Castles

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 time inspired a revival of fortification techniques 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 fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

They are icons of a long-vanished time–romantic reminders of the age of chivalry and knights in armor. Designed like machines with nearly every architectural detail devoted to defense, medieval castles represented the perfect fusion of form and function.

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