This fairy-tale castle is the historical possession of the Prussian kings and German emperors. It was built during the Middle Ages, in the 11th century, then was completely destroyed in 1423 and rebuilt in 1461. The castle is located on the top of the Hohenzollern mountain, about 50 kilometers south of Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg.

Castle Howard, England

Although this building looks like a castle, Howard is actually just a luxurious house - the private residence of the Howard family, who have lived there for over 300 years. This house is located in North Yorkshire and is one of the largest residences in the UK. Its construction began at the end of the 17th century and lasted about 15 years. The castle is surrounded by fabulous gardens, as well as endless spacious meadows.

Alcazar in Segovia, Spain

Segovia Castle, located in central Spain, was originally (in the 12th century) used as a fortress. Externally, the Alcazar resembles the bow of a ship - a unique feature that distinguishes it from other castles. It served as the inspiration for many castles in Walt Disney films.

Himeji Castle, Japan

Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle, is a magnificent white complex of 83 wooden buildings. One of the castle's most extraordinary defenses is the spiral labyrinth, with many dead ends, leading to the main watchtower. The gates and courtyard of the castle are built in such a way that people entering there get lost. The castle was built in the 14th century and is located in the city of Kansai, Japan.

Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Prague Castle is one of the largest and oldest castles in the world, and is also a symbol of the capital of the Czech Republic. The castle is 570 meters long and 130 meters wide. Every architectural style of the last millennium is represented in this building, from Gothic and Romanesque to Baroque. The construction of the very first buildings of the complex dates back to the beginning of the 9th century.

Peles Castle, Romania

Situated in a picturesque location in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, Peles Castle is a truly fabulous building. Construction began in 1873. Workers from different countries were involved in the construction of the entire complex. Queen Elizabeth of Romania said: “The Italians were masons, the Romanians built terraces, the gypsies worked as laborers. Albanians and Greeks laid stones, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. The Turks burned bricks. Designed by Poles, stone carvers were Czechs. The French drew, and the British measured…” Presumably, workers speaking 14 languages ​​took part in the construction.

Chambord Castle, France

It is known that Chambord was used only as a hunting lodge. The view of this castle is quite impressive. Interestingly, the location of this castle was chosen by King Francis I, as he wanted to be closer to his beloved lady, Claude Roen, whose palace was next door. The huge castle has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases. This is the largest castle in the Loire Valley in France.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

The castle, whose reconstruction began in 1896, was designed by Christian Janck, commissioned by the Bavarian king Ludwig II, who was declared insane before the castle was completed. This explains a lot. The architecture, location and size of Neuschwanstein are impressive. Situated on a jagged hill in the southwest of Bavaria, today the castle is one of the most visited places by tourists.

Corfe Castle, England

Despite the fact that the ruins are all that remains of Corfe Castle, its fortifications still make a deep impression. The castle, located in the county of Dorset on the Isle of Purbeck, was built in the 9th century. However, there is a possibility that Korfe could have been built much earlier, and could also serve as a defensive structure in the fight against the Romans. The part of the building that can be seen today was reconstructed in the 11th century. Two centuries later, the fortress began to be used as a repository of royal jewels, as well as a prison.

Matsumoto Castle. Japan

The wonderful Matsumoto Castle is located in the city of Matsumoto near Tokyo. The castle was built in 1504 and is the National Treasure of Japan. The castle was inhabited until the middle of the 19th century. In 1868, during the reign of Emperor Meiji, the building was restored. However, due to the failure of the new government of Japan, it was decided to demolish the castle and sell the wood and iron from which it was built. In those days, this fate befell many castles. Matsumoto was saved by the locals by ransoming him.

Eltz Castle, Germany

Eltz is another of Germany's outstanding castles. This stunning medieval building in southwestern Germany is still owned by the same family, who have been living here for over 800 years. Currently, the castle is owned by Count Karl von Eltz, a representative of the 33rd generation of the family.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Built in the 13th century during the Viking Age, today Eilean Donan Castle is one of Scotland's most famous landmarks. The castle was probably named after Bishop Donan, who came to Scotland in the 6th century. The castle is located on an island surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Scottish Highlands. The fortress was rebuilt at least 4 times. For about 200 years, the castle lay in ruins (from the 18th to the 20th century). In 1932 it was restored and since then it has been open to visitors from all over the world.

The grandeur of the castles is mesmerizing. Most of these monumental structures were built at the time of brave knights and quivering ladies. Perhaps that is why the gloomy walls are literally shrouded in medieval romance, which attracts millions of tourists. Or maybe the secret of their popularity is in legends and real stories, witnessed by the walls of castles. Well, let's try to figure it out, but the Top 10 stories of ancient castles will help us in this.

10. Chateau Frontenac

If in Europe there are quite a lot of ancient castles of incredible beauty, then in the New World it is almost impossible to meet such architectural delights. True, there is one exception, whose name is Chateau Frontenac. Traveling through the Canadian province of Quebec, you can find yourself under the walls of a medieval French castle. And here even a tourist who is poorly versed in history has a lot of questions. Indeed, in the Middle Ages, the territory of Canada was inhabited by aborigines who did not even know about the existence of the castle, preferring to live in traditional Indian villages. But the castle exists, that's a fact! The solution to this charade is incredibly simple. In fact, Château Frontenac was built at the end of the 19th century as a grand hotel. The initiator and main sponsor of this project was the Canadian Pacific Railway. The hotel owes its name to Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the founding father of Canada. The castle was finally completed in 1926. Since then, over the years, such prominent personalities as Alfred Hitchcock, Charles de Gaulle, Ronald Reagan, Jacques Chirac and Queen Elizabeth have stayed here. In 1943, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt were negotiating within the walls of Château Frontenac. Today, Frontenac is the most photographed hotel in the world, which is not at all surprising.

