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

Nestled among the green hills of Baden-Württemberg and crowning the old medieval city Heidelberg, Heidelberg medieval castle, is one of the most wonderful romantic sights in Germany. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1225. The ruins of the castle are one of the most important structures of the Renaissance tonorth of the Alps. Long years Heidelberg Castle wasthe seat of the countsPalatine, who were accountable only to the emperor.

2. Castle Hohensalzburg (Austria)

One of the biggest medieval castles in Europe, located on Mount Festung, at an altitude of 120 meters, which is next to Salzburg. During its existence, Hohensalzburg Castle was repeatedly rebuilt and strengthened, gradually turning into a powerful, impregnable fortress. In the 19th century, the castle was used as a warehouse, military barracks and prison. The first mention of the castle dates back to the 10th century.

3. Bran Castle (Romania)

Located almost in the center of Romania, this medieval castle gained its worldwide fame thanks to Hollywood, it is believed that Count Dracula lived in this castle. Lock is a national monument and main attractionRomania. The first mention of the castle dates back to the 13th century.

4. Segovia Castle (Spain)

This majestic stone fortress is located near the city of Segovia in Spain and is one of the most famous castles in the Iberian Peninsula. It was its special shape that inspired Walt Disney to recreate Cinderella's castle in his cartoon. Alcazar (castle) was originally built as a fortress, but served in as a royal palace, prison, royal artillery school and military academy. Currently used as museum and places of storage of military archives of Spain. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1120, it was built during the reign of the Berber dynasty.

5. Dunstanborough Castle (England)

The castle was built by the countThomas Lancasterbetween 1313 and 1322 at a time when relations between King Edward II and his vassal, Baron Thomas of Lancaster, became openly hostile. In 1362 Dunstanborough took over John of Ghent , fourth son of the king Edward III who significantly rebuilt the castle. During Wars of the Scarlet and White Roses the stronghold of Lancaster came under fire, as a result of which the castle was destroyed.

6. Cardiff Castle (Wales)

Situated in the heart of Cardiff city, this medieval castle is one of the most defining monuments of the Welsh capital. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century on the site of a former 3rd century Roman fort.

This medieval castle dominates the skylineEdinburgh, capital of Scotland. The historical origins of the formidable Edinburgh Castle on the Rock are shrouded in mystery as it is mentioned in 6th century epics, appearing in chronicles before finally coming to the fore in Scottish history when Edinburgh established itself as the seat of monarchical power in the 12th century.

One of the most visited sites in southern Ireland, it is also one of the most intact examples of medieval fortifications in the world. Blarney Castle is the third fortress built on this site. The first building was wooden and dates back to the 10th century. Around 1210, a stone fortress was built instead. Subsequently, it was destroyed and in 1446 Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of Munster, built a third castle on this site, which has survived to this day.

The medieval castle of Castel Nuovo was built the first king of Naples, Charles I of Anjou, Castel Nuovois one of the most famous sights of the city.With its thick walls, majestic towers and impressive triumphal arch make it the quintessential medieval castle.

10. Conwy Castle (England)

The castle is a magnificent example of 13th century architecture and was built by order of King Edward I of England. Surrounded by a wall of stone with eight round towers. Until our time, only the walls of the castle have survived, but they also look very impressive. Many huge fireplaces were used to heat the castle.

As mentioned above, medieval castles and each of their components were built according to certain rules. The following main structural elements of the castle can be distinguished:

Courtyard

fortress wall

Let's consider them in more detail.

Most of the towers were built on natural hills. If there were no such hills in the area, then the builders resorted to arranging the hill. As a rule, the height of the hill was 5 meters, but there were more than 10 meters high, although there were exceptions - for example, the height of the hill on which one of the Norfolk castles near Thetford was placed reached hundreds of feet (about 30 meters).

The shape of the territory of the castle was different - some had an oblong shape, some - square, there were courtyards in the form of a figure eight. Variations were very diverse depending on the size of the host state and the configuration of the site.

After the site for construction was chosen, it was first dug in with a moat. The excavated earth was thrown onto the inner bank of the moat, resulting in a rampart, an embankment called a scarp. The opposite bank of the moat was called, respectively, the counterscarp. If it was possible, then the ditch was dug around a natural hill or other elevation. But, as a rule, the hill had to be filled, which required a huge amount of earthwork.

The composition of the hill included earth mixed with limestone, peat, gravel, brushwood, and the surface was covered with clay or wooden flooring.

The first fence of the castle was protected by all sorts of defensive structures designed to stop an enemy attack that was too swift: hedges, slingshots (placed between pillars driven into the ground), earthen embankments, hedges, various protruding structures, for example, a traditional barbican that protected access to lift bridge. At the foot of the wall there was a ditch, they tried to make it as deep as possible (sometimes more than 10 m deep, as in Trematon and Lass) and wider (10 m - in Loches, 12 - in Dourdan, 15 - in Tremworth, 22 m - - in Kusi). As a rule, ditches were dug around the castles as part of the defensive system. They made it difficult to access the fortress walls, including siege weapons such as a battering ram or a siege tower. Sometimes the moat was even filled with water. In shape, it more often resembled the letter V than U. If a ditch was dug right under the wall, a fence was erected over it, the lower shaft, to protect the sentinel path outside the fortress. This piece of land was called a palisade.

An important property of a moat filled with water is the prevention of undermining. Often, rivers and other natural bodies of water were connected to ditches to fill them with water. The ditches needed to be periodically cleared of debris to prevent shallowing. Sometimes stakes were placed at the bottom of the ditches, making it difficult to overcome it by swimming. Access to the fortress, as a rule, was organized through drawbridges.

Depending on the width of the moat, it is supported by one or more pillars. While the outer part of the bridge is fixed, the last segment is movable. This is the so-called drawbridge. It is designed so that its plate can rotate around an axis fixed at the base of the gate, breaking the bridge and closing the gate. To set the drawbridge in motion, devices are used, both on the gate itself and on its inside. The bridge is raised by hand, on ropes or chains passing through the blocks in the slots of the wall. To facilitate the work, counterweights can be used. The chain can go through the blocks to the gate, located in the room above the gate. This gate can be horizontal and rotated by a handle, or vertical and driven by beams horizontally threaded through it. Another way to raise the bridge is with a lever. Swinging beams are threaded through the slots in the wall, the outer end of which is connected by chains to the front end of the bridge plate, and counterweights are attached to the rear inside the gate. This design facilitates the rapid lifting of the bridge. And, finally, the bridge plate can be arranged according to the rocker principle.

