A castle is a fortified building.
Castle is a term that comes from the Latin castellum and refers to a fortified building, surrounded by walls, moats and bastions . Its construction is similar to other military structures, such as the tower, the fortress , the fort or the citadel.
The first castles date back to the Neolithic , when they were built with mud . Little by little, other materials were added, such as stone or adobe . The Romans imposed great advances in the construction of castles, such as the creation of round towers . Already in the Middle Ages , the castle began to fulfill a double function (military and residential for the nobility).
The objective of castles is to make sieges and attacks on centers of power difficult. They have a fence or wall that houses towers to improve defense and, sometimes, a moat around the wall. They also have a main tower (which presents the main rooms) and a parade ground , among other structures.
Most famous castles
There are castles throughout the world. However, these are the ones that have been considered the most spectacular:
- Neuschwanstein . This surprising building is located in the Tyrol mountain range, dating back to the 19th century and which was ordered to be built by order of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
- Windsor Castle . One of the most significant monuments in England is this one, which is located just over 30 kilometers from London. William the Conqueror was the one who was in charge of building it, which has such famous spaces as the Torre del Toque de Queda, which dates back to 1227, or the Chapel of San Jorge, which is part of the Gothic style.
- Edinburgh Castle . The capital of Scotland is where you can visit this 12th century fortress that is located in the famous Royal Mile area. It was built on a rock of volcanic origin, which has spaces as significant as the Chapel of Santa Margarita, which is the oldest part of it. Likewise, anyone who visits cannot miss the opportunity to admire the Stone of Scone or the Scottish crown jewels in situ.
- The castles of Chambord , in western France, or Hue , in Vietnam, are also other constructions of this type that are considered the most surprising and fascinating in the world. Hence, every year they are visited by thousands of tourists.
There are castles of great historical relevance.
Different styles
There is, however, a wide variety of styles when it comes to castle construction. In Spain , numerous castles were built during the Reconquista , when Catholics clashed with Muslims almost constantly.
Japanese castles , on the other hand, are constructions of wood and stone that were located in strategic areas to guarantee the best defense. That is why they were raised on elevations, next to rivers, etc.
It is interesting to mention that castles play a very important role in children's stories as the residence of princes and princesses, especially in fairy tales such as "Beauty and the Beast" or "Snow White" .