9. Eltz

Since the castles mainly performed a defensive function, many of them got pretty bad during enemy attacks. In this regard, Eltz Castle is almost the only exception. This castle has never been captured, and was not destroyed. Thanks to this, the appearance of the castle has not changed at all since the 12th century, that is, from the moment it was built. All this time the castle is owned by representatives of the same family. In total, the walls of the castle remember more than 30 generations of the Eltz family. And if earlier up to 100 members of this family could live in the castle at the same time, today the owners of the castle prefer to live separately. And Eltz daily receives guests-tourists, and sometimes becomes a shooting location for the next historical film. It must be said that Eltz Castle is a convincing decoration, because all the furniture in it is genuine, and served the owners as early as the 15th century. Why are there films, the image of Eltz still quite recently flaunted on a banknote with a face value of 500 German marks.

8. Brissac

This castle in the Loire Valley got its name from a dishonest miller. Legend has it that the castle was built in places surrounded by windmills on all sides. The rogue miller used leaky bags, the flour from which spilled a little on the floor. The swindler carefully collected the spilled flour to offer it to the next buyers. In such a simple way, the miller deceived his customers, because they paid for a full bag. Soon his trick was discovered, and the miller was nicknamed "the hole in the bag." In French it sounds like Breche-sac. Over time, they began to call the area where the mill stood, and later a castle was built here. By the way, this is the highest castle in France. The French castle of Brissac began its history as a defensive structure. It was erected in the 11th century, and until 1434 it was owned by military people. In the same year, a new owner settled in the castle. He was Pierre Breze, who served as minister at the court of Charles VII. Rumor has it that it was during this period that events took place in the castle, due to which a ghost walks along the corridors of the Brissac castle even today. The young wife of Pierre Breze had an affair with a commoner, and soon rumors of her infidelity reached her husband. The angry husband was merciless to his lovers, and both took their lives. And the castle, a witness to a terrible massacre, was hastily sold to a new owner. So, from 1502 to this day, the castle has been the property of the Cosse-Brissac family.

7. Bran

Bran Castle in Transylvania has a rather interesting history. But it gained wide popularity due to what is considered the castle of Count Dracula. The irony is that Vlad the Impaler did not live in the castle. They say that he was here only a couple of times, and then only in transit. But hundreds of years have passed since then, and more or less serious evidence of this has not been preserved. As well as it is not known for certain whether Vlad Tepes was a vampire. Perhaps this is the fruit of the imagination of the writer Bram Stoker, who was born 400 years later than the formidable Count Dracula. As for the castle, it was built by local residents as a defense against constant Turkish raids. For this, they were allowed not to pay taxes to the state treasury for several centuries. Today the owner of the castle is an American architect, heir to the Romanian monarchs. The sinister glory of the castle played into his hands. Dracula's castle annually attracts hundreds of tourists like a magnet. And in 1992, its walls became the backdrop for the film "Dracula" by the legendary director Coppola.

6. Peles

It is generally accepted that even the most beautiful castles are not very comfortable for living. There is an opinion that these are eternally cold gloomy rooms, daylight into which is extremely rare and extremely dosed. In part, these words are true, however, in the Romanian Peles castle, things are completely different. King Carol I of Romania decided to build a castle in a picturesque corner of the Carpathians. Before settling on the project on which the castle was later built, the king successively brushed aside several others. One project seemed too pretentious and expensive to the monarch, the other was not original enough.

5. Chenonceau

It is not for nothing that the most beautiful castle in France is unofficially called the "ladies' castle". It so happened that the whole history of the castle of Chenonceau is connected with women. In 1512, the land on which the castle now stands was bought by the Boyes. The couple decided to build a beautiful castle on the site of the old fortress. Due to the employment of the spouse in state affairs, Catherine led all the work. It seems that the Boyes were very vain, this is evidenced by an eloquent inscription on one of the walls of the castle. Next to the initials of the spouses are engraved words that invite each visitor to remember the first owners of the castle. Whatever the motives of the Boyes couple, but in 1521 the construction of the castle was completed. However, Thomas Boye, like his wife, was not destined to enjoy the new home to the fullest. Thomas died in 1524, his wife survived him by only a couple of years. The estate was inherited by the son. But the castle of incredible beauty fell in love with King Francis I, who hastened to confiscate Chenonceau. Later, the castle was presented by King Henry II to his favorite, Diane de Poitiers. It was she who came up with the idea of ​​building a bridge over the river, thanks to which it seems that the water passes through the castle. The king was crazy about his beloved, despite the fact that Diana was 19 years older than him. The king was not embarrassed by the fact that during his stormy romance he was married to Catherine de Medici. Needless to say, the latter hated the favorite, and after the ridiculous death of the king, she hurried to expel de Poitiers from the castle, becoming the rightful mistress there. After the Medici, the castle received many more charming and influential women of France. Among the many rooms in Chenonceau there is even a bedroom of the five queens. Three daughters-in-law of Catherine de Medici lived here in different years, as well as the legendary Queen Margot and Elizabeth of Valois. Today the castle is the private property of the Meunier family. But this status does not prevent him from receiving hundreds of tourists every day.

