Did You Know That Medieval Castles Had These Ingenious Features?
Medieval castles may appear intimidating with their rugged stone walls, but beyond their foreboding exterior, they conceal remarkable architectural achievements. Behind the scenes, impressive features like arrow slits and concealed drawbridges enhance security. Thoughtful details were incorporated to aid knights in defending the castle. The multiple layers of protection within these structures showcase the brilliance of medieval architecture.
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Bartizans Helped Soldiers Defend Castle Walls
Bartizans, towers integrated into castle walls, served as strategic vantage points for defenders to counter enemies attempting to breach or assault the walls. With their protrusion beyond the walls, soldiers gained improved access to engage intruders while maintaining protection.
These structures typically featured arrowslits and machicolations, allowing soldiers to launch attacks while remaining concealed. Whether situated on corners or incorporated into straight wall sections, bartizans ensured defenders always had the upper hand against castle assailants.
Oubliettes Were Especially Notorious Dungeons
During the Middle Ages, dungeons were notorious as undesirable places to find oneself. Among the various types of dungeons, one stood out as particularly dreaded: the oubliette. The name translates to a place that is forgotten, and that's how they were designed.
Oubliettes were constructed to be dark, damp, and inhospitable. The sole entrance would be a trap door located on the ceiling of the chamber. These cramped and isolated spaces served as places where prisoners were confined and, as the name suggests, left to be forgotten by the outside world.
Donjons Were The Safest Spot In The Castle
Donjons, the tall towers found within medieval castles, served as the central hub housing various rooms. Positioned in the middle of the castle grounds, they acted as secure refuges during times of attack. Interestingly, despite the similar etymology, donjons and dungeons have opposite connotations.
While dungeons were associated with the grim captivity of enemies, donjons served as spaces where monarchs would engage in feasting and other enjoyable activities. Essentially, dungeons represented the least secure areas where individuals were vulnerable, whereas donjons symbolized the highest level of protection and safety within the castle.
Bossed Stones Diffused The Power Of Fired Rocks
Bossed stones are those that were not smoothed out and finished, leaving a ragged look. Historians initially thought they may have been either a money-saver or a way to make the castle look stronger. Uncovered texts finally put an end to the mystery.
As it turns out, the bossed stone was yet another way to defend from attacks. When enemies would fire rocks at the castle with catapults, the jagged stone would dissipate some of the force. The building technique goes back to Roman times.
Bastions Provided Enhanced Protection From Cannons
During the middle ages, cannons were a new threat that architects met with the impenetrable bastion. These walls were extra enforced and designed so that defenders could attack from multiple angles.
The structure went around castle walls, typically at the corners, and were sometimes round. They reinforced the castle as a whole while also providing a place to store cannons that would shoot outwards. You can think of the bastions as the thick skin, protecting the more penetrable layers of the castle.
Secret Passages Provided A Way To Escape Enemies
Secret passages and hidden rooms have been around for some time, but they were especially imperative when medieval castles were under attack. If an enemy somehow made it past all of the exterior threats, a secret passage could be a monarch's last defense.
Some secrets rooms would have an access point that merely looked like a wall. Escaping into a passage would be more ideal than a room because you wouldn't get stuck while seeking escape. But sometimes, waiting in a hidden room was the only option.
Portcullis Gates Had Sharp Points To Attack Intruders
If a brave attacker did manage to make it into the front entrance of a medieval castle, they had the portcullis to worry about. These gates are characterized by their crisscross shape and the sharp points at the bottom.
Using a pulley system, defenders could drop the portcullis onto invaders, ending their life on the spot. Most intimidating of all was that gatehouses were often equipped with two portcullis gates. So, if an enemy did get past the first one, they could find themselves trapped between the two.
Spiral Staircases Went Clockwise For The Right-Handed
Spiral staircases are an attractive feature, but in medieval times they were a necessary design to adhere to the shape of towers. The problem was that knights could find it difficult to run with a sword in their hand next to a stone wall.
To solve this mishap, spiral staircases were often constructed so that they go clockwise when you ascend them. Since most people are right-handed, this enabled a soldier to hold their sword in their more comfortable hand while running up the staircase.
Crenellations Provided Protection While Soldiers Attacked
One of the more recognizable features of a medieval castle is the row of teeth on top, called crenellations. The name comes from the gaps that the design creates, called crenels. The solid part is called a merlon.
