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Castles
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Castles were constructed of wood, stone and ... brick. A large number of contemporary accounts have survived that explain how castles were built. A large skilled workforce was needed to construct castles, including ditch diggers, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and engineers. Medieval machines and inventions, such as the treadwheel crane, became indispensable during construction, and techniques of building wooden scaffolding were improved upon from Antiquity.[5] Nevertheless, castles could take many years to complete, although the time needed depended greatly from type, location, resources, time period, construction materials, etc.
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Castles were a sign of Norman power and might. They could be easily seen and as such acted as a deterrent. The castles warned the English that Norman soldiers lived in these castles and that any attempts to rise up against them would be met with force.
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Castles in the Netherlands, which were in the Middle Ages defensive structures, changed during the Renaissance into residences. Today these castle residences serve as museums, hotels, restaurants. Entering into cold, quiet walls gives the visitor a pleasure of moving back in time.
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Castles featured an array of defences to delay the attackers' progress towards the keep. Moats and ditches formed the most obvious, as these would have to be filled in before heavy siege engines could be moved towards the walls.[4] Overhanging wooden hoardings could be constructed if a castle was under threat. These covered walkways would allow several lines of fire.[1] Later, permanent fixtures known as "machicolation" were built in stone. Perhaps the most notable features of castle defence were the crenellations and merlons, which offered relative cover for archers.[1] "Murder holes" and embrasures might be built into the walls and gatehouse so projectiles could be launched at the attackers.[1]
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Castles of Gold, songs and stories of Irish Immigration will most likely be aired by PRI (Public Radio International) again this year, by popular demand. In 2004 it won an award - an INDIE award in the spoken word category from AFIM - the Association For Independent Music. Check your local PRI listings to see if it's airing in your area this St. Patrick's Day and on other days throughout March of 2005.
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Castles in Slovakia can be divided into those which have been restored, and those which have fallen into ruin. Every region of the country offers some of each. Restored castles, some of which were never fortified and therefore are in fact palaces, offer a glimpse of how the wealthy lived.
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