The outer part of the plate, turning around the axis at the base of the gate, closes the passage, and the inner part, on which the attackers may already be, goes down into the so-called. a wolf pit, invisible while the bridge is down. Such a bridge is called overturning or swinging.

In Fig.1. The diagram of the entrance to the castle is presented.

The fence itself was made up of thick solid walls - curtains - part of the fortress wall between two bastions and various side structures, collectively called

Fig.1.

towers. The fortress wall rose directly above the moat, its foundations went deep into the ground, and the bottom was made as gentle as possible to prevent possible undermining by the attackers, and also so that shells dropped from a height would ricochet off it. The shape of the fence depended on its location, but its perimeter is always significant.

The fortified castle did not at all resemble an individual dwelling. The height of the curtains ranged from 6 to 10 m, the thickness - from 1.5 to 3 m. However, in some fortresses, for example, in Chateau Gaillard, the thickness of the walls in places exceeds 4.5 m. Towers, usually round, less often square or polygonal , were built, as a rule, on the floor above the curtains. Their diameter (from 6 to 20 m) depended on the location: the most powerful - in the corners and near the entrance gate. The towers were built hollow, inside they were divided into floors by ceilings made of wooden boards with a hole in the center or on the side, through which a rope passed, used to raise shells to the upper platform in case of protecting the fortress. The stairs were hidden by partitions in the wall. Thus, each floor was a room where the warriors were located; in the fireplace, arranged in the thickness of the wall, it was possible to make a fire. The only openings in the tower are the archery slits, long and narrow openings widening inwards (Fig. 2).

Fig.2.

In France, for example, the height of such loopholes is usually 1 m, and the width is 30 cm outside and 1.3 m inside. Such a structure made it difficult for enemy arrows to penetrate, but the defenders were able to shoot in different directions.

The most important defensive element of the castle was the outer wall - high, thick, sometimes on an inclined plinth. Worked stones or bricks made up its outer surface. Inside, it consisted of rubble stone and slaked lime. The walls were placed on a deep foundation, under which it was very difficult to dig.

At the top of the fortress wall was the so-called sentinel path, protected from the outside by a battlemented parapet. It served for observation, communication between the towers and protection of the fortress. A large wooden board, held on a horizontal axis, was sometimes attached to the battlements between two embrasures, crossbowmen took cover behind it to load their weapons. During the wars, the sentinel path was supplemented with something like a folding wooden gallery of the desired shape, mounted in front of the parapet. Holes were made in the floor so that the defenders could shoot from above if the attackers were hiding at the foot of the wall. From the end of the twelfth century, especially in southern regions France, these wooden galleries, not very durable and easily flammable, began to be replaced by real stone ledges built along with the parapet. These are the so-called mashikuli, galleries with hinged loopholes (Fig. 3). They performed the same function as before, but their advantage was greater strength and the fact that they made it possible to throw down the cannonballs, which then ricocheted off the gentle slope of the wall.

Fig.3.

Sometimes several secret doors were made in the fortress wall for the passage of infantrymen, but always only one large gate was built, which was invariably fortified with special care, since it was on them that the main blow of the attackers fell.

The earliest way to protect the gates was to place them between two rectangular towers. A good example of this type of protection is the arrangement of gates in the Exeter Castle of the 11th century that has survived to this day. In the 13th century, square gate towers give way to the main gate tower, which is a merger of the two former ones with additional floors built on top of them. Such are the gate towers in the castles of Richmond and Ludlow. In the 12th century, the more common way to protect the gate was to build two towers on both sides of the entrance to the castle, and only in the 13th century did gate towers appear in their finished form. Two flanking towers are now connected into one above the gate, becoming a massive and powerful fortification and one of the most important parts of the castle. The gate and entrance are now transformed into a long and narrow passage, blocked at each end by porticoes. These were doors sliding vertically along the gutters cut in stone, made in the form of large lattices of thick timber, the lower ends of the vertical bars were sharpened and bound with iron, so the lower edge of the portico was a series of sharpened iron stakes. Such lattice gates were opened and closed using thick ropes and a winch located in a special chamber in the wall above the passage. Later, the entrance was protected by mertieres, deadly holes drilled into the vaulted ceiling of the passage. Through these holes, anyone who tried to break through to the gates by force, poured and poured objects and substances common in such a situation - arrows, stones, boiling water and hot oil. However, another explanation seems more plausible - water was poured through the holes in case the enemy tried to set fire to the wooden gate, since the most the best way to penetrate the castle was to fill the passage with straw, logs, thoroughly soak the mixture with combustible oil and set it on fire; they killed two birds with one stone - they burned the lattice gates and roasted the defenders of the castle in the gate rooms. In the walls of the passage there were small rooms equipped with shooting slots, through which the defenders of the castle could hit from close range with bows a dense mass of attackers who were trying to break into the castle. In Fig.4. various types of shooting slots are presented.

In the upper floors of the gate tower there were quarters for soldiers and often even living quarters. In special chambers there were gates, with the help of which a drawbridge was lowered and raised on chains. Since the gate was the place that was most often attacked by the enemy besieging the castle, they were sometimes supplied with another means of additional protection - the so-called barbicans, which began at some distance from the gate. Usually the barbican consisted of two high thick walls running parallel outward from the gate, thus forcing the enemy to squeeze into a narrow passage between the walls, exposing themselves to the arrows of the archers of the gate tower and the barbican's upper platform hidden behind the battlements. Sometimes, to make access to the gate even more dangerous, the barbican was set at an angle to it, which forced the attackers to go to the gate on the right, and parts of the body not covered by shields turned out to be a target for archers. The entrance and exit of the barbican was usually very fancifully decorated.

