a certain extent, participated in the affairs of the family and the whole tribe. Christianity contributed to the rapid development of these tendencies: emancipation became almost complete. The clergy managed to take advantage of this feature of the conquering barbarians and did everything to exalt the woman in their eyes; with its help, influence was acquired on the minds of these savages. The more the companion of the leader of the Franks moved away from her original position as a servant, the more effective this impact was. The development of the feudal system may well have given women a pronounced dominance in everyday existence. No matter how active the seigneur was, he had to stay at the hearth for many days. Forced seclusion inevitably led to such a community of interests of both spouses, which the Romans could not even think of. In this isolated, closed life, where there was a struggle of all against all, a woman was assigned an important role.

The lord was always on his guard, not trusting even a small number of people from his entourage. If he went on a long trip, he had no choice but to entrust the most urgent matters to someone who, in his absence, could, just like himself, authoritatively and judiciously dispose. It could only be the wife, who almost always acted faithfully and reasonably. The moral strength of the Woman was strengthened in solitude. Since she did not feel the need for physical activity to the same extent as a man, and was endowed with a more vivid imagination, then in a settled life her mind was very out of place. And it is not surprising that at a time when feudalism was still strong, the role of the Woman became significant, and she had more power and influence in the daily life of the castle than its owner. Being more than a husband, tied to the house, the woman, of course, could not help but worry about decorating the home. The spirit of rivalry also called for this. Already in the XII century. many castles were luxuriously furnished, and the owners could boast of wallpaper, carpets, carved wood panels, jewelry, wealth all the more significant because it was constantly collected.

Fashion then did not change as rapidly as it does in our century. However, then, as today, it was not easy to replace outdated furniture. It was necessary to commission a carpenter to carve wood, the execution of which required a lot of time; order a locksmith mortise locks for furniture; to buy fabrics in a city that was quite far from the castle. To upholster furniture, a haberdasher, a nailer, a net maker, as well as a wool comber, a lining dealer, and, finally, an upholsterer were required.

In addition to all these troubles and time, money was also needed, in which feudal lords, owners of castles, especially needed, because peasant duty was usually reduced to payment in natural products, or on account of it, the peasants served in the feudal lord's household. For example, the duty of the peasants in Normandy was called differently: regarda, regardamenta, regardationes, roarda and respectus; it was a natural quitrent, consisting of chickens, capons, geese, river birds, eggs, and also different types bread, flour cakes and loaves. Sometimes this tax in kind was supplemented by a cash tax. Until the end of the XV century. a kind of corvée was also the internal work in the castle. In Normandy, the peasants employed by them were called bordiers. They were sent to the most hard work: cleaning of ponds, drains and ditches; cleaning of the premises in the castle, courtyard, stables; as well as for carrying heavy loads and to help masons during construction.

No less troublesome was the delivery of furniture made on the side to the seigneur's castle. This burdensome duty fell on the shoulders of small vassals or residents of villages and farms. For example, such transportation required a cart drawn by several pairs of oxen, and the vassal or the village as a whole were required to put up only one horse, or one two-wheeled cart, or one beast of burden. Many such duties are known from sources.

In the cartulary of Chaise-Dieu it is written: “... Per servitiurn roncini ... Servicium ad sacum masculo equo (for underwater service ... bag duty with your horse) ...”; and the fief book of Saint-Flocel says: "The sacking and underwater duties of the Villans included the supply of horses, and in general these duties were called sommage."

Difficulties in obtaining a loan, the difficulty of communicating with suppliers of all kinds often led to the decision that it was wiser to keep the old furniture: they changed it or bought new items for it only on special occasions, for festive celebrations. But since it was not customary to destroy old furniture, so much of it accumulated in the residences of the feudal lords over time that some of it had to be removed to utility rooms, to attics, where it decayed under a thick layer of dust.

The rooms in the castle were spacious, and it bore little resemblance to modern dwellings. Often, only large halls and several secret passages were made in the box of the building. Such imperfection of the layout was partially eliminated by the fact that the halls were partitioned off with carpets, attaching them to the door and window frames. Sometimes draperies created something like alcoves; if canopies were used, then cloths (clot?ts) 18 and esperviers (esperviers), 19 or tents appeared in the halls. In manuscripts of the 11th and 12th centuries, on frescoes, stained-glass windows and bas-reliefs of the 12th and 13th centuries. often there are temporary partitions made of carpets in large halls. Sometimes this is seen as an ancient tradition. If necessary, all these partitions could be removed, for example, during large receptions, festivities or in summer time of the year. This was the case until the Renaissance.

Another type of dwelling for the knights were manors (memoir) - small fortified manor houses without a donjon, powerful defensive walls and towers. They usually had two rooms. On the first floor there was a hall with a low ceiling, next to it was a kitchen and a cellar; on the second floor there was another hall and a dressing room next to it.

