How effective were Norman castles?
How effective were Norman castles? Despite their imposing positions and solid construction, these early Norman castles with their wooden palisades and keep were more vulnerable to attack than castles built from stone. And in the tumultuous years following the conquest rebellions and uprisings were frequent, and castles were often under attack.
Why were castles not built in America?
Because the Americans simply didn't need castles. Firstly, the USA was founded a long time after the castle had become obsolete. Secondly, the castles are structures built for defence reasons. The last serious attempt of a foreign power to invade the continental USA was made by the British during the War of 1812.
How did castles change under the Normans?
Often, castles were extended several times to make space for larger garrisons, or had their towers rebuilt to be easier to defend and harder to attack. Gatehouses and drawbridges were added and sometimes, the only feature left from the original castle would be the castle mound.
What is the oldest castle in Germany?
Allegedly Germany's oldest and continuously (inhabited) castle, the original fortress in Meersburg traces its origins back to the 7th century Merovingian Dynasty under King Dagobert I. Perfectly preserved, this thick-walled behemoth was never stormed or destroyed by invaders . along the castle wall.
What was the strongest part of the castle?
keep, English term corresponding to the French donjon for the strongest portion of the fortification of a castle, the place of last resort in case of siege or attack. The keep was either a single tower or a larger fortified enclosure.
Were medieval castles effective?
If they had enough supplies, they were VERY GOOD INDEED for the most part 'till cannons got powerful enough to start rendering them obsolete. There's a reason some of castle sieges ended by treachery from within, a HUGE number ended with surrender of the defenders due to starvation, and very few ended by assault.
What is the oldest castle in Europe?
Converted into a donjon around 950, Château de Doué-la-Fontaine in France is the oldest standing castle in Europe.
Why did castles stop being useful?
Castles were great defences against the enemy. However, when gunpowder was invented the castles stopped being an effective form of defence. By the end of the 1300s gunpowder was widely in use. The medieval castle with its high vertical walls was no longer the invincible fortification it had been.
Did castles have bathrooms?
In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below.
What is the oldest castle still occupied?
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. It is an official residence of Her Majesty The Queen and is still very much a working royal palace today, home to around 150 people.