Fig.4.

Each more or less serious castle had at least two more rows of defensive structures (ditches, hedges, curtain walls, towers, parapets, gates and bridges), smaller in size, but built on the same principle. Quite a considerable distance was left between them, so each castle looked like a small fortified city. Freteval can again be cited as an example. Its fences are round in shape, the diameter of the first is 140 m, the second is 70 m, the third is 30 m. The last fence, called the “shirt”, was erected very close to the donjon in order to block access to it.

The space between the first two fences was the lower courtyard. A real village was located there: the houses of peasants who worked on the master's fields, workshops and dwellings of artisans (blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, carvers, carriage workers), a threshing floor and a barn, a bakery, a communal mill and a press, a well, a fountain, sometimes a pond with live fish, washroom, counters of merchants. Such a village was a typical settlement of that time with randomly arranged streets and houses. Later, such settlements began to go beyond the castle and settle in its vicinity on the other side of the moat. Their inhabitants, as, indeed, the rest of the inhabitants of the seigneury, took refuge behind the fortress walls only in case of serious danger.

Between the second and third fences there was an upper courtyard with many buildings: a chapel, housing for soldiers, stables, kennels, dovecotes and a falcon yard, a pantry with food supplies, kitchens, a pond.

Behind the "shirt", that is, the last fence, the donjon towered. It was usually built not in the center of the castle, but in its most inaccessible part; it simultaneously served as the dwelling of the feudal lord and the military center of the fortress. Donjon (fr. donjon) - the main tower of a medieval castle, one of the symbols of the European Middle Ages.

It was the most massive building that was part of the castle buildings. The walls were gigantic in thickness and were set on a powerful foundation, capable of withstanding the blows of picks, drills and battering rams of the besiegers.

In height, it surpassed all other buildings, often exceeding 25 m: 27 m - in Etampes, 28 m - in Gisors, 30 m - in Uden, Dourdan and Freteval, 31 m - in Châteauden, 35 m - in Tonquedek, 40 - in Locher, 45 m - in Provins. It could be square (Tower of London), rectangular (Loches), hexagonal (Tournoel Castle), octagonal (Gizors), four-lobed (Etampes), but more often there are round ones with a diameter of 15 to 20 m and a wall thickness of 3 to 4 m.

Flat buttresses, called pilasters, supported the walls along their entire length and at the corners, at each corner such a pilaster was crowned with a turret on top. The entrance was always located on the second floor, high above the ground. An external staircase led to the entrance, located at a right angle to the door and covered by a bridge tower, installed outside directly against the wall. For obvious reasons, the windows were very small. On the first floor there were none at all, on the second they were tiny and only on the next floors they became a little larger. These distinguishing features - the bridge tower, the outer staircase and the small windows - can be clearly seen at Rochester Castle and Headingham Castle in Essex.

The forms of donjons are very diverse: in the UK, quadrangular towers were popular, but there were also round, octagonal, regular and irregular polygonal donjons, as well as combinations of several of these shapes. The change in the shape of donjons is associated with the development of architecture and siege technology. A round or polygonal turret is better able to withstand projectiles. Sometimes, when building a donjon, builders followed the terrain, for example, placing a tower on an irregularly shaped rock. This type of tower arose in the 11th century. in Europe, more precisely in Normandy (France). Initially, it was a rectangular tower, adapted for defense, but at the same time being the residence of the feudal lord.

In the XII-XIII centuries. the feudal lord moved to the castle, and the donjon turned into a separate structure, significantly reduced in size, but stretched vertically. From now on, the tower was located separately outside the perimeter of the fortress walls, in the most inaccessible place to the enemy, sometimes even separated by a moat from the rest of the fortifications. It performed defensive and sentinel functions (at the very top there was always a combat and sentinel platform, covered with battlements). It was considered as the last refuge in the defense against the enemy (for this purpose there were weapons and food warehouses inside), and only after the capture of the donjon the castle was considered conquered.

By the 16th century the active use of cannons turned the donjons towering above the rest of the buildings into too convenient targets.

The donjon was divided inside into floors by means of wooden ceilings (Fig. 5).

Fig.5.

For defensive purposes, its only door was at the level of the second floor, that is, at a height of at least 5 m above the ground. They got inside by stairs, scaffolding or a bridge connected to a parapet. However, all these structures were very simple: after all, they had to be removed very quickly in the event of an attack. It was on the second floor that there was a large hall, sometimes with a vaulted ceiling - the center of the seigneur's life. Here he dined, had fun, received guests and vassals, and even administered justice in winter. One floor above were the rooms of the owner of the castle and his wife; climbed up a narrow stone staircase in the wall. On the fourth and fifth floors there are common rooms for children, servants and subjects. The guests slept there. The top of the donjon resembled the upper part of the fortress wall with its battlemented parapet and sentinel path, as well as additional wooden or stone galleries. To this was added a watchtower to monitor the surroundings.

The first floor, that is, the floor under the great hall, did not have a single opening that went out. However, it was neither a prison nor a stone bag, as archaeologists of the last century assumed. Usually there was a pantry where firewood, wine, grain and weapons were stored.

In some donjons in the lower room, in addition, there was a well or an entrance to a dungeon dug under the castle and leading to an open field, which, however, was quite rare. By the way, the dungeon, as a rule, served to store food during the year, and not at all to facilitate a secret flight, romantic or forced Lapin R.I. Donjon article. Encyclopedic Fund of Russia. Access address: http://www.russika.ru/.

Of particular interest in the framework of the work is also the interior of the donjon.

DONJON INTERIOR

The interior of the lord's dwelling can be characterized by three features: simplicity, modesty of decoration, and a small amount of furniture.

No matter how high (from 7 to 12 meters) and spacious (from 50 to 150 meters) the main hall was, the hall always remained one room. Sometimes it was divided into several rooms by some kind of drapery, but always only for a while and due to certain circumstances. Trapezoidal window openings separated in this manner and deep niches in the wall served as small living rooms. Large windows, rather high than wide, with a semicircular top, were arranged in the thickness of the walls in the same way as tower loopholes for archery.

