Castles of feudal lords. History of the Middle Ages

The castles of the feudal lords still attract admiring glances. It's hard to believe that in these sometimes fabulous structures life was going on: people organized life, brought up children, cared for their subjects. Many of the castles of the feudal lords of the Middle Ages are protected by the states in which they are located, since their arrangement and architecture are unique. However, all these structures have a number of common features, because their functions were the same and proceeded from the lifestyle and state essence of the feudal lord.

Feudal lords: who they are

Before talking about how the castle looked like a feudal lord, let's see what kind of class it was in medieval society. European states were then monarchies, but the king, standing at the summit of power, had little to decide. The power was concentrated in the hands of the so-called seniors - they were feudal lords. And within this system there also existed a hierarchy, the so-called feudal ladders. On its lower tier stood the knights. The feudal lords, who are a step higher, were called vassals, and the relations between the vassal and the senor were reserved exclusively for nearby levels of the staircase.

Each seigneur had his own territory, on which there was a castle of the feudal lord, a description of which we will certainly give below. Also here lived subordinates (vassals) and peasants. Thus, it was a peculiar state in the state. That is why in medieval Europe there was a situation called feudal fragmentation, which greatly weakened the countries.

Relations between the feudal lords were not always good-neighborly, there were often instances of enmity between them, attempts to conquer the territories. The possession of the feudal lord was to be well fortified and protected from attack. Actually, its functions will be considered in the next part.

Basic functions of the lock

The very definition of "castle" implies an architectural structure that combines economic and defensive tasks.

Proceeding from this, the castle of the feudal lord in the Middle Ages performed the following functions:

1. The military. The structure did not just have to protect the inhabitants (the owner himself and his family), but also servants, coworkers, vassals. In addition, it was here that the headquarters of military operations was stationed.

2. Administrative. The castles of the feudal lords were original centers, from where the land was administered.

3. Political. State issues were also resolved in the possession of the seignior, hence assignments were given to managers on the ground.

4. Cultural. The atmosphere reigning in the castle allowed the subjects to get an idea of the latest trends of fashion - whether clothes, trends in art or music. In this matter, the vassals have always been guided by their lord.

5. Economic. The castle was a center for peasants and artisans. This involved both administrative issues and trade.

It will be incorrect to compare the castle of the feudal lord, whose description we cite in this article, and the fortress. There are fundamental differences between them. The fortresses were designed to protect not only the owner of the territory, but also all residents without exception, whereas the castle was a fortification structure exclusively for the feudal lord living in it, his family and the closest vassals.

The fortress is the strengthening of a certain piece of land, and the castle is a protective structure with a developed infrastructure, where each element performs a certain function.

Prototypes of feudal castles

The first structures of this kind appeared in Assyria, then this tradition was adopted by Ancient Rome. Well, after the feudal lords of Europe - mostly Great Britain, France and Spain - begin building their castles. Often it was possible to see such structures in Palestine, because then, in the 12th century, Crusades were in full swing, accordingly, the conquered lands had to be held and defended by erecting special structures.

The tendency of the building of the castle disappears together with feudal fragmentation, when the European states become centralized. Indeed, now it was possible not to be afraid of the attacks of a neighbor, who had encroached on someone else's.

Special, protective, functionality gradually gives way to aesthetic component.

External Description

Before deconstructing the structural elements, let's imagine how the feudal castle looked in the Middle Ages in general . The first thing that caught my eye was the moat that surrounds the entire territory on which stood a monumental structure. Next came a wall with small turrets to repel the enemy.

In the castle led only one entrance - a lifting bridge, then - an iron grate. Above all other buildings towered the main tower, or the dungeon. In the courtyard behind the gate also had the necessary infrastructure: workshops, smithy and a mill.

It should be said that the place for the building was chosen carefully, it should have been a hill, a hill or a mountain. Well, if you could choose a territory to which at least on one side there was a natural pond - a river or a lake. Many note how similar nests of birds of prey and castles (photo for example below) - both of which were famous for their inaccessibility.

Hill for the castle

Let's look at the structural elements of the structure in more detail. The hill for the castle was a hill of the right form. As a rule, the surface was square. The height of the hill averaged from five to ten meters, there were structures above this mark.

Particular attention was paid to the breed from which the bridgehead for the castle was made. As a rule, clay was used, also peat, limestone rocks were used. They took the material from a ditch that was digging around the hill for greater security.

There were also popular floorings on the slopes of the hill, made of brushwood or from planks. There was also a ladder.

Ditch

In order to slow down the offensive of a potential adversary for some time, and also make it difficult to transport the siege weapons, a deep ditch with water was needed, encircling the hill on which the locks were located. The photo shows how this system functioned.

It was necessary to fill the ditch with water - this ensured that the enemy would not undermine the castle grounds. Water was most often supplied from a natural body of water located nearby. The ditch had to be regularly cleaned of debris, otherwise it would melt and could not fully perform its protective functions.

Also, there were cases when logs or stakes were installed in the bottom, which prevented crossing. For the owner of the castle, his family, his subjects and guests, a toffel bridge was provided, which led directly to the gate.

