other: Castle (disambiguation)

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territory.

Roman forts and hill forts were the main antecedents of castles throughout Europe, which emerged in the 9th century in the Carolingian Empire. The advent of cannon and gunpowder in the mid 13th century changed the needs of warfare in Europe, limiting the effectiveness of the castle and leading to the rise of the fort.

Similar constructions in Russia (Kremlin) and feudal Japan (Shiro) are also considered castles.

Etymology

Castle is derived from the Latin word castellum. This is a diminutive of the word castrum, which means "fortified place". The Old English castel, the French château, Spanish castillo, the Italian castello, as well as other European words for castle derive from castellum. The word "castle" was introduced into English shortly before the Norman Conquest to denote this type of fortress, then new to England, brought in by the Norman knights whom Edward the Confessor had sent for to defend Herefordshire against the Welsh.

A French castle is a Château-Fort, as in French a simple château connotes a grand country house at the heart of an estate, with non-military, purely residential function. When European castles were opened up and expanded into pleasure dwellings and power houses from the late 15th century, their "castle" designations, relics of the feudal age, often remained attached to the dwelling, resulting in many non-military castles and châteaux. In Spain, while the Catalan word "castile" is employed, a fortified dwelling on a height for the administering authority retains its Moorish name of alcázar, while shiro also figure prominently in Japanese history, where the feudal daimyō inhabited them. In Germany there are two names for what would be called a castle in English, burg (burh) and schloss. A burg is a medieval structure of military significance, while a schloss was built after the Middle Ages as a palace and not for defensive purposes. In Celtic countries, Caer or castell (Welsh), dún and caisleán (Irish), dùn and caisteal (Scots Gaelic) are used.