No matter how high (from 7 to 12 meters) and spacious (from 50 to 150 meters) it was, the hall always remained one room. Sometimes it was divided into several rooms by some kind of drapery, but always only for a while and due to certain circumstances. Trapezoidal window openings separated in this manner and deep niches in the wall served as small living rooms. Large windows, rather high than wide, with a semicircular top, were arranged in the thickness of the walls in the same way as tower loopholes for archery. In front of the windows there was a stone bench, which served to talk or look out the window. Windows were rarely glazed (glass is an expensive material used mainly for church stained-glass windows), more often they were covered with a small lattice of wicker or metal, or they were covered with glued cloth or an oiled sheet of parchment nailed to the frame.

A hinged wooden sash was attached to the window, often internal rather than external; usually it was not closed, unless they were sleeping in great hall.

Despite the fact that the windows were few and rather narrow, they still let in enough light to illuminate the hall in summer days. Evening or winter sunlight replaced not only the fire of the fireplace, but also resin torches, tallow candles or oil lamps, which were attached to the walls and ceiling. Thus, interior lighting always turned out to be a source of heat and smoke, but this was still not enough to defeat dampness - a real scourge. medieval dwelling. Wax candles, like glass, were reserved only for the richest houses and churches.

The floor in the hall was covered with wooden boards, clay or, more rarely, stone slabs, however, whatever it was, it was never left uncovered. In winter, it was covered with straw - either finely chopped, or woven into coarse mats. In spring and summer - reeds, branches and flowers (lilies, gladioli, irises). Fragrant herbs and incense plants such as mint and verbena were placed along the walls. Wool carpets and embroidered bedspreads were generally used for seating only in bedrooms. In the great hall, everyone was usually located on the floor, spreading skins and furs.

The ceiling, which is also the floor of the upper floor, often remained unfinished, but in the 13th century they began to try to decorate it with beams and caissons, creating geometric patterns, heraldic friezes or ornate ornaments depicting animals. Sometimes the walls were painted in the same way, but more often they were simply painted in some particular color (red and yellow ocher were preferred) or covered with a pattern that imitated the appearance of hewn stone or a chessboard. Frescoes are already appearing in princely houses depicting allegorical and historical scenes borrowed from legends, the Bible or literary works. It is known, for example, that King Henry III of England liked to sleep in a room whose walls were decorated with episodes from the life of Alexander the Great, a hero who aroused special admiration in the Middle Ages. However, such a luxury remained available only to the sovereign. An ordinary vassal, inhabitant of a wooden dungeon, had to be content with a rough bare wall, ennobled only by his own spear and shield.

Instead of wall paintings, tapestries with geometric, floral or historical motifs were used. However, more often these are not real tapestries (which were usually brought from the East), but mostly embroidery on thick fabric, like the so-called “Queen Matilda carpet”, stored in Bayeux.

Tapestries made it possible to hide a door or a window, or to divide a large room into several rooms - "bedrooms".

This word quite often meant not the room where they slept, but the totality of all the tapestries, embroidered canvases and various fabrics intended for interior decoration. Going on a trip, they always took tapestries with them, because they were the main element of decorating an aristocratic home, capable of giving it personality traits.

Furniture in the XIII century existed only wooden. She was constantly moved (The word "furniture" comes from the word mobile (fr.) - movable. (Note. Lane)), because, with the exception of the bed, the rest of the furniture did not have a single purpose. So, the chest, the main type of furniture, served simultaneously as a cabinet, table and seat. To perform the latter function, he could have a back and even handles. However, the chest is only an extra seat. They mostly sat on common benches, sometimes divided into separate seats, on small wooden benches, on small stools without a back. The chair was intended for the owner of the house or an honored guest. The squires and women sat on bundles of straw, sometimes covered with embroidered cloth, or simply on the floor, like servants and lackeys. Several boards laid on the goats made up a table; for the duration of the meal, it was arranged in the center of the hall. It turned out to be long, narrow and somewhat taller than modern tables. Companions sat on one side, leaving the other free to serve dishes.

There was little furniture: in addition to chests, in which dishes, household utensils, clothes, money and letters were shoved at random, sometimes there was a wardrobe or sideboard, less often a sideboard where the richest placed precious dishes or jewelry. Often, such furniture was replaced by niches in the wall, hung with draperies or closed with doors. Clothes were usually not folded, but rolled up and scented. They also rolled letters written on parchment before putting them in a linen bag, which served as a kind of safe, where, in addition, one or more leather wallets were kept.

To get a more complete picture of the furniture and decor of the main hall of the donjon, you need to add a few more caskets, some knick-knacks and some cult accessories (relics, sprinklers). As we can see, in this respect it is very far from abundance. There was even less furniture in the bedrooms: the men had a bed and chest, the women had a bed and something like a dressing table. No benches or chairs, sitting on straw covered with cloth, on the floor or on the bed. The huge square bed looked more wide than long. One usually did not sleep.

Even if the owner of the castle and his wife had separate bedrooms, they still had one common bed. In the rooms of children, servants or guests, the beds were also shared. Two, four or six of them slept on them.

The bed of the lord usually stood on a raised platform, with his head to the wall, his feet to the fireplace. A kind of vault was created from a wooden frame, where a canopy was hung to isolate the sleeping people from the outside world. The bedding was almost indistinguishable from modern ones. A feather bed was laid on a straw mattress or mattress, and a bottom sheet was laid on top of it. She was covered with a top sheet that was not tucked in. On top lay a duvet or wadded blanket, quilted like modern ones. The bolster and pillowcases are also similar to those we use today. White embroidered sheets were made of linen or silk, woolen bedspreads were lined with ermine or squirrel fur. For less prosperous people, burlap was used instead of silk, and twill was used instead of wool.

In this soft and spacious bed (so wide that it was possible to make it only with the help of a stick) they usually slept completely naked, but with a cap on their heads. Before going to bed, they hung clothes on a rod driven into the wall like a hanger, protruding almost to the middle of the room parallel to the bed, they left only a shirt on themselves, but they took it off already in bed and, having folded it, put it under the pillow to put it on again in the early morning before getting up.