The merlons protected soldiers as they walked along the chemins de rondes, and would sometimes be equipped with arrowslits. Soldiers could perch along the rooftop walkway and attack enemies down below through the slits or the crenels with minimal exposure.
Moats Prevented Intruders From Tunneling Their Way In
If there's one thing many of us think of when it comes to medieval castles, its a moat. This famous feature consisted of a large ditch that surrounded a castle and was filled with water. Intruders would have a much more difficult time penetrating or climbing over castle walls with water down below.
Defensive moats were perhaps most effective at preventing attackers from digging their way under castle walls. The tunneling technique was virtually impossible to do underwater, especially when sharp stakes were hidden below the surface.
Arrowslits Enabled Defenders To Hide While They Fought
Those long, vertical slits in castle walls were one of the most vital features when it came to defense. Through these openings, archers could shoot out arrows without having to go out into the open and make themselves vulnerable to attacks.
It's far easier to attack someone from behind these slits than to successfully peg someone who is hiding behind them. As a result, invaders would be at a major disadvantage as they were attacked from the very walls they were attempting to infiltrate.
Gatehouses Were Designed To Stop Enemies At The Entrance
When someone is trying to break into a building, they don't go ramming into walls; they go for the front door. That's why gatehouses were so important. These structures protected one of the most vulnerable parts of the castle: the entrance.
The gatehouse was made to be as durable as possible so that enemies couldn't force their way in. To top it off, machicolations would often be constructed around the top so that defenders could drop hot or heavy items on their enemies at the door.
Drawbridges Limited Entrance Access
While moats provided an excellent way to keep out the enemy, they also presented a problem when it came to getting in and out of the castle. The solution was a bridge that could draw back, hence the name drawbridge.
The drawbridge would lead across the moat to the castle's entrance. A pulley system consisting of hinges and ropes or chains would pull the bridge up and over the entrance, providing further protection while preventing enemies from crossing over the moat.
Chemins De Rondes Enabled Soldiers To Move Under Protection
Chemins de ronde translates to "walkway," which is precisely what it is. More specifically, these are walkways that went along the top of medieval castles. Battlements shielded the paths so that soldiers could run from place to place while still being protected.
The walkways also gave defenders a vantage point from which to attack the enemy from above. The bird's eye view gave those in the chemins de rondes an advantage in that they could see far and wide and could use the height to drop things on the enemy.
Taluses Made Walls More Difficult To Knock Down And Climb
Taluses were medieval castle walls that were built at an angle so that the bottom was wider than the top. There were multiple benefits to the design, both as a form of protection and for attacking. The design made it harder to knock the walls down and more difficult to climb.
Furthermore, defenders could roll heavy items down the walls, causing them to bounce off and hit an intruder unexpectedly. These benefits gave taluses the nickname "batters."
Hourdes Provided A Temporary Vantage Point During Attacks
Hourdes are wooden structures that were a temporary addition used if a castle came under attack. They were built with holes that fit with supporting poles, enabling defenders to put them up quickly if an attack ensued.
The structures would provide a vantage point from which soldiers could attack oncoming enemies. To make the wooden addition fireproof, knights would cover the hourdes in wet animal skins. Eventually, stone structures would replace the hourdes since they were permanent, stronger, and already fireproof.
Machicolations Enabled Defenders To Drop Items On The Enemy
"Machicolations" is a fancy word for the holes that protrude from high up in the walls of medieval castles. Similar to arrow slits, these openings provided a way for defenders to attack while still under the castle's cover.
Knights could drop heavy items through the holes, which were often near the very top of the castle. An oblivious intruder could get knocked out by the impact, and may not ever come back up. The simple technique made castles all the more threatening to enemies.
The Bailey Was A Courtyard Between The Donjon And Walls
The donjon, where the monarch and others would reside, was as far from the protective castle walls as possible, leaving a courtyard called the bailey. In this space, other buildings for blacksmiths, gardeners, livestock, and more would be situated.
The bailey provided a place for the exchange of goods and services, making the castle all the more self-sufficient. If the castle did come under attack, those inside could survive for extended amounts of time without having to face the danger beyond.
Ravelins Were Castles' First Line Of Defense
Protruding out from some castle walls were structures called ravelins. These triangular-shaped structures gave defenders access to the enemy from multiple angles before they even reached the main walls. The also acted as artillery absorbers, taking the first hits before attackers could penetrate the main building.
The ravelins were also built low to the ground so that if an enemy did knock them out, they would be met with attacks from high above with nothing to hide under.