Basically, the castle premises retained a typical layout, which in different castles differed only in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe halls and the number of rooms. In the hall for the general meeting there was a bedroom allocated as a separate room. The furnishings of the hall were a bench with low backs, armrests and cushions, light mobile chairs, carpets or reed mats, curtains on windows and doors, a large table attached to the floor, dressoirs, 20 crèdenses (cr? dences), 21 folding chairs and the owner's chair. In the evening, the hall was lit with wax candles in iron sconces built into the walls on both sides of the fireplace, as well as chandeliers standing on the table, and chandeliers consisting of two iron or wooden beams. This illumination was enhanced by the reflection of the flame burning in the fireplace. The bedroom, with its four-poster bed and armchair, had plenty of pillows and chests that doubled as benches. The walls were covered with Flemish tapestries (Fig. 5) or painted canvases, and on the floor lay "Saracenic" (pile) carpets made by French masters, Parisian in particular.

In the dressing room, there were rows of chests with linen, summer and winter clothes, and the owner's armor. This room was quite spacious, since craftsmen and craftswomen worked here to sew clothes. At that time, some fabrics could only be purchased at fairs, which were held from time to time in cities, so fur, cloth, and silk fabrics had to be purchased in advance for the whole season. In addition, most of the seniors took it upon themselves to provide their household clothes, and therefore they were sewn in the castle. Oriental spices were also stored in the dressing room, which were then extraordinarily expensive.

The same layout in the large and in the small castle is explained by the fact that the same services should have been located in them, because the feudal system made each vassal of the crown a small sovereign. Each had his own court, his own audiences, his own archives, his own court, his own soldiers, seneschal, housekeeper, huntsman, groom, etc.

By the end of the XIII century. manners became more refined. A striking example this is the Kusi castle (Fig. 2). 22 Donjon (Fig. 3) ceases to be a permanent dwelling, although it remains the highest and most powerful tower in the fortification system. In the castles around central courtyard real houses appeared, among which the seigneur's palace stands out. Personal apartments began to be separated from the premises intended for audiences and halls where the soldiers were housed. It was the change in feudal customs that led to the modification and partial restructuring ancient castles 12th and 13th centuries The lords no longer wanted to live with their servants. The bedrooms were separated from the apartments where the receptions took place, and each bedroom had a dressing room with a separate entrance. Often they were adjoined by offices, or secluded rooms, as, for example, in the castles of Coucy, Pierrefonds, Creil, Losches. The cabinets were furnished with precious woods, the walls were decorated with wooden panels. As Leboeuf writes: “In the castle of Marcoussis in the old days there was furniture made of oak, cedar and aromatic wood, as well as long tables or chests for feeding silkworms, and even mills and tools for silk production ..” Spinning wheels, looms and hoops also were in the office, while the women's quarters were separated from the rooms of the owner of the castle, often placing them in a separate residential building. There were also rooms for guests, which were most often located near the outer walls, with separate staircases and entrances leading to them.

To give an idea of ​​life in the castle of the XIV century, we offer an excerpt from the "Chronicle of Count Don Pedro Nnnyo":

“There lived a noble knight near Rouen, called Monsieur Renaud de Trie, Admiral of France, and he was old. And he sent a messenger to Captain Pedro Niño, so that he would come to see him. Then he left Rouen and came to Sirefontaine, where the admiral lived. He received him very kindly, invited him to rest and have a good time after such great labors at sea. Indeed, he rested there for three days. The admiral was an old and sickly knight, wounded in the service, because she went through incessant battles. He used to be a very formidable knight, but now he is no longer fit for either court or military service. He lived in seclusion in his castle, where there were many amenities and all kinds of things necessary for his person. And his castle was simple and strong, but so well arranged and furnished, as if standing in Paris itself. There lived his nobles and servants for all services, as befits such a noble lord. In this castle there was a very beautifully decorated chapel, where mass was celebrated every day. A river flowed along the castle, along which many trees and shrubs grew. On the other side of the castle there was a pond very rich in fish with gates that were closed with a lock, and on any given day in this pond one could get enough fish to satiate three hundred people. And when they wanted to take the fish, they lowered the water in the feeding channel to such a level that it could not enter the pond, and opened the channel through which all the water flowed from this reservoir. Then the fish could be easily chosen, leaving the unnecessary; then the channel was filled with water again. And the old knight kept forty or fifty dogs for hunting game, along with his hunters. In addition to dogs, there were also up to twenty horses for riding, among them war horses, horses and pacers. You can't even talk about furniture and supplies. The castle was surrounded by large forests, where olein, fallow deer and wild boars were found. The owner of the castle had falcons neblis (peregrine falcons), which the French call gentils (noble); falcons flew over the river and, as birds of prey, were perfectly trained to hunt herons.

The wife of the old knight was the most beautiful lady that ever lived in France, she came from the oldest family of Normandy, was the daughter of the seigneur de Bélange. And she possessed all the virtues appropriate to such a noble lady: she had a great mind, and she knew how to rule the house better than any of the ladies of her country, and she was rich accordingly. She lived in a house next to the house of Mr. Admiral, and between the houses there was a drawbridge. The same wall surrounded both houses. The furniture and furnishings in both houses were so rare that a story about them would take up too much space. They kept in their houses up to ten well-born girls, fairly well-fed and dressed, who had no worries except for their own body and for pleasing their mistress. Imagine how many maids were there.