4. Mont Saint-Michel

Mont Saint-Michel castle is visited by 1.5-2 million tourists a year. Such popularity of the complex is explained not only by unusual architecture, but also by the peculiarities of nature in these places. However, first things first. According to legend, in 708 the local bishop had a sign, the Archangel Michael appeared to him. It was he who indicated where the church should be built. The castle was built very slowly: it took five centuries to build the abbey. But when the construction was completed, the castle was named after its patron Saint Michael's Mount. In those turbulent times, while the castle was being built, it became a real impregnable fortress. Thanks to its strong walls and location, Mont Saint-Michel could withstand a multi-day siege. For a long history, the castle had a chance to visit the abbey, the residence of kings and even a prison. The castle stands in an amazing place where you can observe the ebb and flow twice a day. It would seem that this is so amazing. But at low tide, the water recedes by 15-20 km, exposing the muddy bottom around the castle. With high tide, the area around the castle is covered with water to a depth of 14 meters. Since 1879, the castle can be reached by a causeway, regardless of the tide regime. True, a couple of times a year, during the autumn and spring equinoxes, Mont Saint-Michel, as in the good old days, becomes an island. These days, the waters of the grand tide flood the dam.

3. Neuschwanstein

The beauty of the German castle Neuschwanstein is mesmerizing. Even its name sounds like music. After all, translated from German, it very poetically means a new swan cliff. The castle owes its birth to the Bavarian king Ludwig II. He gave the order to blow up the rock in order to clear the plateau for the future castle. I must say, the king was a great original, and a fan of architecture. So, during his reign, in addition to Neuschwanstein, three more castles were built. But this one, according to the idea of ​​the king, was to become the most grandiose building. Work on the castle lasted for 17 years, but was never completed. Some ideas of Ludwig II were not destined to come true. He became a victim of the intrigues of his own government, which declared him insane, and therefore incompetent. The king was accused of irrational spending of public funds, including the construction of castles. Then, under strange circumstances, the disgraced king died. According to the official version, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the lake. Historians, however, tend to regard his death as an assassination. And there are big doubts about the madness of the king. Be that as it may, but the castles, on the construction of which a lot of Bavarian money was spent in the 19th century, thanks to tourists, have long paid off. Income from tourists who annually visit Neuschwanstein regularly and tangibly replenish the budget of these lands. As for spiritual values, this castle has become a source of inspiration

2. Predjama Castle

In Slovenia, you can visit perhaps the most unusual castle. By itself, this grandiose structure, as it were, blocks the entrance to a huge cave 123 meters high. It creates a complete feeling that the castle is part of the rock. We are talking about the famous Predyama Castle, located 10 km from the town of Postojna. For connoisseurs of the Slovenian language, the name of the castle does not raise questions. The thing is that in Slovenian “pit” is a cave. Looking at the location of the castle, you understand that this name suits it perfectly. You can get into the castle both through the main entrance, and with the help of many secret passages. Secret caves allowed the inhabitants of the castle to hold a siege for a long time. After all, through secret manholes it was possible to leave the castle without being noticed by the enemy. After a thorough restoration in 1990, Predjama Castle opened its doors to numerous tourists. And the most inquisitive can explore not only the castle, but also wander through the caves, which served as secret passages in the Middle Ages.

1. Chambord

Someone, in order to be closer to the woman they love, is in a hurry to buy a plane or train ticket, and someone decides to build a castle. Surprisingly, this is exactly the backstory of Chambord Castle. The French king Francis I, in order to be close to his beloved Countess Turi, starts a grandiose construction project. About 2 thousand people worked on the construction of the castle for almost three decades. The castle stands on 12-meter oak piles, as the soil under it is unstable, swampy. Difficult conditions did not prevent grandiose construction. In 1547, Chambord Castle, consisting of 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces and more than 7 dozen staircases, was completed. But Chambord did not become a love nest for Francis I. The owner had only visited the castle a few times, hunting in the woods nearby. It seems that feelings did not stand the test of time, because such a grandiose construction is not a quick matter. After the death of the first owner, the castle changed many owners. Today Chambord is the state property of France, and one of the most popular tourist sites in the country.

You write about the baron in the castle - if you please, at least roughly imagine how the castle was heated, how it was ventilated, how it was lit ...
From an interview with G. L. Oldie

At the word "castle" in our imagination there is an image of a majestic fortress - the calling card of the fantasy genre. There is hardly any other architectural structure that would attract so much attention from historians, experts in military affairs, tourists, writers and fans of “fabulous” fantasy.

We play computer, board and role-playing games where we have to explore, build or capture impregnable castles. But do we know what these fortifications really are? What interesting stories are associated with them? What are the stone walls hiding behind them - witnesses of entire eras, grandiose battles, knightly nobility and vile betrayal?

Surprisingly, it is a fact - the fortified dwellings of feudal lords in different parts of the world (Japan, Asia, Europe) were built according to very similar principles and had many common design features. But in this article, we will primarily focus on medieval European feudal fortresses, since it was they that served as the basis for creating a mass artistic image of the “medieval castle” as a whole.

The birth of a fortress

The Middle Ages in Europe was a turbulent time. The feudal lords, for any reason, arranged small wars among themselves - or rather, not even wars, but, in modern terms, armed “showdowns”. If a neighbor had money, they had to be taken away. Lots of land and peasants? It's just indecent, because God ordered to share. And if knightly honor is hurt, then here it was simply impossible to do without a small victorious war.

Under such circumstances, the large aristocratic landowners had no choice but to fortify their homes with the expectation that one day neighbors might come to visit them, whom you don’t feed with bread - let someone slaughter.

Initially, these fortifications were made of wood and did not resemble the castles known to us in any way - except that a moat was dug in front of the entrance and a wooden palisade was erected around the house.

The lordly courts of Hasterknaup and Elmendorv are the ancestors of castles.

However, progress did not stand still - with the development of military affairs, the feudal lords had to modernize their fortifications so that they could withstand a massive assault using stone cannonballs and rams.

The European castle has its roots in the era of antiquity. The earliest structures of this kind copied the Roman military camps (tents surrounded by a palisade). It is generally accepted that the tradition of building gigantic (by the standards of that time) stone structures began with the Normans, and classical castles appeared in the 12th century.

The besieged castle of Mortan (withstood the siege for 6 months).