The fireplace in the bedroom was not heated all day. It was bred only in the evening during the family vigil, which took place here in a more intimate atmosphere than in the great hall. In the hall there was a truly gigantic fireplace, designed for large logs; in front of him stood several shops, which could accommodate ten, fifteen or even twenty people. A conical hood with protruding posts formed something like a house inside the hall. The fireplace was not decorated with anything; the custom of placing a family coat of arms on it appeared only at the beginning of the 14th century. In some, more spacious rooms, two or three fireplaces were sometimes built, but not at opposite walls, but all together in the center of the room; for their hearth they used a single flat stone of enormous size, and the exhaust hood was erected in the form of a pyramid of brick and wood.

The donjon could well be used only for military and economic purposes (observation posts on the tower, a dungeon, a storehouse of provisions). In such cases, the feudal lord's family lived in the "palace" - the living quarters of the castle, standing apart from the tower. The palaces were built of stone and had several floors in height.

medieval castle residential interior

There are thousands of fortresses, palaces and castles in Europe. Some of them, unfortunately, fell into disrepair, but there are many perfectly preserved buildings from different eras. Below is a list of the ten best preserved castles in the world.

Mont Saint Michel, France

Mont-Saint-Michel is a municipality and a 100-hectare rocky island that has been turned into a fortress island. Located 285 km west of Paris, in the Lower Normandy region, Manche department, France. The complex on the island has existed since 709 and has a population of 43 people (2011). Unique architecture and nature make Mont Saint-Michel the most visited tourist place in Normandy. The island hosts more than 3 million people annually.

Brodick Castle, Scotland

The ninth place in the list of the best preserved castles in the world is occupied by Brodick Castle, which is located in the eastern part of the Isle of Arran, near small town Brodick, Scotland. This castle was built in the 5th century and gradually expanded and completed over the centuries. For almost 500 years it served as a residence for the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Bran Castle, Romania

Bran Castle is located 30 km from the city of Brasov, near small town Bran, Romania. It was built in 1212 at the expense of local residents and served as a strategic defensive fortress in a mountain valley in southern Transylvania. Currently, the castle belongs to the descendant of the Romanian kings, the grandson of Queen Mary - Dominic of Habsburg. In the 19th century, this castle became world famous thanks to the novel "Dracula" by the Irish writer Bram Stoker. It is now the most visited tourist attraction in Romania.

Coca Castle, Spain

Coca Castle is located 54 km northwest of the city of Segovia, Spain. It was built at the end of the 15th century by Archbishop Alonso de Fonseca. Its construction began in 1453. The castle is surrounded by a deep moat and a double fortress wall 2.5 meters wide. It is considered a magnificent architectural example, made in the Mudéjar style. Belongs to the Alba family. Now it houses a school of foresters.

Eltz Castle, Germany

In sixth place on the list of the best preserved castles in the world is Eltz Castle located on a 70-meter-high cliff in the commune of Wierschem in the Elzbach River Valley, Germany. It was built presumably in the XII century. It has been owned by the Eltz family for over 800 years. In all its existence, it has never been captured or destroyed. Today, the entire complex belongs to Count Karl of Eltz, who provided the castle for the general public to visit.

Marienburg Castle, Poland

Marienburg Castle is located in Malbork, Poland. This is a classic example of a medieval fortification, which is the largest brick medieval castle in the world and one of the most impressive in Europe. This castle was built in honor of the Virgin Mary and founded by the Teutonic Knights on the banks of the Nogat (the mouth of the Vistula) in 1274. It was built in several stages and expanded until the first half of the 15th century. It served as the residence for the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1309 to 1456. Today Marienburg Castle is a museum listed world heritage UNESCO.

Neuschwanstein, Germany

Neuschwanstein is a well-preserved 19th-century castle located 5 km from the city of Füssen in southern Bavaria, Germany. It is the former residence of the last Bavarian king Ludwig II (1864–1886). The construction of this castle began in 1869, according to the design of the court architect Eduard Riedel, and was completed in 1883. This castle was supposed to be the king's personal refuge, but was opened to the public shortly after the death of Ludwig, who lived in it for only about six months. Since then, the castle has been visited by more than 61 million people. More than 1,300,000 tourists from all over the world come here every year.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Edinburgh castle throughout its history has been a kind of "key to Scotland". It is located on Castle Rock in Edinburgh, Scotland. The first indication of the existence of this castle dates back to the reign of King David I, who convened here meetings of the nobility and church ministers, starting in 1139. The oldest building in the castle and Edinburgh is St. Margaret's Chapel, dating from the beginning of the 12th century. Today, Edinburgh Castle is open to the public and is a major tourist attraction in Scotland.

Windsor Castle, England

Windsor Castle is a royal palace located on a hill in the Thames Valley, 34 km west of London, England. The palace was built between 1070–1086 by William I the Conqueror and was constantly expanded by subsequent rulers. Now the castle is the official residence of the British monarchs in Windsor (Berkshire). The complex of Windsor Castle, located on a five-hectare area, includes fortifications, a palace and a town. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world. The current Queen Elizabeth II spent most of her childhood here.

Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Prague Castle - the best preserved fortress located in the center of the capital Czech Republic Prague. The first building on this site was built in the 9th century. In the future, Prague Castle expanded and completed until it became one of the largest castle complexes Europe. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest castle in the world - its length is 570 m, its width is 130 meters, it covers an area of ​​​​about 70,000 square meters. m. Today it is the residence of the President of the Republic, earlier Czech rulers and some emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.

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For the first time, Schaaken is mentioned in the chronicle of the Teutonic Order for 1258, when, according to an agreement on the division of territories between the Order and the Bishop of Samland Heinrich von Strittberg, the area around Schaaken remained with the Order. The wooden fortress began to be built in 1261, about 4 km from Curonian Lagoon. For the construction, the Shaaken River (now Bolshaya Moryana) was dammed, and a defensive fortification was built on marshy marshy ground. The castle was used during the Order's campaigns deep into the Prussian territories to Nadravia, Sudavia and further to Shalavia. It was also intended to defend the coast of the Curonian Lagoon, on the ice of which the Prussian tribes of the Skalovs, and later the Litvins, often made their raids.