I will retell you the routine and the rules that the lady adhered to. She got up in the morning at the same time as her girls, and they went to the nearest forest, each with a book of hours and a rosary, and sat down in a row and prayed, opening their mouths only for prayer; then violets and other flowers were collected; returning to the castle, they listened to a short mass in the chapel. On leaving the chapel, a silver basin filled with food was brought to us - there were many chickens, and larks, and other fried birds; and they ate them or refused and left them at will, and served them wine. The lady rarely ate in the morning, except to please those who were with her. Immediately the lady with the maids of honor mounted the pacers in the most solid and beautiful harness that you can imagine, and with them the knights and nobles who were there, and everyone went for a walk into the fields, scattering like a rosary over greenery. And there was heard the singing of le, virelet, rondo, pompiente, ballads and songs of all kinds that are known to the trouvers of France, in different and very consonant voices. Captain Pedro Nino went there with his nobles to participate in all the festivities, and likewise returned from there to the castle at lunchtime; everyone got off their horses and entered the banquet hall, where tables were set up. The old knight, who could no longer ride, waited and received them with such courtesy that it was a miracle, for he was a very courteous knight, though weak in body. When the admiral, the mistress, and Pedro Niño sat down at the table, the butler invited the others to the table and seated each maiden next to a knight or squire. The meat was very varied and plentiful, with good seasonings; meat, and fish, and fruits differed depending on the day of the week. At dinner, he who could speak could, with courtesy and modesty, talk about battles and about love, confident that he would find ears that would hear him and a language that would answer him and leave him satisfied. There were also jugglers who played glorious stringed instruments. When the Benedicite was read and the tablecloths were taken down, the minstrels arrived and the lady danced with Pedro Niño and each of his knights with the maiden, and this dance lasted for about an hour. After the dance, the lady kissed the captain, and the knight kissed the girl with whom he danced. Then spices and wine were served; after dinner everyone went to bed. The captain went to his room, which was in the house of the lady and was called the tower (chambre touraine). As soon as they got up after sleep, everyone mounted their saddles, and the pages brought falcons, but herons were hunted down in advance. The lady put the noble falcon on her arm, the pages scared the heron, and the lady released the falcon so deftly that it could not be better. And then a beautiful hunt began and there was great fun: dogs swam, drums beat, lure flew into the air, and girls and nobles frolicked so joyfully on the river bank that it is impossible to describe. At the end of the hunt, the lady dismounted from the horse, the rest dismounted and took out chickens, partridges, cold meat and fruits from the baskets, and each ate, after which they dispersed in different directions, scattered like a rosary over greenery, and returned to the castle, singing merry songs . In the evening they had supper, and the lady went on foot into the field to play, and until dark they played ball. With torches they returned to the hall, then the minstrels came, and everyone danced until late at night. Then they brought fruit and wine, and, having bowed, everyone went to bed.

In this way the days passed whenever the captain or other guests came. The lady managed and disposed of all this: she managed both her lands and other property, for the admiral was rich, who had lands and a considerable rent, but he did not interfere in anything, as long as his wife coped with everything. And, as is customary among courteous people, Pedro Niño was so fond of the lady for the virtues that she saw in him that she, after talking with him about her affairs, invited him to visit her father, a noble knight who was known as Belange and lived in Normandy ".

Among the information presented in this passage, of course, the most interesting is information about the owner of the castle, whose apartments were separated from other residential buildings by a drawbridge. She exactly plays the role, as they would say now, of the mistress of the house, who also exercises all the power in the domain. Thus, in the XIV century. the role of women in the feudal castle was significant. Not only a passage from the novel about Don Pedro Niño illuminates this: both Froissart and other authors of the 15th century. they repeatedly talk about the owners of castles who managed the affairs of the seigneur. It is easy to understand that under the influence of women, the castles of the lords were not only filled with the necessary things, but also became the focus of luxury items that anyone who lives richly and idle surrounds himself. For one century, the mores of the feudal lords changed radically. 13th century novels contain stories about women whose position is far from independent, which ladies had in the 14th century. And before they were treated with attention and respect, but still they were in a subordinate position. There is no such trick that poets would not come up with for ladies who want to get rid of the absolute power of their spouse: these tricks, of course, have always been completely successful. When you read about this in many novels written in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, it becomes clear that the customs of that era were far from barbaric. In these literary works one can smell the aroma of refined courtesy; every page shows the refinement of customs, love of luxury and comfort. How little it resembles the savage manners, rudeness, pomp and arrogance, which most modern writers consider appropriate to attribute to the nobles and burghers of that era. Rather, there is reason to reproach the society of the XIII and XIV centuries. in excessive sophistication, reaching the affectation.

Charles V (1364 - 1380) provided Queen Jeanne of Bourbon, his wife, with a magnificent retinue. he surrounded her with the most noble ladies of France: “... well-born, courteous, worthy and fairly educated, because otherwise they would not deserve such a place. And they were dressed in appropriate outfits, each according to their own taste and in accordance with the solemnity of the holiday ... The halls and rooms for visitors were decorated with rich embroidery, made with silk and large gold beads on various fabrics; gold and silver utensils and other noble utensils were no less wonderful ... "The queen's house was beautifully arranged and could be an example of impeccable management," otherwise the wisest king would not have tolerated, without whose decree and order no new business was started. And, as befits a courteous sovereign, to the delight of the barons, happy with the sovereign's presence, the wise King Charles feasted with them in the hall. He also liked to see the queen surrounded by princesses and ladies, if her pregnancy or other inconveniences did not prevent this. The nobles appointed by the king, reasonable, faithful, kind and courteous, served her. During this meal, according to the old royal custom, in order to avoid unnecessary and empty words and thoughts, a worthy person sat at the end of the table, who tirelessly read about the virtuous deeds of one of the respected deceased. So the wise king ruled his faithful wife, with whom he was in good peace and love and in continuous amusements, sending her amusing and beautiful things that brought joy, like other gifts that he received, or, believing that this thing would please the queen, bought and purchased it myself. And the faces around him were always cheerful, and courteous, funny and sharp words were heard ... "