Very simple requirements were imposed on the castle - it must be inaccessible to the enemy, provide observation of the area (including the nearest villages belonging to the owner of the castle), have its own water source (in case of a siege) and perform representative functions - that is, show the power, wealth of the feudal lord.

Beaumarie Castle, owned by Edward I.

Welcome

We are on our way to the castle, which stands on a ledge of a mountain slope, on the edge of a fertile valley. The road goes through a small settlement - one of those that usually grew up near the fortress wall. Common people live here - mostly artisans, and warriors guarding the outer perimeter of protection (in particular, guarding our road). This is the so-called "castle people".

Scheme of castle structures. Note - two gate towers, the largest stands separately.

The road is laid in such a way that the aliens always face the castle with their right side, not covered by a shield. Directly in front of the fortress wall there is a bare plateau, lying under a significant slope (the castle itself stands on a hill - natural or bulk). The vegetation here is low, so that there is no shelter for the attackers.

The first barrier is a deep ditch, and in front of it is a rampart of excavated earth. The moat can be transverse (separates the castle wall from the plateau), or sickle-shaped, curved forward. If the landscape allows, the moat encircles the entire castle in a circle.

Sometimes dividing ditches were dug inside the castle, making it difficult for the enemy to move through its territory.

The shape of the bottom of the ditches could be V-shaped and U-shaped (the latter is the most common). If the soil under the castle is rocky, then ditches were either not made at all, or they were cut down to a shallow depth, which only hindered the advancement of infantry (it is almost impossible to dig under the castle wall in the rock - therefore, the depth of the moat was not decisive).

The crest of an earthen rampart lying directly in front of the moat (which makes it seem even deeper) often carried a palisade - a fence of wooden stakes dug into the ground, pointed and tightly fitted to each other.

A bridge over the moat leads to the outer wall of the castle. Depending on the size of the moat and bridge, the latter supports one or more supports (huge logs). The outer part of the bridge is fixed, but its last segment (right next to the wall) is movable.

Scheme of the entrance to the castle: 2 - gallery on the wall, 3 - drawbridge, 4 - lattice.

Counterweights on the gate lift.

Castle gate.

This drawbridge is designed so that in a vertical position it closes the gate. The bridge is powered by mechanisms hidden in the building above them. From the bridge to the lifting machines, ropes or chains go into the wall holes. To facilitate the work of people servicing the bridge mechanism, the ropes were sometimes equipped with heavy counterweights that took part of the weight of this structure onto themselves.

Of particular interest is the bridge, which worked on the principle of a swing (it is called “overturning” or “swinging”). One half of it was inside - lying on the ground under the gate, and the other stretched across the moat. When the inner part rose, closing the entrance to the castle, the outer part (to which the attackers sometimes managed to run) fell down into the moat, where the so-called “wolf pit” was arranged (sharp stakes dug into the ground), invisible from the side, until the bridge is down.

To enter the castle with the gates closed, there was a side gate next to them, to which a separate lifting ladder was usually laid.

Gates - the most vulnerable part of the castle, were usually made not directly in its wall, but were arranged in the so-called "gate towers". Most often, the gates were double-leaf, and the wings were knocked together from two layers of boards. To protect against arson, they were upholstered with iron on the outside. At the same time, in one of the wings there was a small narrow door, which could be entered only by bending over. In addition to locks and iron bolts, the gate was closed by a transverse beam lying in the wall channel and sliding into the opposite wall. The transverse beam could also be wound into hook-shaped slots on the walls. Its main purpose was to protect the gate from their landing attackers.

Behind the gate was usually a drop-down portcullis. Most often it was wooden, with iron-bound lower ends. But there were also iron gratings made of steel tetrahedral rods. The lattice could descend from a gap in the vault of the gate portal, or be behind them (on the inside of the gate tower), descending along the grooves in the walls.

The grate hung on ropes or chains, which, in case of danger, could be cut off so that it quickly fell down, blocking the way for the invaders.

Inside the gate tower there were rooms for guards. They kept watch on the upper platform of the tower, asked the guests for the purpose of their visit, opened the gates, and, if necessary, could hit all those who passed under them with a bow. For this purpose, there were vertical loopholes in the vault of the gate portal, as well as “tar noses” - holes for pouring hot resin on the attackers.

Resin noses.

All on the wall!

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.

Often double walls were built in castles - a high outer and a small inner one. An empty space appeared between them, which received the German name “zwinger”. The attackers, overcoming the outer wall, could not take with them additional assault devices (bulky ladders, poles and other things that cannot be moved inside the fortress). Once in the zwinger in front of another wall, they became an easy target (there were small loopholes for archers in the walls of the zwinger).

Zwinger at Laneck Castle.

On top of the wall was a gallery for defense soldiers. From the outside of the castle, they were protected by a solid parapet, half the height of a man, on which stone battlements were regularly arranged. Behind them it was possible to stand at full height and, for example, load a crossbow. The shape of the teeth was extremely diverse - rectangular, rounded, in the form of a dovetail, decoratively decorated. In some castles, the galleries were covered (wooden canopy) to protect the warriors from bad weather.

In addition to the battlements, behind which it was convenient to hide, the walls of the castle were equipped with loopholes. The attackers were firing through them. Due to the peculiarities of the use of throwing weapons (freedom of movement and a certain shooting position), the loopholes for archers were long and narrow, and for crossbowmen - short, with expansion on the sides.

A special type of loophole - ball. It was a freely rotating wooden ball fixed in the wall with a slot for firing.

Pedestrian gallery on the wall.

Balconies (the so-called “mashikuli”) were arranged in the walls very rarely - for example, in the case when the wall was too narrow for the free passage of several soldiers, and, as a rule, performed only decorative functions.