Goal

In addition to its direct function, the gate was performed by a number of others. The castles of the feudal lords had a very protected entrance, which during the siege was not so easy to capture.

The gates were equipped with a special heavy grating, which looked like a wooden frame with thick iron rods. If necessary, it fell to detain the enemy.

In addition to the guards at the entrance, on both sides of the gate on the fortress wall were two towers for a better view (the entrance area was the so-called "blind zone." Here were located not only sentries, but also on duty archers.

Perhaps the most vulnerable part of the gate was the gate - an urgent need for its protection arose in the dark, because the entrance to the castle was closed for the night. Thus, it was possible to track all those who visit the territory at "unseasonable" time.

Courtyard

Having passed the control of the guards at the entrance, the visitor entered the inner courtyard, where one could observe real life in the castle of the feudal lord. Here were all the main outbuildings and work was boiling: warriors trained, smiths forged weapons, artisans made necessary household items, servants carried out their duties. Also there was a well with drinking water.

The area of the courtyard was not large, which allowed you to monitor everything that happens on the territory of possession of the seignior.

Donjon

An element that always catches your eye when you look at the castle is the donjon. This is the highest tower, the heart of any dwelling of the feudal lord. It was located in the most inaccessible place, and the thickness of its walls was such that it was very difficult to destroy this building. This tower provided an opportunity to observe the surroundings and act as the last refuge. When the enemy broke through all the lines of defense, the population of the castle sheltered in the dungeon and withstood a long siege. At the same time, the dojo was not only a defensive structure: here, at the highest level, the feudal lord and his family lived. Below - servants and soldiers. Often there was a well inside this structure.

The lowest floor is a huge hall, where lavish feasts were held. At the oak table, which was bursting with all sorts of food, the guards of the feudal lord and he sat himself.

Internal architecture is interesting: between the walls were hidden spiral staircases, through which it was possible to move between levels. And each of the floors was independent of the previous and subsequent. This provided additional security.

In the dungeon were stored supplies of weapons, food and drink in the event of a siege. Products were kept on the highest floor, so that the feudal family was provided and did not starve.

And now consider another question: how much locks of feudal lords were comfortable? Unfortunately, this quality suffered. Analyzing the story of the castle of the feudal lord, heard from the mouth of an eyewitness (a traveler who visited one of these attractions), we can conclude that it was very cold there. No matter how hard the servants tried to build the building, nothing happened, the halls were too large. Also, there was a lack of a cozy home and the uniformity of "cut" rooms.

Wall

Almost the most important part of the castle, owned by a medieval feudal lord, was a fortress wall. She was surrounded by a hill on which stood the main structure. Special requirements were put to the walls: impressive height (so that the stairs for the siege were not enough) and strength, because not only human resources, but special adaptations were often used for the assault. The average statistical parameters of such structures are 12 m in height and 3 m in thickness. Impressive, is not it?

The walls in every corner of the tower were crowned with watchtowers and archers. In the area of the castle bridge there were also special places on the wall so that the besieged could effectively repel the attack of the attackers.

In addition, along the entire perimeter of the wall, at its very top, there was a gallery for soldiers of the defense.

Life in the castle

How did life go in a medieval castle? The second person after the feudal lord was the manager, who kept records of the peasants and artisans who were subject to the master, who worked on the estate grounds. This person took into account how many products were produced and brought, what amounts vassals paid for the use of land. Often worked as a manager in tandem with the clerk. Sometimes they were provided with a separate premise on the territory of the castle.

The servant staff included immediate servants helping the master and hostess, there was also a chef with assistant cooks, a stoker - a person responsible for heating the room, blacksmith and saddler. The number of servants was directly proportional to the size of the castle and the status of the feudal lord.

The large room was hard enough to heat. Stone walls at night have strongly cooled down, in addition, they strongly absorbed moisture. Therefore, the rooms were always damp and cold. Of course, stamens tried their best to keep the heat, but not always it was possible. Especially prosperous feudal lords could afford to finish the walls with wood or carpets, tapestries. To keep as much heat as possible, the windows were made small.

For heating used limestone stoves, which were in the kitchen, from where the heat spread to nearby rooms. With the invention of pipes, it was possible to heat other rooms of the castle. Special comfort for feudal lords was created by tile stoves. A special material (calcined clay) allowed to heat large areas and better preserved heat.

Than ate in the castle

The diet of inhabitants of the castle is interesting. Here social inequality was best traced. Most of the menu consisted of meat dishes. And it was select beef and pork.

No less important place on the feudal table was occupied by the products of agriculture: bread, wine, beer, porridge. The trend consisted in the following: the more noble the feudal lord, the lighter the bread on his table. It's no secret that it depends on the quality of the flour. The percentage of grain products was the maximum, and meat, fish, fruits, berries and vegetables were just a pleasant addition.

A special difference in cooking in the Middle Ages was the abundant use of seasonings. And here the nobility could afford something more than the peasantry. For example, African or Far Eastern spices, which at a cost (for a small capacity) were not inferior to large cattle.