By the beginning of the XIII century. the morals of the nobility have already been touched by romantic and artificial gallantry, which will be especially revered in the 14th century. From reverence and respect for a woman, they moved on to a manifestation of blind devotion; it is a genuine cult, the scope and excess of which give an idea of ​​the novels of the era. In everyday life, this is expressed in the exorbitant luxury of clothes, jewelry, weapons and furniture; in the cost of all this, the lords tried to surpass each other. Gradually, sincerity in the desire to please women degenerates into vanity; passion begins to be valued by the luxury exhibited at tournaments, at holidays, feasts and at home.

The furniture was not only valuable for its processing and materials, for the fabrics with which it was covered, it was unusually diverse in form. Houses were simply filled with items that in that sophisticated society were considered necessary. When one speaks of the simplicity of the manners of our ancestors, one should not look for this feature in the period from the reign of Saint Louis (1226-1270) to Charles VI (1380-1422). One should either turn back into the depths of the centuries, or not go beyond the end of the 16th century, when part of the nobility, imbued with the ideas of the Reformation, plunged into a civil war, had neither the leisure to indulge in luxury, nor the means to acquire it. At the end of the XII century. most of the nobles visited the East, from where they brought out a taste for magnificent robes and precious furniture. And as the artisans in the reign of Saint Louis IX became more and more skillful and their number increased, the castles were filled with luxurious carpets, carved, inlaid, painted and gilded furniture. Heavy chests, Romanesque chairs and beds have given way to more comfortable and elegant ones. But this was not limited to: now it was necessary that the rooms be better heated and more securely locked. They began to cover the windows with curtains, cover the walls with carved wood panels and carpets. In the XIII century. in the spacious rooms of the castle, small rooms were fenced off with plank walls or draperies - klote, where beds were placed; "In a room well caulked, beautifully draped with brocade and silk".

Steps were made in front of benches and chairs, footstools were placed so as not to touch the cold stone floor. Woolen carpets, furs or mats (sometimes perfumed) were spread on the floor, flowers and fragrant branches were scattered: “She goes ahead, and he follows her; so they passed the tower and entered a large hall, strewn with small reeds; and it all smelled so fragrant, as if all the spices of the world were spread here.

In the castles, the number of benches, armchairs and chairs was constantly increasing: some were massive, richly decorated, equipped with canopies, standing in one place (Fig. 6); 23 others are portable, distinguished by a variety of sizes and shapes. The ancient custom of sitting on the floor has also been preserved, and, taking this into account, many pillows, furs, and rugs were prepared in the rooms. In Joinville's "History of Saint Louis" we read: "He (the king) ordered a carpet to be spread in order to seat us around him."

A peculiar view of the apartments in the castles of the XIII-XIV centuries. attached partitions - something like campground, arranged as needed in gigantic halls. The guest who arrived was laid in the hosts' room, where a bed was placed, hung so that a kind of small tent appeared in a large room. Therefore, in large rooms, next to elegant furniture, there was a chest in which were cloth and poles for such work.

Ordinary items needed for household use were side by side with items of exquisite furnishings. Crossbars, on which linen or clothes were hung, are often found in the text of novels and chronicles: “... Squirrel robes and gray fur coats that are thrown on the crossbars ...” The “Novel of the Knight of the Cart”, written in the 12th century, says : “And when the knight of the Cart (Lancelot) arrived there, he climbed the steps to the tower and found a white beautiful room to the left; and entering it, found the most beautiful bed in the world, which was there. He closed the windows, which were opened to ventilate the room; started taking off his armor. But immediately two servants came in, who undressed him. And he saw a cloak hanging on a crossbar, took it and put it on, and wrapped his head so that they would not recognize him.

Changing lifestyles led to the emergence of new types of furniture. From the middle of the XIV to the middle of the XV century. headdresses of noble ladies were intricate, the process of putting them on required a lot of effort and time, so it was natural to have special utensils and furniture in the dressing room for this purpose. Such an object was round tables with wooden or metal (sometimes even silver) rotating on a pin for a mirror, headdress and other small toilet items (Fig. 8). The name "lady" (damoiselle) was given to this item because it had two "hands" and was crowned with a head, on which a headdress was hung.

Luxury in the 14th century became so commonplace that for a middle-class nobleman, getting married was not an easy task. And Eustache Deschamps (c. 1346 - c. 1407), master of the horse to kings Charles V and Charles VI, bails of Senlis and owner of the castle of Fim, gives a satirical list of expenses for the wedding of a nobleman. He begins with the following words:

So know what the venerable matrons need

Luxurious thrones, great palaces,

And those who are only going to get married,

Their desires change too often, mind you:

They need to have a household,

To decorate your house no worse than others,

Do you know what that means, poor man?