At the corners of the castle, small towers were built on the walls, most often flanking (that is, protruding outward), which allowed the defenders to fire along the walls in two directions. In the late Middle Ages, they began to adapt to storage. The inner sides of such towers (facing the courtyard of the castle) were usually left open so that the enemy who broke into the wall could not gain a foothold inside them.

Flanking corner tower.

The castle from the inside

The internal structure of the castles was diverse. In addition to the mentioned zwingers, behind the main gate there could be a small rectangular courtyard with loopholes in the walls - a kind of “trap” for the attackers. Sometimes castles consisted of several "sections" separated by internal walls. But an indispensable attribute of the castle was a large courtyard (outbuildings, a well, premises for servants) and a central tower, also known as a donjon.

Donjon at the Château de Vincennes.

The life of all the inhabitants of the castle directly depended on the presence and location of the well. Problems often arose with him - after all, as mentioned above, castles were built on hills. Solid rocky soil also did not make it easier to supply the fortress with water. There are known cases of laying castle wells to a depth of more than 100 meters (for example, the Kuffhäuser castle in Thuringia or the Königstein fortress in Saxony had wells more than 140 meters deep). Digging a well took from one to five years. In some cases, this consumed as much money as all the interior buildings of the castle were worth.

Due to the fact that water had to be obtained with difficulty from deep wells, personal hygiene and sanitation issues faded into the background. Instead of washing themselves, people preferred to take care of animals - first of all, expensive horses. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the townspeople and villagers wrinkled their noses in the presence of the inhabitants of the castles.

The location of the water source depended primarily on natural causes. But if there was a choice, then the well was dug not in the square, but in a fortified room in order to provide it with water in case of shelter during the siege. If, due to the peculiarities of the occurrence of groundwater, a well was dug behind the castle wall, then a stone tower was built above it (if possible, with wooden passages to the castle).

When there was no way to dig a well, a cistern was built in the castle to collect rainwater from the roofs. Such water needed to be purified - it was filtered through gravel.

The combat garrison of castles in peacetime was minimal. So in 1425, two co-owners of the Reichelsberg castle in the Lower Franconian Aub entered into an agreement that each of them exposes one armed servant, and two gatekeepers and two guards are paid jointly.

The castle also had a number of buildings that ensured the autonomous life of its inhabitants in conditions of complete isolation (blockade): a bakery, a steam bath, a kitchen, etc.

Kitchen at Marksburg Castle.

The tower was the tallest structure in the entire castle. It provided the opportunity to observe the surroundings and served as a last refuge. When the enemies broke through all the lines of defense, the population of the castle took refuge in the donjon and withstood a long siege.

The exceptional thickness of the walls of this tower made its destruction almost impossible (in any case, it would take a huge amount of time). The entrance to the tower was very narrow. It was located in the courtyard at a significant (6-12 meters) height. The wooden staircase leading inside could easily be destroyed and thus block the way for the attackers.

Donjon entrance.

Inside the tower there was sometimes a very high shaft going from top to bottom. It served as either a prison or a warehouse. The entrance to it was possible only through a hole in the vault of the upper floor - “Angstloch” (in German - a frightening hole). Depending on the purpose of the mine, the winch lowered prisoners or provisions there.

If there were no prison facilities in the castle, then the prisoners were placed in large wooden boxes made of thick boards, too small to stand up to their full height. These boxes could be installed in any room of the castle.

Of course, they were taken prisoner, first of all, for a ransom or for using a prisoner in a political game. Therefore, VIP-persons were provided according to the highest class - guarded chambers in the tower were allocated for their maintenance. This is how Friedrich the Handsome spent his time in the Trausnitz castle on Pfaimd and Richard the Lionheart in Trifels.

Chamber at Marksburg Castle.

Abenberg castle tower (12th century) in section.

At the base of the tower there was a cellar, which could also be used as a dungeon, and a kitchen with a pantry. The main hall (dining room, common room) occupied an entire floor and was heated by a huge fireplace (it spread heat only a few meters, so that iron baskets with coals were placed further along the hall). Above were the chambers of the feudal lord's family, heated by small stoves.

At the very top of the tower there was an open (rarely covered, but if necessary, the roof could be dropped) platform where a catapult or other throwing weapon could be installed to fire at the enemy. The standard (banner) of the owner of the castle was also hoisted there.

Sometimes the donjon did not serve as living quarters. It could well be used only for military and economic purposes (observation posts on the tower, dungeon, provisions storage). 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.

It should be noted that the living conditions in the castles were far from the most pleasant. Only the largest carpets had a large knight's hall for celebrations. It was very cold in the donjons and carpets. Fireplace heating helped out, but the walls were still covered with thick tapestries and carpets - not for decoration, but to keep warm.

The windows let in very little sunlight (the fortification character of the castle architecture affected), not all of them were glazed. Toilets were arranged in the form of a bay window in the wall. They were unheated, so visiting the outhouse in winter left people with simply unique sensations.

Castle toilet.

Concluding our “tour” around the castle, one cannot fail to mention that it always had a room for worship (temple, chapel). Among the indispensable inhabitants of the castle was a chaplain or priest, who, in addition to his main duties, played the role of a clerk and teacher. In the most modest fortresses, the role of the temple was performed by a wall niche, where a small altar stood.

Large temples had two floors. The common people prayed below, and the gentlemen gathered in the warm (sometimes glazed) choir on the second tier. The decoration of such premises was rather modest - an altar, benches and wall paintings. Sometimes the temple played the role of a tomb for the family living in the castle. Less commonly, it was used as a shelter (along with a donjon).

Many tales are told about underground passages in castles. There were moves, of course. But only very few of them led from the castle somewhere into the neighboring forest and could be used as an escape route. As a rule, there were no long moves at all. Most often there were short tunnels between individual buildings, or from the donjon to the complex of caves under the castle (additional shelter, warehouse or treasury).

