Castles In Medieval Society

The vast majority of castles in England, Wales, Ireland, and France have virtually no military history' of sieges or physical conflict across the whole panorama of more than five centuries'. This is quite a sobering thought.

Castles are perhaps the greatest symbol of the Middle Ages. But what was life like inside these mighty fortresses? This book examines the rise of castles as the center of noble life and provides information on the men, women, and children who lived within the castle walls.

During the Middle Ages, castles and other fortified buildings were a common feature of the European landscape. As central powers rose and fell, the insecurity of the times inspired a revival of fortifications first introduced in the Roman Empire. Despite limitations in construction techniques and manpower, medieval fortifications were continuously adapted to meet new political circumstances and weapons technology. Here is an illustrated guide to the architecture of medieval fortifications, from the first castles to the fortified cities of the 15th and 16th centuries. In hundreds of detailed and thoroughly researched pen-and-ink drawings, historian and artist Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage introduces the reader to the development and diversity of European medieval military architecture. Each drawing is accompanied by meticulous descriptions of types of buildings (e.g., motte-and-bailey castles), built-in defenses (arrow slits, pepper-pot towers), and particular castles and cities (the Mont-Saint-Michel, the city of Jerusalem). Elements of medieval warfare and weaponry are also covered in drawings and text.

This paperback edition of a book first published in hardback in 2002 is a fascinating and provocative study which looks at castles in a new light, using the theories and methods of landscape studies.

Examines the evolution of stone architecture in the Middle Ages and the techniques of building castles and cathedrals.

A colorful history of European castles, discussing their strategic and artistic significance from the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century

This original and pioneering book examines the role of the castle in the Norman conquest of England and in the subsequent administration of the country. The castle is seen primarily as an instrument of peaceful administration which rarely had a garrison and was more often where the sheriff kept his files and employed his secretariat. In most cases the military significance of the castle was minimal, and only a very few ever saw military action. For the first time, the medieval castle in England is seen in a new light which will attract the general reader of history and archaeology as much as the specialist in economic and social history.

Explores medieval castles, how they were constructed, how they were protected, who worked them, and the nobles who lived in them.