Your income is not enough!

The following is a list of the requirements of the lady to the groom. She needs a huge number of toilet items: clothes made of brocade and silk, a diadem and a belt made of gold, hairpins made of silver, etc. Then she requires a wagon, a pacer, so as not to “disgrace the honor of her master”; however, isn't she from a good home? Can she not have an exit at all, which ordinary townswomen also have? But her demands are not limited to this, she wants constant attention ...

I see, my dear, she says

What if husbands travel often to Paris,

Or to Reims, or to Rouen, or to Troyes,

That they always bring to their wives

Gloves, coats and belts,

Rings, agraphs, silks and furs,

Cups and goblets made of silver,

And huge, luxurious headdresses...

The bride nevertheless emphasizes that she knows about her duties, but since she is a real lady, she needs elegant things for needlework: purses embroidered with stones, knives decorated with beautiful carvings, carved needle beds with enamel. The lady reminds her future husband that when she is expecting a child, she will need a beautiful curtained bed, decorated with white camlot and brocade; and:

I still need a better comb

Mirror for me to look into

From ivory you give me;

With a case, beautiful outside, inside

And on a silver chain...

At the end, the lady notices that she also needs a book of hours, with rich miniatures, bound in golden cloth.

Next comes the enumeration of the necessary domestic servants: first of all, we need a maid who accompanies the lady at the exits, and stablemen, whose duties include walking behind and behind the lady and paving her way in the crowd; cleric and chaplain to serve morning mass; maid and cook. But that is not all...

When, as a result of a happy life together, the household of the spouses grows, the lady will certainly need a butler and housekeeper. And what a farm it will be! In the cellars of the house there should be a huge supply of grain, poultry houses, barns and barns filled with oats and hay will appear, strong working horses, horses for traveling and pacers will stand in the stables! Such a prosperous house, of course, will be visited by many guests, and therefore the halls and chambers in it should be worthy:

To receive overseas guests in them;

And if they want to spend the night

There were good lodges so that in the rooms,

And let the gentlemen remember those

Our tablecloths and towels.

And, of course, you can’t do without good-quality furniture: beautiful armchairs, long benches with armrests, tables, a goat for tables, fireplace screens and cupboards. There should be a great variety of dishes: silver dishes; silver bowls are also better, but if the groom wants to save money, then you can use tin and lead; piita mugs, pots, jugs for washing, salt shakers; all kitchen utensils - boilers and pots, necessarily frying pans, boiler hooks, braziers, gravy boats, skewers and iron and wooden, "special hooks for pots" (grips), because:

You can burn your hand when pulling out

Pot meat, if you don't hook it...

As you can see, the kitchen is a subject special attention future hostess, here she knows everything to the smallest detail. The hubby must make sure that the kitchen has stone coasters, lard needles, a mortar and pestle, onions and garlic, a hair sieve and a slotted spoon are also needed to speed up the cooking of mashed potatoes, large spoons and small spoons and ...

You need a bacon to grease the baking sheets.

The housekeeping lady continues that she needs: oven shovels, bowls, kitchen knives, firewood, coal, salt, vinegar, various spices, boards for cutting meat, powdered sugar for adding to hippokras, white sugar for cakes, fruits, canned food, dragees, napkins, towels and at the end:

I haven't told you yet

What chests and caskets are needed,

And they shouldn't be empty.

Next comes a description of the wardrobe of the future husband, then - his own, ladies'. From this impressive list of different attire, it can be concluded that the dresses of modern ladies are no more bizarre and luxurious than those worn by women of fashion in the 14th century. 24 The author ends his curious work with the following three lines:

What expenses does marriage require?

I wrote it down for a fool to read

Who suddenly decided to marry.

From the 14th century luxury also penetrated into the burgher environment, now the dwellings of wealthy merchants in terms of excesses and sophistication were not inferior to the situation in the houses of the nobles. The wives of the townspeople, like the wives of the lords, according to novelists and poets, spent money, regardless of the state of affairs of their husband.

Genuine luxury is ruinous. The fabrics were very expensive; they had not yet learned how to make them cheap, providing and acceptable appearance. The carving, richly decorating the furniture, turned each object into a valuable work of art, but medieval furniture is characterized not so much by luxury as by taste and sanity in the choice of forms, boldly expressed purpose of the object, an endless variety of forms and finishes, an impressive appearance, as well as skillful use of material. depending on its quality and properties.

Therefore, wood, copper, iron retained the natural forms for each material; the composition was always quite definite, no matter how complex the ornament was. Wooden furniture outwardly is always somewhat close to primitive carpentry; but in the fifteenth century this was masked with elaborate decorations. Until that time, furniture of simple shapes was covered with fabrics, mainly for wealthy nobles. Such a conclusion suggests itself if we leaf through the inventories and examine the miniatures in the manuscripts.