War on earth and underground

Contrary to popular misconceptions, the average strength of the military garrison of an ordinary castle during active hostilities rarely exceeded 30 people. This was quite enough for defense, since the inhabitants of the fortress were in relative safety behind its walls and did not suffer such losses as the attackers.

To take the castle, it was necessary to isolate it - that is, to block all the ways of supplying food. That is why the attacking armies were much larger than the defending ones - about 150 people (this is true for the war of mediocre feudal lords).

The issue of provisions was the most painful. A person can live without water for several days, without food - for about a month (in this case, one should take into account his low combat capability during a hunger strike). Therefore, the owners of the castle, preparing for the siege, often went to extreme measures - they drove out of it all commoners who could not benefit the defense. As mentioned above, the garrison of the castles was small - it was impossible to feed the whole army under the siege.

The inhabitants of the castle infrequently launched counterattacks. This simply did not make sense - there were fewer of them than the attackers, and behind the walls they felt much calmer. Food outings are a special case. The latter were carried out, as a rule, at night, in small groups that walked along poorly guarded paths to the nearest villages.

The attackers had no less problems. The siege of castles sometimes dragged on for years (for example, the German Turant defended itself from 1245 to 1248), so the question of supplying the rear of an army of several hundred people was particularly acute.

In the case of the siege of Turant, the chroniclers claim that during all this time the soldiers of the attacking army drank 300 fouders of wine (a fuder is a huge barrel). This is about 2.8 million liters. Either the scribe made a mistake, or the constant number of besiegers was over 1,000.

The most preferred season for taking the castle by starvation was summer - it rains less than in spring or autumn (in winter, the inhabitants of the castle could get water by melting the snow), the harvest has not yet ripened, and the old stocks have already run out.

The attackers tried to deprive the castle of a source of water (for example, they built dams on the river). In the most extreme cases, "biological weapons" were used - corpses were thrown into the water, which could provoke outbreaks of epidemics throughout the district. Those inhabitants of the castle who were taken prisoner were mutilated by the attackers and released. Those returned back, and became unwitting freeloaders. They might not have been accepted in the castle, but if they were the wives or children of the besieged, then the voice of the heart outweighed considerations of tactical expediency.

No less brutally treated the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, who tried to deliver supplies to the castle. In 1161, during the siege of Milan, Frederick Barbarossa ordered the hands of 25 citizens of Piacenza, who were trying to supply the enemy with provisions, to be cut off.

The besiegers set up a permanent camp near the castle. It also had some simple fortifications (palisades, earth ramparts) in case of a sudden sortie by the defenders of the fortress. For protracted sieges, a so-called “counter-castle” was erected next to the castle. Usually it was located higher than the besieged one, which made it possible to conduct effective observation of the besieged from its walls and, if the distance allowed, to fire at them from throwing guns.

View of the castle Eltz from the counter-castle Trutz-Eltz.

The war against castles had its own specifics. After all, any more or less high stone fortification was a serious obstacle for conventional armies. Direct infantry attacks on the fortress could well have been successful, which, however, came at the cost of heavy casualties.

That is why a whole range of military measures was necessary for the successful capture of the castle (it was already mentioned above about the siege and starvation). Undermining was one of the most time-consuming, but at the same time extremely successful ways to overcome the protection of the castle.

Undermining was done with two goals - to provide troops with direct access to the courtyard of the castle, or to destroy a section of its wall.

So, during the siege of Altwindstein Castle in Northern Alsace in 1332, a sapper brigade of 80 (!) People took advantage of the distracting maneuvers of their troops (periodic short attacks on the castle) and for 10 weeks made a long passage in solid rock to the southeastern part of the fortress .

If the castle wall was not too large and had an unreliable foundation, then a tunnel broke through under its foundation, the walls of which were reinforced with wooden struts. Next, the spacers were set on fire - just under the wall. The tunnel collapsed, the base of the foundation sagged, and the wall above this place crumbled into pieces.

Storming of the castle (miniature of the 14th century).

Later, with the advent of gunpowder weapons, bombs were planted in tunnels under the walls of castles. To neutralize the tunnel, the besieged sometimes dug counterdigs. Enemy sappers were poured with boiling water, bees were launched into the tunnel, feces were poured there (and in ancient times, the Carthaginians launched live crocodiles into Roman tunnels).

Curious devices were used to detect tunnels. For example, large copper bowls with balls inside were placed throughout the castle. If the ball in any bowl began to tremble, this was a sure sign that a mine was being dug nearby.

But the main argument in the attack on the castle were siege machines - catapults and battering rams. The first ones were not much different from those catapults that were used by the Romans. These devices were equipped with a counterweight, giving the throwing arm the greatest force. With proper dexterity of the “gun crew”, catapults were quite accurate weapons. They threw large, smoothly hewn stones, and the combat range (on average, several hundred meters) was regulated by the weight of the shells.

A type of catapult is a trebuchet.

Sometimes barrels filled with combustible materials were loaded into catapults. To deliver a couple of pleasant minutes to the defenders of the castle, catapults threw the severed heads of captives to them (especially powerful machines could throw even whole corpses over the wall).

Assault the castle with a mobile tower.

In addition to the usual ram, pendulum ones were also used. They were mounted on high mobile frames with a canopy and were a log suspended on a chain. The besiegers hid inside the tower and swung the chain, forcing the log to hit the wall.

In response, the besieged lowered a rope from the wall, at the end of which steel hooks were fixed. With this rope, they caught a ram and tried to lift it up, depriving it of mobility. Sometimes a gaping soldier could get caught on such hooks.

