The earliest castles appeared in the 9th and 10th centuries, when the empire created by Charlemagne in modern France, Germany, and Northern Italy was falling because of raids by people such as Vikings, and Magyars, or Hungarian nomads. Lords built castles for protection and as bases for their soldiers. Most of these early castles were built of earth and timber. The architecture of medieval castles had changed through the years, from timber castles to stone castles.

Castles were often built on a mountain cliff with a slopping, rocky terrain before it. This made it harder for enemies to attack because they had a hard time getting up the mountain. When a suitable site with fresh water was found, the lord employed a master mason to help plan and built the castle. The lord would most likely employ a master mason if they would get the building materials t

Two other important areas of the castle were the prison and the Chapel. Rooms to hold prisoners were called dungeons and were usually in the cellars of the castles. In medieval times most prisoners were important people in the kingdom and other kingdoms. Some of them were captured noblemen awaiting the payment of ransom money. They were given good living conditions because if they died then they would be useless to the lords who captured them. Criminals were not imprisoned in castles in the Middle Ages because they were usually punished by fine, mutilation or execution. An indispensable feature of the castle was the chapel because the people who lived in the castle were expected to join in regular services. The chapels were often decorated with carved stonework and wall paintings from the Bible stories. Since so many people were illiterate they relied on the pictures for reference and understanding the story. Chapels were often built two stories high, with the nave di!

The castles were built for protection. The castle walls were very important. The high part of the wall was called merlons they contained an arrow loop and were topped by three spikes called finials. The low part of the wall was called embrasures. These were created openings through which missiles could be dropped. Moats, large ditches filled with water, surrounded the castle to keep the enemies from getting into the castle. A drawbridge and portcullis gave extra protection. The portcullis was an iron covered wooden grille moved up and down in slo

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Magyars Hungarian, Middle Ages, , Northern Italy, master mason, castles built, hall floor, family sat, wall called,
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