Concluding the chapter, we will provide readers with descriptions of the interiors of the castle rooms of the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

Architecture of the middle of the XII century. (Fig. 9) is simple: a number of connected girders rests on powerful pillars, logs are laid on the beams, which serve as a support for the ceiling made of timber. The stones are round; its exhaust hood is decorated with paintings. A similar stone was preserved in the hall of the children's choir near the cathedral in Puy-en-Velay. Next to the fireplace is a statue depicting the patron of the owner of the room; under it, an iron candlestick is attached to the wall. Curtains are mounted on movable iron brackets so that you can close the windows during the day. In the rooms of castles of the 12th and 13th centuries. iron brackets are still found along the windows, where movable brackets were inserted. The bed (Fig. 10) is covered with two curtains, which are held on iron rods attached to the wall with brackets, and to the ceiling with ropes. At night, a lamp was lit at the feet. Furniture consists of benches (escabeaux), folding and simple wooden chairs, cabinets and benches (bancs), which also serve as chests. The walls are decorated with simple two- or three-color frescoes dominated by yellow and brown-red. Richer fabrics are decorated with embroidery or appliqué. The floor is made of small glazed tiles.

In the castles of the middle of the XIII century. the size of the windows in the rooms has increased significantly (Fig. 11); window curtains are attached to the rods with ropes that are used to move their panels; windows - with shutters; the ceiling imitates a beamed ceiling, it is carefully and elegantly decorated, decorated with carvings and decorations. Ordinary benches are covered with cushions and pushed into the window openings. The stones are more spacious, the exhaust hood is decorated with a sculpture. Bed (Fig. 12) - behind a low partition, resembling a stationary screen; above the bed - a canopy suspended from the ceiling, with canopies on three sides, the front one is usually raised and tied up during the day. To the side of the bed is a massive chair (chaire), a place of honor with two steps covered with pillows. The walls are covered with carpets, which are cut in front of the doorways. All the furniture is: a bench with backs or benches-chests, small benches and folding chairs; a cupboard standing between the windows, decorated with iron fittings, carvings and paintings; on the floor and seats - pillows and carpets.

In the rooms of the castles of the early fourteenth century. much more furniture could be seen, and it became much more luxurious and comfortable than in previous periods. In the corner near the window, at a distance from the walls, there was usually a bed (Fig. 13), covered with wide curtains. In the figure, the bench with the backrest is moved to the bed so that the backrest replaces the screen. The decor also began to be complemented by a luxurious wardrobe - dressoir, with expensive ceremonial dishes (cassock 7). The exhaust hood of the fireplace (cassock 14) is decorated with a large armorial shield with two shield holders. The beams and beams on the ceiling are covered with intricate carvings.

Walls of the early 15th century room. (cassock 15) are lined with carved wooden panels, even the bed is placed in a cloth (cassock 16), covered with intricate carvings. The windows are wide and the ceiling beams are arranged to form a row of caissons. The floor is covered with carpets. Furniture is becoming more and more elegant.

In the castle of Pierrefonds, the remains of wardrobes of the 15th century were preserved. with wood paneling and tiled finishes. In such rooms there was usually a chair with a hole, or a toilet seat (siege d'aisance), which did not interfere with receiving close friends in this dressing room attached to the bedroom. The cloakrooms of the Pierrefonds castle had fireplaces and toilet seats built into the walls, with drain holes going out. Along the perimeter of the room (cass. 17) there are cabinets and chests for clothes, weapons, jewelry, fabrics. In the center is a low platform, behind which tailors, seamstresses, etc. work.

The main - large hall of the castle never seemed too spacious, although the plans of castles built after the XII century show that the halls were allotted more space than other rooms. This is explained by the fact that the life of the owner of the castle and his warriors, if they were not on a campaign or hunting, took place in the main hall. There the lord held court, gathered his vassals, arranged holidays and feasts. On fig. 4 shows the main hall of the donjon of the Koussi castle.

The grandiosity of palace halls and halls in castles is not surprising, if you remember how many people had to fit there. William I the Conqueror (1066-1087) on his return to England convenes the entire court:

How the king returned to England

He made a great feast at Westminster;

In a hall that has only recently been built,

A rich, luxurious holiday was arranged.

There were many counts, dukes, distinguished guests;

And a thousand and three hundred gatekeepers at the door,

Each fur was given a squirrel

And a good dress from distant lands.

And the more noble was the Norman baron,

The more retinue he was.

The gatekeepers set in motion wands

They cleared the way for the bishops,

So that the servant does not climb forward,

Until the gatekeeper calls.

The English king William the Red (1087-1100) ordered the construction of a hall next to Westminster Abbey, where the Norman kings often lived; this hall was one of the most luxurious in the world, as the chronicle testifies: “When he (the hall) was ready, (Wilhelm) came and blasphemed (the hall) so cruelly that people asked why he blamed the work done, if he found the room too big. “I swear to God! - answered the king. - It (the hall) is good for nothing: it is too big for the room and too small for the hall "..."

Wilhelm planned to arrange a feast in the new hall, but the room had not yet been roofed. “And listen to what he said: he ordered to collect all the silks in London and cover the hall with them; and while the festival lasted, the hall was under silk fabrics.