Having overcome the shaft, breaking the palisades and filling up the moat, the attackers either stormed the castle with the help of ladders, or used high wooden towers, the upper platform of which was on the same level with the wall (or even higher than it). These gigantic structures were doused with water to prevent arson by the defenders and rolled up to the castle along the flooring of the boards. A heavy platform was thrown over the wall. The assault group climbed up the internal stairs, went out onto the platform and with a fight invaded the gallery of the fortress wall. Usually this meant that in a couple of minutes the castle would be taken.

Silent glanders

Sapa (from the French sape, literally - a hoe, saper - to dig) - a method of extracting a moat, trench or tunnel to approach its fortifications, used in the 16-19 centuries. Flip-flop (quiet, secretive) and flying glanders are known. The work of the crossover glanders was carried out from the bottom of the original ditch without the workers coming to the surface, and the flying glanders were carried out from the surface of the earth under the cover of a pre-prepared protective mound of barrels and bags of earth. In the second half of the 17th century, specialists - sappers - appeared in the armies of a number of countries to perform such work.

The expression to act "on the sly" means: sneak, slowly, imperceptibly go, penetrate somewhere.

Fights on the stairs of the castle

It was possible to get from one floor of the tower to another only through a narrow and steep spiral staircase. The ascent along it was carried out only one after another - it was so narrow. At the same time, the warrior who went first could only rely on his own ability to fight, because the steepness of the turn of the turn was chosen in such a way that it was impossible to use a spear or a long sword from behind the leader. Therefore, the fights on the stairs were reduced to single combat between the defenders of the castle and one of the attackers. It was the defenders, because they could easily replace each other, since a special extended area was located behind their backs.

In all castles, the stairs are twisted clockwise. There is only one castle with a reverse twist - the fortress of the Wallenstein counts. When studying the history of this family, it turned out that most of the men in it were left-handed. Thanks to this, historians realized that such a design of stairs greatly facilitates the work of the defenders. The strongest blow with the sword can be delivered towards your left shoulder, and the shield in your left hand covers the body best from this direction. All these advantages are available only to the defender. The attacker, on the other hand, can only strike to the right side, but his striking arm will be pressed against the wall. If he puts forward a shield, he will almost lose the ability to use weapons.

samurai castles

Himeji Castle.

We know the least about exotic castles - for example, Japanese ones.

Initially, the samurai and their overlords lived on their estates, where, apart from the watchtower “yagura” and a small moat around the dwelling, there were no other defensive structures. In case of a protracted war, fortifications were erected on hard-to-reach areas of the mountains, where it was possible to defend against superior enemy forces.

Stone castles began to be built at the end of the 16th century, taking into account European achievements in fortification. An indispensable attribute of a Japanese castle is wide and deep artificial ditches with steep slopes that surrounded it from all sides. Usually they were filled with water, but sometimes this function was performed by a natural water barrier - a river, a lake, a swamp.

Inside, the castle was a complex system of defensive structures, consisting of several rows of walls with courtyards and gates, underground corridors and labyrinths. All these structures were located around the central square of the honmaru, on which the feudal lord's palace and the high central tenshukaku tower were erected. The latter consisted of several rectangular tiers gradually decreasing upwards with protruding tiled roofs and gables.

Japanese castles, as a rule, were small - about 200 meters long and 500 wide. But among them there were also real giants. Thus, Odawara Castle occupied an area of ​​170 hectares, and the total length of its fortress walls reached 5 kilometers, which is twice the length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.

The charm of antiquity

Castles are being built to this day. Those of them that were in state ownership are often returned to the descendants of ancient families. Castles are a symbol of the influence of their owners. They are an example of an ideal compositional solution that combines unity (defense considerations did not allow picturesque distribution of buildings across the territory), multi-level buildings (main and secondary) and the ultimate functionality of all components. Elements of the castle's architecture have already become archetypes - for example, a castle tower with battlements: its image sits in the subconscious of any more or less educated person.

Saumur French castle (14th century miniature).

And finally, we love castles because they are simply romantic. Knightly tournaments, ceremonial receptions, vile conspiracies, secret passages, ghosts, treasures - in relation to castles, all this ceases to be a legend and turns into history. Here, the expression “walls remember” fits perfectly: it seems that every stone of the castle breathes and hides a secret. I would like to believe that medieval castles will continue to retain an aura of mystery - because without it they will sooner or later turn into an old pile of stones.

If you are a fan of traveling to places with a centuries-old history that smells of archaism, take a look at what ancient castles are still inhabited by people and even ghosts.

Modern skyscrapers and designer exhibition centers are gradually replacing traditional architecture from cities. Against the background of their popularity, the desire to live in a secluded castle seems extravagant. However, in every corner of Europe you can find old houses that have been preserved thanks to the efforts of loving owners. And while they may not be as comfortable as state-of-the-art penthouses, castles have their own charm.

1. Château Plessis-Bourret, France

Its appearance is so severe that the castle is more like a defensive fortress. Its interior decoration will amaze even the most sophisticated person who is accustomed to luxurious decorations. It has not undergone any modifications: the absolute preservation of the original design makes the chateau truly unique. Plessis-Bourret was built in 1472 by Jean Bourret, who served as Minister of Finance under King Louis XI. The bribe-taker Bure was so afraid of the uprising of the inhabitants of his lands that he ordered the palace to be fenced with the widest moat in France. The drawbridge, which makes it possible to leave it, is still used for its intended purpose.

Modern owners do not hide their historical monument either from curious tourists or from filmmakers. In 2003, Penelope Cruz spent several unforgettable weeks in the castle, filming in the film "Fanfan Tulip" with Vincent Perez. Today, anyone can follow her example by renting one of Plessy-Burret's rooms as a hotel room. For those who prefer five-star hotels, there are free and individual guided tours lasting several hours.

