Old castles keep secrets. Majestic, dignified, gloomy and lush, they attract to themselves, promising to show something special. The most ancient castles amaze with their scale and skillful decoration.
Man is an infinitely curious creature, which is why thousands and thousands of tourists visit castles around the world every year. They are attracted not only by the desire to look at the life of past years. Everyone is trying to see through the keyhole what the walls of buildings remember. Whose fates were decided in them, what deeds were done?
Old castles. General characteristics and functions
If we consider these buildings outside of eras, we can distinguish the following features that distinguish old castles:
- Location. Almost all castles are located on hills, which could be both natural and artificial - it all depended onhow lucky the owner is with the lands.
- Courtyard. Its existence is due to the need to lead a life and, in which case, to be able to maintain an autonomous existence outside the rest of the world. It included craft workshops, forges, a kitchen and other elements designed to equip life as much as possible.
- Main tower (donjon). The heart of the castle. By and large, the donjon was a castle within a castle, as it was located in the safest place and was fortified on all sides. It was the dwelling of the feudal lords, at the same time it included food and weapons depots.
- Fortress walls. They surrounded the courtyard, serving as both protection and an external sign of power. They tried to make them as thick and impregnable as possible.
- Ditch. It surrounded the fortress walls, serving as an additional means of defense against those who really wanted to profit from the contents of the castles. Its presence solved two problems at once: it made it impossible to dig and deprive potential attackers of coming close to the walls. The ditch for constant filling with water was connected to a nearby reservoir. Communication with the outside world was maintained using a drawbridge.
- Gate. They were called upon to control the mass movements of people, animals and vehicles.
Locks as a means of protection
The prototypes of these buildings appeared in Iran, later moved to Ancient Rome, after which they advanced to Byzantium, where they became very popular due to the fact that they were used as forts.
However, castles flourished during the Middle Ages, they were used as dwellings of feudal lords and were primarily defensive in nature. It was then that they came to our usual form. The castles were territorially located on steep hills and hills in order to complicate the possible assault as much as possible. These measures were not connected with the pervasive mania of persecution of the powerful of the world at that time. We must not forget that the Middle Ages passed "under the auspices" of feudal fragmentation and unrest, the protection of life in such conditions was paramount.
Locks as a sign of status
Time passed, customs changed, the Middle Ages with its theological dictates and the need to live, looking back, was replaced by the Renaissance, which elevated anthropocentrism to a cult. Castles from impregnable fortresses naturally turned into simply dwellings of people. The buildings became lighter, more elegant, more beautiful, each one created something of his own, competing with his neighbor to the best of his ability.
Castles as the focus of secrets
Walking through the winding corridors of castles, it's hard to get rid of the feeling that you're being watched. They keep too many secrets and understatements. Deposed monarchs, corrupt servants, unfortunate love stories - all this excites the imagination and gives goosebumps. Consider some secrets of ancient castles?
Tower
Mentioned ancient castles with their secrets and ghosts - what comes to mind first? Of course, Tower. This is a London building
served as a prison for those who from now on had only one way - toscaffold. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry the Eighth, did not escape this fate. The church did not allow him to divorce, and a new love required decisive action. The monarch, who became the prototype of Bluebeard, found a way out - he accused his wife of incest and sentenced to death. Eyewitnesses said that the queen was infinitely calm and majestic, ascending to the chopping block, no tantrums and tears. In turn, her husband also “mercied” - he provided a skilled French executioner and, after Anna’s death, did not put his head on public display, but buried it, placing it under his right hand. Since then, not only in the Tower, but also on the territory of London itself, a blurry image of a woman in a luxurious dress, holding her head with her right hand, periodically began to be noticed.
Mayerling Castle
When you look at this photo, the old castle seems so serene that it's hard to believe in its dark and tragic history for Austria. It was there that the heir to the throne, Rudolf, the only son of Sisi and Franz Joseph, died under mysterious circumstances. Rudolph, according to contemporaries, suffered from depression and temporary clouding of reason, from which he was "treated" with shock doses of alcohol. One frosty January day in 1899, he entered Meyerling Castle with his mistress Maria Vecheroy, never to return. They were found dead some time later - the girl was shot dead, and Rudolph was poisoned. There are many versions of what happened: some say that the crown prince persuaded Maria to leave with him and shoot herself after he took poison,others - that the heir himself killed her, after which he committed suicide, others insist that both were killed by opponents of the crown to destabilize the situation in Austria.
Olesko Castle
When the old castles of Ukraine are mentioned, this building comes to mind first of all.
His history is rich in events - what is worth at least the fact that in the 17th century the father of Bogdan Khmelnitsky served at the court, then a tragedy occurred, which is still talked about. The owner of the Olesko castle had a beautiful daughter, whose hand was stubbornly but unsuccessfully sought by young Adam. The mission to get the blessing of his beloved father was initially doomed to failure, since he wanted to see only a representative of the royal family in his sons-in-law. Unable to withstand another refusal, Adam committed suicide in front of everyone. Due to the fact that he became a suicide, they buried him without a Christian rite - according to one version, they buried him near the walls of the castle, according to another, they simply threw the body into the swamp. The owner's daughter could not survive the loss and also took her own life. The daredevils who decide to spend the night in the Olesko castle claim that two restless souls still roam the building, breaking the silence with groans.
Woodstock Castle
The most famous ancient castles in the world include Woodstock.
Speaking of distinctive features, we can mention the fact that the echo in it is surprisingly clear 17 times in a row. However, this is not what excites the imagination of people. In the twelfth century he becamewitnessed a love triangle, two corners of which were represented by the most influential spouses of that time, and the third corner was a brilliant beauty. We are talking about Henry II Plantagenet, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Rosamund Clifford. According to legend, Henry hid his mistress Rosamund in the tower of Woodstock Castle. The path went through a labyrinth that was impossible to blindly overcome. And this measure was justified, for the monarch knew perfectly well that his crowned wife was not only smart, but also extremely vindictive. Against all odds, Eleanor followed her husband and discovered the beauty. Her decision was inexorable - Rosamund had to die. The choice was given to her death by dagger or poison. Heinrich's beloved chose the latter and met death in terrible agony - indeed, it is difficult to expect a quick, merciful death from an angry woman. Plantagenet, having learned about the tragedy, went mad with grief and imprisoned his treacherous wife forever. He kept the memory of Rosamund until the end of his days and presumably died on the same day as her, but 13 years later. The spirit of the girl still wanders around the castle, waiting for her king.