In the XIII century. it also happened that for crowded meetings it was difficult to find a room; it was then that they began to provide huge halls during the construction of castles and residences of seniors. When Louis IX, shortly before the revolt of the Comte de la Marche, arrived at Poitiers, he summoned a great assembly of nobles to Saumur. Joinville, an eyewitness to this, left a detailed description of the numerous society that had gathered there. The festival was held in the halls of the covered market of Saumur; “... and they said about it that the great king Henry of England (1154 - 1189) built it for great festivities. And the market was built in the manner of a monastery of white monks; but I believe that he was not too big for them. The king and queen mother Blanca of Castile sat in one of the galleries, along with twenty bishops and archbishops, surrounded by a large number of knights and squires. In the opposite gallery were the kitchens, the granaries, the bottle stores, and the pantries. The other two wings and the courtyard were filled with companions; "and they say there were a good three thousand knights there."

Froissart describes in detail the feast given in 1386 by Duke John of Lancaster (1351 - 1399) in honor of King Joan I of Portugal (1357 - 1433): richly and so plentifully, as if in London. The tables were arranged as follows: a high table, at which sat the king of Portugal, four bishops and archbishops, the Duke of Lancaster, "... one servant next to the king and one next to the duke - these were respectively the Count de Novarre and the Count of Angus, the Portuguese." Two tables, probably U-shaped, for the grand masters of the orders, noble barons, dignitaries, abbots and ambassadors. The rest - separately - the tables were intended “... for the knights and squires of the Portuguese, for not a single Englishman sat that day at the table in the hall where the meal was held; only English knights and squires served at the table, and sir John Holland sat at the king's table; and wine was served that day: to the King of Portugal by Gallop Ferrand Persec, a Portuguese, and to the Duke of Lancaster by Thierry de Soumen of Hainaut. The meal was plentiful and beautiful, and there was everything necessary in abundance; and a great multitude of minstrels showed their art. And the duke gave them a hundred nobles and the heralds too, when they began to appeal to his generosity with all their might ... "After the meal:" You would see servants hurrying to take off the cloth and carry them away, and they did not stop this all night; and on Sunday everything was taken away ... "

During feasts, the place of the sovereign was usually under a canopy (Fig. 6), and his table was placed higher than the others. Companions, as a rule, sat only on one side of the table, rather narrow, so that it was more convenient to serve those seated. But in the fifteenth century there were already double tables, very wide, - it was even possible to play skits on them. The ceremonial of festive meals is described in full by Olivier de la Marche (c. 1426 - 1502) in the Journal of the House of Duke Charles of Burgundy. When the suzerain headed those sitting at the table, the nobles served, often on horseback. During the breaks between dishes, performances were played on the plots of fables - dialogues in verse or pantomime; they were called interludes (entremets). All those present, except for the overlords, sat on benches (or bancs, where the French word "banquet" comes from - a feast), covered with carpets and pillows, leaves and flowers lay on the floor. Soft tablecloths, that is, folded in half, set the table. The main lighting was candles, which were held in the hands of the servants. In the banquet hall, dressuaries filled with dishes made of pure and gilded silver, glassware and enameled items were specially displayed. There was a separate cupboard for each type of dishes. According to an old custom, flowers lay on the tables, and the feasters put on wreaths of flowers and crowned them with the cups from which they drank. The beginning of the meal was announced by blowing a horn; this was called “call for water” (corner l’eau): before the meal, the servants brought jugs of water and special basins for washing hands (Fig. 18 and 19). After eating, the tablecloths were removed; games began, and at that time spices were served, which were not included in the meal, but were perceived like modern coffee. Fruit after meat began to be served to feasters only in the 16th century; before they were often brought at the beginning of the meal. Legrand d'Ossy, in The History of the Private Life of the French, has described this, giving a lot of details that it does not make sense to reproduce here.

On fig. 20 depicts a large feast of the prince of the second half of the 14th century. In the center under the canopy is the overlord's chair, higher than the others. it stands at a special table, at which sit the members of the owner's family and the people to whom he gives this honor. Behind the table are dressuaries, where the best dishes are displayed; wines in vessels are also placed outside the table - on credenzas. Mounted nobles bring dishes, which first one of the nobles, on bended knee, shows to the feasting, and then passes them to the steward (esuyer trancbant), serving the seigneur. An interlude is played in front of the prince's table.

In the foreground, in the center of the hall, there are two large buffets (buffets), 25 on which dishes brought from the kitchen are placed - meat is cut here, plates and cutlery are arranged. Servants, taking sliced ​​food from the sideboards, serve the feasting; they choose and put them on silver and pewter plates. The butler is in charge of serving meals.

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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 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 the old fortress of the 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 tours 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 the cultural life of the castle, they also 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.

A evil spirits were? 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 preparing to move to 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 and 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.

The post was born under the impression of already visited a lot of medieval castles. After visiting such castles, I personally, definitely, have no desire to live there ...

There is an opinion that in the Middle Ages European marquises and countesses lived luxuriously. Knights, castles, balls, lackeys, carriages, chic dresses… Wait, roll your eyes in delight. Did they really live so luxuriously? It is no coincidence that ladies fainted regularly!

That medieval paradise smelled pretty good... Have you ever seen a bathroom or a toilet in one medieval castle? Here, here... Under the luxurious four-poster beds there were night vases that poured out of the windows directly onto the street or, at best, into the moat surrounding the castle. Everything was poured out there. Probably, it was better not to open the windows in the castle ...

And beautiful ladies and knights sometimes bathed a couple of times in their lives, it was not accepted. They could, after all, be called a witch for frequent washing ...

