Knights' castles of the Middle Ages: a scheme, a device and a defense. History of medieval knight castles

In the world there are few things more interesting than knight castles of the Middle Ages: these majestic fortresses breathe evidence of distant eras with grandiose battles, they saw the most perfect nobility, and the most despicable betrayal. And not only historians and experts in military affairs are trying to unravel the secrets of ancient fortifications. Knight's castle is interesting for everyone - a writer and an inhabitant, an inveterate tourist and a simple housewife. This, so to speak, a massive artistic image.

How the idea was born

A very turbulent time - the Middle Ages: in addition to the great wars, the feudal lords constantly disassembled each other. Neighborly, so that it would not be boring. Aristocrats strengthened their homes from invasion: at first only the ditch will be dug in front of the entrance and the wooden palisade will be put. As the siege experience gained, the fortifications became more powerful - so that the ram was kept and the stone cores were not afraid. In antiquity, the Romans surrounded the army with a palisade on rest. Stone structures began to build Normans, and only in the 12th century there were classical European knight castles of the Middle Ages.

Conversion to Fortress

Gradually, the castle turned into a fortress, surrounded by a stone wall, in which tall towers were built. The main goal is to make the knight's castle inaccessible to attackers. At the same time, it is possible to observe the whole district. The castle must have its own source of drinking water - suddenly a long siege is to be.

The towers were built in such a way that as long as possible to keep any number of enemies, even alone. For example, spiral staircases are narrow and so steep that a warrior going second can not help the first - neither with a sword nor with a spear. And it was necessary to climb them counter-clockwise, so as not to hide behind the shield.

Try to enter!

Imagine a mountain slope on which a knight's castle was erected. Photo attached. Such structures were always built at altitude, and if there was no natural suitable terrain, they made an embankment hill.

Knight's castle in the Middle Ages is not only knights and feudal lords. Near and around the castle there were always small settlements where all sorts of artisans and, of course, soldiers guarding the perimeter settled.

Walkers on the road are always turned right side to the fortress, one that can not be covered with a shield. There is no vegetation high - do not hide. The first obstacle is a ditch. It can be around the castle or across the wall of the castle and the plateau, even crescent, if the terrain allows.

Separation trenches are even within the castle: if suddenly the enemy managed to break through, the movement will be greatly hampered. If rock rocks are rocky and not needed, a tunnel under the wall is impossible. The earthen shaft right in front of the moat was often with a palisade.

The bridge to the outer wall is made so that the defense of the knight's castle in the Middle Ages could last for years. He's a lift. Either the whole, or its extreme piece. In the raised position - vertically - this is an additional protection for the gate. If a part of the bridge went up, the other automatically sank into the ditch, where the "wolf hole" was arranged - a surprise for the hurried attackers. Knight's castle in the Middle Ages was not hospitable for everyone in a row.

Gate and tower

Knights' castles of the Middle Ages were most vulnerable just in the gate area. Latecomers could enter the castle in the side gate through the lift if the bridge is already raised. Most of the gates themselves were not built into the wall, but were arranged in the overhead towers. Usually bivalves, from several layers of boards, were lined with iron to protect from arson.

Locks, bolts, crossbeams, across the opposite wall - all this helped to hold out for a long time in the siege. Behind the gate, besides, an iron or wooden powerful grid usually dropped. That's how the knight castles of the Middle Ages were equipped!

The overhead tower was designed so that the guards guarding it could learn from the guests the purpose of the visit and, if necessary, treat them with an arrow from a vertical loophole. For a real siege there were built in and holes for the boiling tar.

The defense of the knight's castle in the Middle Ages

The outer wall is the most important defensive element. It should be tall, thick and better, if the base is sloped. The foundation under it is as deep as possible - in case of a tunnel.

Sometimes there is a double wall. Next to the first high - the inner small, but unapproachable without devices (stairs and poles, which remained outside). The space between the walls - the so-called Zwinger - shoots through.

The outer wall above is equipped for defenders of the fortress, sometimes even with a canopy from the weather. The teeth on it existed not only for beauty - it was convenient to hide behind them to reload, for example, a crossbow.

The collars in the wall adapted both for the archers and for the crossbowmen: narrow and long for the bow, with the extension for the crossbow. Ball-holes - a fixed, but rotating ball with a slot for shooting. The balconies were mostly ornamental, but if the wall is narrow, then they were used, retreating and letting the others pass.

Medieval knight towers were almost always built with convex towers in the corners. They stepped out to shoot along the walls in both directions. The inside was open, so that the enemy penetrating the walls did not gain a foothold inside the tower.

What's inside?

Besides zwinger, other surprises could be expected beyond the gates of uninvited guests. For example, a small closed courtyard with loopholes in the walls. Sometimes locks were built from several autonomous sections with powerful internal walls.

Necessarily there was a courtyard with an economy inside the castle - a well, a bakery, a sauna, a kitchen and a donjon - a central tower. From the location of the well depended much: not only health, but also the life of the besieged. It used to be that the arrangement of the well (remember that the castle, if not just on the dais, then on the rocks) was worth more than all the other buildings of the castle. Thuffing Castle Kuffhuiser, for example, has a well over one hundred and forty meters deep. In the rock!

The central tower

Dungeon - the highest building of the castle. From there, the surrounding area was monitored. And it is the central tower - the last refuge of the besieged. The most reliable! The walls are very thick. The entrance is extremely narrow and located at high altitude. The staircase leading to the door could be dragged inside or destroyed. Then the knight's castle can hold a siege for quite some time.

At the base of the dungeon there was a basement, a kitchen, a pantry. Then came floors with stone or wooden floors. The stairs were wooden, with stone ceilings they could be burned to stop the enemy on the way.

The main hall was located on the whole floor. He was warmed by a fireplace. The rooms of the owner's family were usually located above. There were small stoves decorated with tiles.

At the very top of the tower, most often open, a platform for a catapult and most importantly - a banner! Medieval knight castles were not only distinguished by chivalry. There were cases when the knight and his family did not use the dungeon for habitation, having built a stone palace (palas) nearby. Then the dungeon served as a warehouse, even a prison.

And, of course, every knight's castle must have had a temple. The obligatory inhabitant of the castle is the chaplain. Often he is a scribe and a teacher, in addition to his main work. In rich castles, temples were two-story, so that the gentlemen did not pray next to the mob. Within the temple, the patriarch's own tomb was also built.