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Castles Of Belgium (137)

Castles Of Czech Republic (86)

Castles Of England (412)

Castles Of Finland (19)

Castles Of France (2882)

Castles Of Greece (35)

Castles Of Ireland (197)

Castles Of Italy (205)

Castles Of Luxembourg (45)

Castles Of Netherlands (55)

Castles Of Russia (43)

Castles Of Scotland (445)

Castles Of Sweden (210)

Castles Of Turkey (34)

Castles Of Wales (96)






CASTLES OF THE WORLD

Welcome to castlesworldwide.net - the site that specializes in detailed
information about castles.






Bodiam Castle, England. Photo - WyrdLight.com - Wikipedia - lic. under CC BY-SA
3.0





About castles:

Castles originated and developed for the most part during the Middle Ages and
had a dual purpose; a highly fortified building or settlement, and a prestigious
dwelling. Typically castles were built by royalty or nobility and made a strong
statement of power. They became centres of administration and military bases
through the Middle Ages, developing in defensive capability and in size. It was
not uncommon for castles to have walls up to 20 feet thick - thick enough that
rooms could be constructed entirely within the wall.

However even these castles were not impregnable. In the end, the advent of the
age of gunpowder put an end to the age of the castle as a defensive
fortification - because large cannons were able to smash through any stone wall,
given time and enough cannonballs. Huge cannons known as "bombards" were
developed in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, though some Asian imagery
from the 12th century is believed to depict them. Cast from bronze, these fired
huge stone cannonballs and were specifically engineered to be able to bring down
castle walls. There was no superior weapon at the time and little that the
occupants could do other than observe as their castle was "slighted" (old term
for smashed to pieces) - prior to being beseiged by the opposing army.

Thus the age of the monumental castle of the old days came to an end - however
it was not the end of the castle. Imposing fortified dwellings continued to be
built however the focus shifted towards high status luxury accomodation. By the
time of the 17th and 18th centuries, we saw nobility in Europe move closer to
the style of the "chateau" - a somewhat fortified, luxurious home on a similarly
imposing scale.

About this site:

We are creating a "castle directory" with individual pages dedicated to each
castle - with brief historical information, location and links to further
information. Each "country" page has a sortable database with name, date built,
condition, location and notes. Clicking the name of the castle takes you to a
dedicated page with detailed information. We have added over 2000 castles, with
maps, images, description and facts.

If you have additional castle information or photographs that you would like to
donate to this site, we would very much welcome your contribution (as far as
permitted by copyright).

If you are an owner or an estate agent representing castles, we would be
delighted to add your information to the relevant page and to assist you thereby
in promoting your castle.

Come, explore the fascinating world of the castle with us! Thank you for your
interest in our ancient, majestic and mysterious heritage. We hope you enjoy
your stay.

Castles Of Belgium | Castles Of Czech Republic | Castles Of England | Castles Of
Finland | Castles Of Greece | Castles Of Ireland | Castles Of Italy | Castles Of
Luxembourg | Castles Of Netherlands | Castles Of Russia | Castles Of Scotland |
Castles Of Sweden | Castles Of Turkey | Castles Of Wales





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