Construction of the stone castle began in 1328. By that time, the Order had developed its own tradition of building castles. As a rule, these were quadrangular castles with one to four outbuildings with a bergfried and high defensive walls. These castles necessarily had pre-castle fortifications (forburgs). Castle Schaaken, unlike most of the castles of the Order, had an almost round perimeter, because due to the urgency, the construction of a stone fortress wall was carried out along the old perimeter of the ramparts surrounding it.

After the secularization of the Teutonic Order in 1525, Schaaken Castle fell into the hands of rebellious peasants for a short time. Since 1526, the castle housed the ducal chamber of justice, from the middle of the 16th century - the Land Office of Samland.

The ancient fortress in 1606 was destroyed by a strong fire. In 1684, the castle began to be restored; during these works, serious architectural changes were made to the appearance of the inside of the castle.

In 1697, part of the Great Russian Embassy arrived in Schaaken, en route to Western Europe. And on November 11, 1711, in Schaaken, on the way to Russia, Peter I stopped for the night with Catherine.

In 1815-1819. Schaaken was the seat of the village administration. Probably, during this period, the main building was rebuilt, through which the gate passed in the time of the order. After the restructuring, the gates were laid and from the western side in ancient wall new gates were built.

During the hostilities in 1945, the castle was not damaged. A collective farm stable was located on its territory, which existed until the early 1960s. Then the castle was given over to housing, and the outbuildings were used for household needs. In the 1980s, only one family lived in the castle, which used the still habitable rooms. The lack of timely repairs led to the destruction of the ceiling and walls. Now the castle building and the surviving buildings have turned into ruins. A private museum has been organized on the territory of Schaaken Castle.

2 Tapiau Castle (Gvardeysk, Kaliningrad region)

Tapiau Castle was first mentioned in 1258 as the property of the Prussian noble Zapelle, who converted to the Christian faith and swore allegiance to the Teutonic Order. In 1262, a small wooden and earthen order fortress was built on the banks of the Deima. In 1265 it was captured and destroyed by the Lithuanian army. In the same year 1265, Master of the Teutonic Order Arno von Sangershausen ordered the construction of a fortress on the northern bank of the Pregel River.

In 1275, the fortress of Tapiau was stormed by the Litvin troops. The fortress survived, but its position on the ground seemed to the defenders not entirely successful. It was decided to move it to another place. In 1280-1290, under the leadership of commander Ulrich von Bauer, a new wooden fortress was built on the eastern bank of the Deima. In 1340-1351, under the leadership of Marshal of the Order Siegfried von Danenfelde, a stone two-story castle with four outbuildings and a forburg was built in the Pregel bend, protected by a horseshoe-shaped moat and an earthen rampart. This fortification in a rebuilt form has survived to this day.

In the middle of the 16th century, by order of the Duke of Prussia, Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out in Tapiau Castle.

In the reign of King Frederick William III, starting from 1786, a shelter for the poor operated in Tapiau Castle, and in 1793 the house of contempt accepted the first decrepit, wretched, sick and orphans. During these years, three outbuildings of the castle were demolished. In 1879, during the restoration of Tapiau Castle, two floors were added, the house church was located on the top floor, after which the castle began to be used as an administrative building.

In 1902, a complex of red brick buildings was built on the territory of the castle. During the Weimar Republic and under the Nazis, Tapiau Castle housed a prison. Since April 1945, the castle housed a pre-trial detention center for the detention of war criminals, later - again a prison.

3 Waldau Castle (Nizovye village, Kaliningrad region)

The first order wooden and earthen fortification in Waldau was built in 1258-1264. The expansion of the territory controlled by the Teutonic Order led to the fact that Waldau Castle lost its defensive value.

In 1457, the old fortifications were rebuilt, after which the castle began to be used as the summer residence of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order. After the secularization of the Order in 1525, Waldau Castle became a ducal domain.

On May 17-18, 1697, the main part of the Great Russian Embassy, ​​headed by Admiral Franz Yakovlevich Lefort, stopped at the Waldau Castle, on May 17, Tsar Peter I visited the castle. Since 1720, the Waldau Castle was rented out by the royal government of Prussia.

In 1858, the castle housed an agricultural school. In the 1860s, the building was thoroughly rebuilt, the towers and fortress walls were finally dismantled. Since 1945, the castle building was under the jurisdiction of an agricultural school (SPTU No. 20). Since 1947, the left wing has been used as a hostel for an agricultural school. On this moment there is a museum in the western wing.

4 Lauken Castle (Saranskoye village, Kaliningrad region)

Around 1260, in the town of Lovka, on the site of the future castle, order ramparts were built. Since 1270, the fortress of Lauken has been a springboard on the right bank of the Laba for the onslaught of the Teutonic Order on Nadrovia.

In 1327 a stone castle was built. Lauken is mentioned in 1466 in the documents of the II Peace of Thorn and the Treaty of Krakow in 1525. During the time of Duke Albrecht, the castle was used as a hunting lodge. At the behest of Duke Georg Friedrich, Lauken was rebuilt between 1581 and 1584 by the architect Blasius Berwart. After that, the castle was named Friedrichsburg. Shortly after perestroika, Georg Friedrich gave an audience to the Swedish ambassador at the castle.

In subsequent years, the castle, becoming a knight's estate, was repeatedly rebuilt. At the end of the 19th century, Lauken became the property of the von Bieberstein family, the last owner being Ludwig von Bieberstein.

After the end of World War II, the castle building remained in good condition. In the first post-war years, it was converted into a school, later with north side added another building. In this form, the building was preserved until the beginning of the XXI century. Cellars of order times have been preserved.

5 Georgenburg (Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad region)

In 1264, on the high northern bank of the Inster, on the site of the old Prussian settlement of Kapzovin, the knight of the German Order Hartmann von Grumbach built a fortification named Georgenburg in honor of St. George. In 1337 a castle was founded here, in 1351, by order of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Winrich von Kniprode, its reconstruction in stone began.