2. Residence of the Queen of Great Britain in the county of Berkshire, England

Windsor Castle is the largest and most famous among the brethren that are still considered residential. Its splendor and scale frighten and amaze at the same time: on an area of ​​45,000 m² there is a complex of buildings with 1,000 residential premises. For 900 years, Windsor has belonged to the ruling dynasty and all its members have the right to upgrade the estate to their taste. Each new monarch expanded and expanded the area of ​​​​possessions, until the adjacent hardwood forest began to be considered a Berkshire park. At the end of the last century, the Queen's residence was urgently reconstructed due to a massive fire.

The Queen of England today uses Windsor as a means of defeating other heads of state and other eminent guests. She invites them to live in rooms decorated with originals by Rembrandt and Rubens, antique candlesticks and gilded moldings on the ceiling. Who after that will be able to refuse a political request to a royal person?

3. Berkeley Castle, England

The second most populous palace in England after Windsor. At the end of the 12th century, it was bought by the Berkeley family, which is in the title of Lords. In 1327, members of an influential family involuntarily became prison guards in their own house. Opponents of King Edward II deposed him and placed him in Berkeley, demanding from his owners an obligation to prevent any attempt to escape. In the same year, the estate began to be distinguished from the rest of the castles in the area by a high fence instead of a moat with water that was familiar to the eye in those days. For six months, the prisoner tried to leave Berkeley twice, after which he was executed by the new ruler.

The heirs of the castle inhabit only 20% of its area: the rest is used as a hotel and a museum. But the main source of their income is cinema. Berkeley's interiors can be seen in the TV series Wolf Hall, Castle in the Country and the film The Other Boleyn Girl.

4. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Built on an extinct volcano, the palace rises 120 meters above sea level. Scientists have found that the first walls appeared here in the Iron Age: they were built by warriors planning a raid on the Anglian tribes. Edinburgh Castle has changed over the centuries from English to Scottish property and vice versa. Ten years ago, the British Ministry of Defense finally abandoned it. Residents of Scotland's largest tourist attraction were not affected by the decision. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a dynasty of caretakers has been living in the castle, whose only duty is to fire a cannon every hour during daylight hours.

5. Warwick Castle, England

The vast majority of the residents of the house are TV and Youtube stars. The estate, built back in 1068 by William the Conqueror, is a regular participant in the show with psychics, "ghost hunters" and magicians. It even made it into the book Haunted Houses of Great Britain and Ireland. Anyone can find footage of internal surveillance cameras with evidence of their existence on video hosting sites.

Extreme temperature fluctuations, light anomalies and mysterious rustles are arranged by the "Gray Lady" and her assistants. The pensioner, who is the heiress of the earl-owner of Warwick, is also familiar with her. For 100 years, her figure has been bumping into the inhabitants of the palace in its long corridors and scaredly shied away at the sight of children. She can't walk through walls, which is why Warwick is used to suddenly opening doors. Those who have seen her up close say that she is the ghost of an old woman dressed in a gray dress. The "Gray Lady" is assisted by the county poet Fulk Greville, who was strangled in the Water Tower in 1628. His chilling screams are heard from the Tower several times a week. In addition to this couple, there are more than 10 unidentified ghosts living in Warwick.

6. Rock of Cashel, Ireland

In the castle on the rock of Cashel lives the caretaker of the cemetery, which spontaneously arose near its walls. A group of medieval buildings built in the 12th-15th centuries adjoins the Cormac Chapel, a small Romanesque church that houses the sarcophagus of the first owner of the fortress, after whom it is named. During an unexpected attack by the enemy, the locals tried to hide in the church, but everyone was brutally killed. They were buried there, and soon new burials began to appear around the graves of the unfortunate victims. According to legend, dozens of spirits also live there.

7. Kronborg Estate, Denmark

Built in 1420, the castle on the outskirts of Copenhagen is officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In order to prevent capture by the Swedes, it was designed as a complex system of labyrinths and underground passages. Creative personalities live in Kronborg - directors, actors, screenwriters. Every spring they create a new interpretation of the theatrical production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet and present it to the audience.

8. Bran Palace, Romania

In picturesque Transylvania is the estate of the bloodiest Romanian of all time - Count Dracula. Bran is a famous tourist attraction in the country, as well as a hotel with rooms in the form of wooden log cabins decorated with tiles. The legendary vampire liked to stay there during his lifetime, but he left no trace of himself in Bran. The interior decoration of the castle has been preserved since the time of Queen Mary: she lived in it after the count and decorated it with a large number of books, porcelain and icons. The latter, according to rumors, she needed to prevent the nightly visits of the vampire.

9. Pfalzgrafenstein Estate, Germany

Even native Germans are unable to pronounce the name correctly the first time. It is located in the middle of the Rhine River: the island of Pfalzgrafenstein used to be completely deserted and uninhabited. A fortress was built on top of it as a royal customs house to check on ships passing by. Later it became the residence of the local nobility. In the 20th century, the state needed to use the Pfalzgrafenstein as a lighthouse. Now the caretaker lives there, and in order to visit him, you will have to cross the Rhine in the old fashioned way by boat.

10. Fortification of Castel del Monte, Italy

The author of this building was never found. In the 15th century, it was created as an astronomical calendar, in each room of which you can find out the time by a sundial or the date by a light calendar. There are 8 floors in Castel del Monte, 8 rooms are designed on each of them. Modern astronomers have managed to prove that the location of the fortress is really ideal for observing the starry sky. It was equipped as an observatory in which scientists live all year round.

Nestled among the green hills of Baden-Württemberg and crowning the old medieval city of 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 largest medieval castles in Europe, located on Mount Festung, at an altitude of 120 meters, 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 stone wall 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.