Medieval Castles

Medieval castles were not glamorous. They served a function and the earliest castles that are still in tact today have been useful in modern wars. In fact, there were several castles used by the allies in WW2. 

Most medieval cities started as a fortified home on top of a hill. When the neighbors struck a deal with the lord or the lady and agreed to protect the land, they were allowed to build their own home on the castle grounds. Collectively they built walls and a moat around their structures and this became the legendary castles we know today. Feudalism was a social system that protected the land from hostile rogues that wandered the land searching for treasure. These fortified homes were so secure, the vikings chose to attack monasteries instead of fortified castles. The monasteries were less secure and contained just as much gold and treasures.

Once Europe became stable, they continued to build castles and other fortified homes because they looked so beautiful with their towers and crenelated walls. At is the time we began building castles to look like the romantic scenes we see in paintings today. The original fortified structures influenced architecture all over the world. You can find castles in almost every country in the world.