What is a flanking tower in a medieval castle?

What is a flanking tower in a medieval castle?

A flanking tower is a fortified tower that is sited on the outside of a defensive wall or other fortified structure and thus forms a flank. In High and Late Medieval castles and town walls, flanking towers often had a semi-circular floor plan or a combination of a rectangular inner and semi-circular outer plans.

What was the purpose of towers in castles?

Medieval Castle Tower Summary A medieval castle tower had central importance in the castle parts used for its defence. Medieval castle towers came in various shapes and served a variety of purposes. Although the central purpose of these towers was defence, they could also be used for storage and imprisonment purposes.

Why did castles have high openings in the walls?

At the first sign of trouble, the peasants on the manor rushed to get inside the castle walls before huge doors shut them out. Location: Castles were usually built on top of a hill if one was handy. That way, the guards would spot attackers approaching.

How did knights defend their castle?

The walls of the castles were very high making it hard for attackers to climb over. The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels).

Why did lords stop building castles out of wood and start using stone?

However, the timber castles did have disadvantages. They were very vulnerable to attacks using fire and the wood would eventually start to rot. Due to these disadvantages, King William ordered that castles should be built in stone. Many of the original timber castles were replaced with stone castles.

What were towers used for in the Middle Ages?

Medieval writers were unsure about towns. On the one hand, they saw them as vital hubs of economic, cultural, political, administrative and spiritual activity. But on the other, they saw their many dangerous temptations: their taverns and alehouses, gambling dens and brothels.

What is the purpose of towers?

Towers may also be built for observation, leisure, or telecommunication purposes. A tower can stand alone or be supported by adjacent buildings, or it may be a feature on top of a larger structure or building.

Why were medieval towers round?

Round towers, also called drum towers, are more resistant to siege technology such as sappers and projectiles than square towers. The round front is more resistant than the straight side of a square tower, just as a load-bearing arch. This principle was already understood in antiquity.

Where did guards sleep in castles?

At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

Why did castles have moats?

The purpose of a moat was primarily to protect the castle from attack. As a defense mechanism, moats were very effective. Although they’re usually depicted as wide, deep bodies of water, moats were often simply dry ditches. Castles, on the other hand, offered safety in the form of strong walls and fortifications.

Did serfs have to get permission to marry?

The vast majority of serfs in medieval Europe obtained their subsistence by cultivating a plot of land that was owned by a lord. Neither could the serf marry, change his occupation, or dispose of his property without his lord’s permission.

What is a flanking tower in architecture?

A flanking tower is a fortified tower that is sited on the outside of a defensive wall or other fortified structure and thus forms a flank. From the defensive platform and embrasures the section of wall between them (the curtain wall) could be swept from the side by ranged weapons.

What is the flanking tower of Giebichenstein?

Flanking towers of Giebichenstein Castle A flanking tower is a fortified tower that is sited on the outside of a defensive wall or other fortified structure and thus forms a flank. From the defensive platform and embrasures the section of wall between them (the curtain wall) could be swept from the side by ranged weapons.

What is the purpose of a wall tower?

Wall towers (or mural towers) were good for providing flanking fire to the straight part of a curtain wall – either for crossbows or other projectile weapons. Large towers were used as a keep or bergfried and were usually the strongest point of a castle.

What are the different types of towers in medieval castles?

In High and Late Medieval castles and town walls, flanking towers often had a semi-circular floor plan or a combination of a rectangular inner and semi-circular outer plans. There were also circular and rectangular towers.

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