I imagine myself, beloved, tightened in a corset in medieval Spain so that it is impossible to breathe. It was customary for a decent lady to eat in small pieces, like a bird. Of course, she could not swallow a large piece with all her desire! It was not at all difficult to get a pale complexion that was fashionable then with such a diet and constant sitting inside the castle!

And how did you live inside such castles, surrounded by moats with water? Damp, rotten and moldy! And you won’t want any serenades under the window from a knight! By the way, it’s quite understandable why it took them so long to persuade the ladies to come out to them on the street ... The armor was not removed for months ...

Kissing someone so handsome? Brrrrr... Even if he removed during the bow away from the lady's nose a hat soaked by someone from the window.... Wide-brimmed hats appeared because it was necessary to somehow escape ... Perfume, however, appeared for the same reason.

I first thought about life in a medieval castle when I found myself in the middle of those castles on. In modern Maltese life, the Mediterranean climate and stone houses without heating quite imitate medieval conditions, especially in winter.

Today, fortunately, the tradition of regularly taking a shower in Europe has taken root. Yes, taking that shower in a modern apartment, where the temperature is about +15 in winter, is not the most pleasant pleasure. Popular in Malta, gas heaters are not far from medieval braziers. There, firewood and coals were transported on carts through the streets, and cars with gas cylinders drive around modern Malta.

In the Middle Ages to charms comfortable life the canons of the Holy Inquisition were added to the houses. Under such conditions, no cultural achievements of that time will please. To be honest, I can hardly imagine a lice-ridden lady playing the harpsichord.

In order to completely discourage everyone from returning to the Middle Ages, I authoritatively, on the basis of a diploma from the Academy of Light Industry, I declare that the technology for sewing those luxurious dresses, upon closer examination, does not stand up to criticism. Yes, and everyone's favorite jeans and knitted sweaters of the 21st century emphasize ladies' charms much better! Our civilized age is much better!

Most often acquaintance with medieval history We begin Europe not with textbooks, but with novels and Alexandre Dumas. In our view, Europe in the Middle Ages was unthinkable without majestic and impregnable castles, valiant in magnificent armor, fighting in tournaments for the honor of their lady. They could keep loyalty to the chosen one of their own heart forever, despite her unrequited love. Faithful pages and squires, ready to selflessly give their lives for their master. Beautiful minstrels, singing love songs and glorifying the honor and valor of noble knights. This is exactly how we saw Europe through the fog of centuries from the pages of chivalric novels, and it seems to me that there were many who wanted to be in one of these castles in order to feel all the charm and romance of medieval color. And what a blow to romantic dreams would the prosaic reality of life in a medieval castle have had if modern man could move there!

The problem of security was very acute in the Middle Ages and the place for the castle was chosen on a natural hill. During the construction, first of all, they thought not about comfort, but about strength and impregnability. The Middle Ages, especially at the beginning of the era, were literally teeming with gangs of armed robbers, and in order to protect themselves, their families and their subjects, only iron armor and courage were not enough. The medieval castle is an imposing stone structure, surrounded by powerful fortress walls with loopholes and watchtowers. Certainly a wide moat, filled with water, surrounded the entire structure. It was possible to get into the castle only through the drawbridge, which, for additional insurance, was also equipped with an iron grate. Inside the castle was a whole settlement. In addition to the main dwelling of the owner of the castle, there were all the services: stables, cellars, a kitchen, dwellings of commoners, and sometimes even a forge and a mill. There must have been either a source of water - a spring, a well, or reservoirs with its reserves in case of a siege.

Any castle had its own priest and a special place for worship, and the castle chaplain often also performed the duties of a clerk or teacher. Residential buildings were built of stone, the floors were often earthen, covered with straw. At a later time, the floors were laid out with stone slabs and also covered with straw so that it would be warmer and absorb excess moisture, which was always in excess in stone structures. Years passed, stone walls and floors began to be decorated, at the same time warming, with carpets brought from the Crusades. The light barely penetrated the narrow windows with lead bindings, into which parchment was first inserted, then muddy mica glass, and already from the 14th - 15th centuries, multi-colored stained-glass windows. They were, of course, beautiful, but they let in little light. Inside the premises were lit with torches, candles, which added stench and soot. The furniture was heavy and solid, though unprepossessing. Things were stored in large chests and chests, which also served as benches. By the way, the nobility of the owner was determined by the height of the back of the chair. The beds had canopies, but not for beauty, but as a remedy for cold and drafts.

Frequent knightly tournaments, ending in feasts, collected a large number of feasting. They were attended by musicians, jesters, and ladies and gentlemen could not get up from the table for more than a day. There is a lot of evidence that they not only ate at the table, but often fell asleep and relieved themselves. Therefore, the smells of a medieval castle were not for the faint of heart, but the people of the Middle Ages were not too squeamish. Next to the feasters were always dogs, to which people threw scraps. They were also present in the owner's bed. quite rare, especially since the castle never had excess water to spend on daily ablutions. First of all, water was used to water animals - horses and other living creatures, and for cooking. Morality in the modern concept was not too high in the Middle Ages, despite all the codes of knightly honor. Men did not limit their sexual appetites too much, although cheating wives were looked upon very strictly, especially because of the legitimacy of offspring. But after courtly love was introduced into fashion, a lady from high society could have an official lover.