![]() ![]() ![]() Romanesque, a word not coined until the 18th century, is first used to describe the architecture of western Europe from about the 9th to 12th century. And it is true of the magnificent castles of exactly the same period in two very different cultures, in India and Japan. ![]() This is true of the famous French castles of the Loire, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. In subsequent centuries the castle evolves into something more akin to a great man's residence, his fortified palace. In Europe the castle as a fortified garrison is seen in a highly developed form in the great series built in the late 13th century for Edward I along the coast of Wales, uncompromising in their purpose of keeping the Welsh in submission. They soon create in the Holy Land magnificently impressive examples of their own - such as the great Krak des Chevaliers, largely built by the Knights of St John and occupied by them from 1142. One influence is the Byzantine castle architecture seen by the crusaders on their way east. During the 12th century stone walls and towers become more common in European castles, together with more sophisticated forms of bastion and battlement. Where stone and time are available, it is clearly preferable to construct a castle of the stronger and non-combustible material. In the first five years of the Norman conquest of England thirty-five such castles are established, nearly all of them of wood. A bridge crosses the moat to reach the more secure mound and its tower. This is the bailey, or outer courtyard, in which the garrison live and keep their livestock. On top of the mound a tower is built, within a palisade.Īn adjacent area is surrounded by another palisade, and sometimes also by a moat. The earth from it is piled inwards to form a mound, preferably adding height to an existing prominence. A circular ditch is dug (when filled with water, it becomes a moat). The construction of a mound-and-bailey castle is a simple matter of hard and rapid labour. This is a design developed by the Franks in the 9th century and adopted by the Normans. It is of the mound-and-bailey variety, also called motte-and-bailey (from the Norman French motte for a mound). It comes as a shock to read that William I, in his invasion of England in 1066, lands at Pevensey on September 28 and builds himself a castle before fighting the battle at Hastings on October 14. Such castles are often surprisingly flimsy affairs. It has been supplemented by studies on eunuchs and masculinity.In feudal Europe, where armed men are granted rights over often hostile territories, the castle becomes an important feature of the countryside. Originally a bibliography on Women in Byzantium compiled by Thalia Gouma-Peterson. Studies in Western Tapestry - aims to promote collaboration and the exchange of expertise on western tapestry produced between 1400 - 1960.īibliography on Gender in Byzantium lists primary and secondary sources available in translation. Labyrinth: A World Wide Web Server for Medieval Studies, sponsored by Georgetown Univerisity. There are related links to medieval texts, early Christian documents and manuscripts. International Center of Medieval Art - This organization publishes a newsletter and is based at the Cloisters in New York city. The Index of Christian Art - this is the premier resource for the study of medieval iconography and includes over 200 images of paintings by Giotto. Here are some web sites to start your research:
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