In 1364 and 1376 the castle was destroyed by the Lithuanians, in 1385-1390 it was restored, later a forburg was added on the western side. In 1403, Georgenburg was taken by the Lithuanian army under the leadership of Prince Vitovt. In 1657, the castle was badly damaged during a Tatar raid, and in 1679 it was occupied by the Swedes.

Since 1709, the castle with the estate was rented out. In 1752-1799 the von Koidell family began to breed horses here. The last owner of Georgenburg Castle, since 1937, was Dr. Martin Geling.

In 1994-1995, Georgenburg was leased by the Russian Insurance Bank for 99 years to create a cultural and entertainment center. Archaeological excavations were carried out on its territory until the 1997 crisis, when the bank abandoned this project. The castle is currently on the verge of destruction.

6 Vyborg Castle (Vyborg, Leningrad Region)

Vyborg Castle was founded in 1293 during the third Swedish crusade. The Swedes landed on the coast of the Gulf of Finland in the area of ​​present-day Vyborg and destroyed the Karelian settlement and the Karelian outpost on small island. The Swedes founded a castle on the island and named it Vyborg (translated from Old Swedish as “Holy Fortress”). A stone wall was built around the central elevated part of the island. And in the center of the island - a quadrangular stone donjon tower was erected. The Swedes named it St Olaf's Tower in honor of King Olaf II Haraldsson, who established Christianity in Norway.

The castle became the residence of the governor of the Swedish king. For many years the Vyborg Castle was the main border fortress of Sweden in the east and the administrative center of the Vyborg fief. Vyborg Castle reached its peak in the middle of the 15th century, during the years of the governorship of Karl Knutsson Bunde, who later became King Charles VIII of Sweden. At that time, the main building was rebuilt, where the governor's quarters and apartments were located, in which kings and high-ranking officials stayed during their visits to Vyborg. In front of the main building and the tower of St. Olaf, a southern defensive wall was built with four towers: New, Guard, Fire and Prison. On the northeast side of the island, the Shoemaker's Tower was erected, and on the southeast, the Paradise Tower. The main gate was arranged in the passage arch of the Fire Tower.

In 1555 King Gustav I Vasa visited the Vyborg Castle, personally inspecting the royal castles of Sweden. Dissatisfied with the state of the fortifications and towers, the king ordered a large-scale reconstruction of the fortress, which was little adapted to artillery defense. Work began in 1559. New supporting walls were built on the Castle Island, the towers of the castle and its main building were rebuilt. The reconstruction of the castle donjon began in 1561 and lasted four years. The tower of St. Olaf was dismantled to the level of the second tier, and then built on with brick: the third and fourth tiers were tetrahedral, the top three received an octahedral shape. The height of the tower (without a roof) was 38 meters. Large-caliber guns were installed at the loopholes of the upper floors. In the 1580s, the southern defensive wall underwent reconstruction. In 1582, the construction of a stone outer wall began, encircling the island in an arc from the west and from the north. In 1606-1608, the Fire Tower and the gatehouse at the entrance to the island were rebuilt and merged into one building - the Governor's House, which later became the residence of the Vyborg governor.

In 1710, during the siege of Vyborg by the troops of Peter I, the walls and buildings of the fortress were significantly damaged by Russian artillery. Throughout the 18th century, the castle buildings were repeatedly repaired and rebuilt. During this period, the buildings of the Barracks Corps and arsenals appeared. In 1834 and 1856, two devastating fires broke out in Vyborg Castle. In 1891-1894 the castle was restored by the forces of the Vyborg Fortress Military Engineering Administration.

From 1944 to 1964 the Vyborg Castle was used by the Soviet military. The 71st Separate Guards Communications Battalion and the 49th Separate Guards Engineer Battalion of the 45th Guards Division were stationed in the castle. Military families lived in the premises of the castle. In 1964, the USSR Ministry of Defense transferred the Vyborg Castle to the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Monuments. In 1970, the first expositions of the Vyborg Museum of Local Lore opened here.

7 Preussish-Eylau Castle (Bagrationovsk, Kaliningrad region)

In 1325, on the orders of the grand master of the Teutonic Order Werner von Orseln, master Arnold von Eilenstein, on a hill surrounded by swamps and a river, on the site of the Prussian fortress Sutvirt, began the construction of a fortified house, called Ile Castle. On the river, the orderers built a dam with a mill, the water level rose and the castle ended up on an island. By 1330, a square-shaped stone fortification was built, surrounded by a moat, with a drawbridge and a portcullis gate. A forburg was attached to the fortification on the eastern side.

In historical documents, the first mention of the castle dates back to 1326, where it is called "Ile", in the records of 1342 - "Iladia", in 1400 - "Prusche Ilov" (Preussisch-Eylau). Until 1347, Preussisch-Eylau was the residence of the order pfleger, then it housed the administration of the kammerat, which was part of the Balga commandery.

In February 1454, during the Thirteen Years' War, Preussisch-Eylau Castle was captured by the rebellious population and partially damaged. The order organized active resistance, and most of the cities of Natangia again came under his authority. Preussisch-Eylau was occupied by the order garrison, consisting of several knights and 60 militia men, all damage was eliminated. In 1455 and 1456, the Prussian troops tried to take possession of the castle, but they did not succeed.

After the reformation in 1525, the order castle became the residence of the departmental estate of Hauptmann Preussisch-Eylau. In 1814 the estate was bought by Heinrich Sigismund Valentini. In 1817 it was named Henriettenhof after the owner's wife. The estate was located on the territory of an old forburg, still well preserved. The castle, due to the lack of a roof, was actively destroyed. It was unpleasant to live near the ruins, and soon a new house. Almost the entire economy was transferred there.

In 1932, in an old mansion located near the walls of the former order castle, the regional museum of local lore was opened. During the Second World War, the territory of the castle was not badly damaged. After the war, the living quarters of the former mansion gradually fell into disrepair and were no longer in use by the beginning of the 1960s. On November 27, 1961, the territory of the castle and the fort was transferred under the act to the Bagration office of the district consumer union, after which the basements of the castle and the fort were used as warehouses.

In the surviving building of the forburg, the roof began to collapse due to rotten rafters; by 1989, holes appeared in the roof. In August 1990, the middle section of the building burned down. In the early 1990s, a decision was made to carry out minor excavations and convert the forburg into a hotel with a bar. But in the last stages, the forburg was abandoned.

At the mention of the castles of the Middle Ages, picturesque walls entwined with ivy, beautiful ladies in high towers and noble knights in shining armor come to mind. But it was not these lofty images that motivated the feudal lords to build impregnable walls with loopholes, but harsh reality.

During the Middle Ages, Europe experienced many changes. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the processes of migration of peoples began, new kingdoms and states appeared. All this was accompanied by constant conflicts and strife.

feudal nobleman, who had a knighthood, to protect himself from enemies, and even the closest neighbors could become them, was forced to strengthen his home as much as possible and build a castle.

Wikipedia offers to distinguish between a castle and a fortress. Fortress - walled area land with houses and other buildings. The castle is smaller. This is a single structure, which includes walls, towers, bridges and other structures.

The castle was the private fortress of a noble lord and his family. In addition to the direct function of protection, it was an indicator of power and wealth. But not all knights could afford it. The owner could be a whole knightly order - a community of warriors.

How and from what materials were medieval castles built?

Construction of a real castle was a laborious and costly process. All work was carried out by hand and sometimes lasted for decades.

Before starting construction, it was necessary to choose appropriate place. The most impregnable castles were erected on the cliffs of steep cliffs. However, more often they chose a hill with an open view and a river nearby. The water artery was necessary to fill the ditches, and was also used as a way to transport goods.

A deep ditch was dug on the ground and a mound was formed. Then, with the help of scaffolding, walls were erected.

challenging task was the construction of a well. I had to dig deep down or gouge the rock.

The choice of material for construction depended on many factors. Of decisive importance were:

• terrain;
• human resources;
• budget.

If there was a quarry nearby, the structure was built of stone, otherwise wood, sand, limestone or bricks were used. For the outside, we used facing materials, for example, processed stone. The elements of the walls were connected with lime mortar.

Although glass was known in those days, it was not used in castles. Narrow windows were covered with mica, leather or parchment. Inside the living quarters of the owners of the castle, the walls were often covered with frescoes and hung with tapestries. In the rest of the rooms, they limited themselves to a layer of lime or left untouched masonry.

What elements did castles consist of?

Precise lock configuration depended on local traditions, landscape, wealth of the owner. Over time, new engineering solutions appeared. Previously built structures were often completed and rebuilt. Among all Medieval fortifications, several traditional elements can be distinguished.

Moat, bridge and gate

The castle was surrounded by a moat. If there was a river nearby, it was flooded. Wolf pits were arranged at the bottom - depressions with stakes or sharp rods.

It was possible to get inside through the moat only with the help of a bridge. Huge logs served as supports. Part of the bridge rose and closed the passage inside. The mechanism of the drawbridge was designed in such a way that 2 guards could handle it. In some castles, the bridge had a swing mechanism.

The gate was double-leaf and closed transverse beam that slides into the wall. Although they were knocked together from several layers of durable boards and upholstered with iron, the gate remained the most vulnerable part of the structure. They were protected by a gate tower with a guard room. The entrance to the castle turned into a long narrow passage with holes in the ceiling and walls. If the enemy was inside, a stream of boiling water or resin poured on him.

In addition to wooden gates, there was often a lattice, which was closed with a winch and ropes. In an emergency, the ropes were cut off, the barrier fell sharply.

An additional element of the protection of the gate was the barbican - the walls coming from the gate. Opponents had to squeeze in into the passage between them under a hail of arrows.

Walls and towers

The height of the walls of the medieval fortification reached 25 meters. They had a powerful base and withstood the blows of battering rams. The deep foundation was designed to protect against undermining. The thickness of the walls to the top decreased, they became sloping. At the top, behind the battlements, was a platform. Being on it, the defenders fired at the enemies through slot-like holes, threw down stones or poured resin.

Double walls were often built . Overcoming the first hurdle, opponents fell into a narrow space in front of the second wall, where they became easy prey for archers.

At the corners of the perimeter were watchtowers, which protruded forward in relation to the wall. Inside, they were divided into floors, each of which was a separate room. In large castles, the towers had a vertical partition for strengthening.

All the stairs in the towers were spiral and very steep. If the enemy penetrated the inner territory, the defender had an advantage and could throw the aggressor down. Initially, the towers had a rectangular shape. But this interfered with the review during the defense. Replaced by round buildings.

Behind the main gate was a narrow courtyard, which was well shot through.

The rest of the interior space the castle was occupied by buildings. Among them:

In large knightly castles, there was a garden inside, and sometimes a whole garden.

The central and most fortified structure of any castle is the donjon tower. In the lower part there was a storehouse with food supplies and an arsenal with weapons and equipment. Above was the guard room, the kitchen. The upper part was occupied by the dwelling of the owner and his family. A throwing weapon or catapult was installed on the roof. The outer walls of the donjon had small ledges. There were restrooms. Holes opened outward, waste fell down. From the donjon, underground passages could lead to a shelter or neighboring buildings.

Mandatory elements of a castle in the Middle Ages was a church or chapel. It could be located in the central tower or be a separate building.

The castle could not do without a well. In the absence of a source of water, the inhabitants would not have held out for several days during the siege. The well was protected by a separate building.

Living conditions in the castle

The castle provided the need for security. However, other benefits of its inhabitants often had to be neglected.

Little light penetrated inside the premises, since the windows were replaced by narrow loopholes, which were covered with dense materials. living rooms they were heated with fireplaces, but this did not save them from dank dampness and cold. In the harsh winter, the walls froze through through. Using the latrines during the cold season was especially uncomfortable.

Residents often had to neglect hygiene. Most of the water from the well went to maintain life functions and care for animals.

Over time, the structure of castles became more complex, new elements appeared. However, the development of gunpowder guns deprived the castles of the main advantage - impregnability. They were replaced by fortresses with more complex engineering solutions.

Gradually, the castles of the Middle Ages, many of which have survived to this day, turned into architectural monuments and remind of the era of chivalry.

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