old castles keep secrets.Majestic impregnated with a sense of self-esteem, dark and lush, they attract, promising to show something special.The oldest castles affect its scale and artistic decoration.
man - there are infinitely curious, and therefore each year around the world visit the castles of thousands and thousands of tourists.It implies that they do not just want to look at the life of yesteryear.Everyone is trying to see through the keyhole what I remember the walls of buildings.Whose lives they decide which cases to administer?
old castles.General characteristics and functions
If we consider the data structure is eras, we can distinguish the following features that distinguish the old castles:
- Location.Almost all castles located on hills, which could be both natural and artificial - everything depended on how lucky owner of the lands.
- courtyard.Its existence is due to the need to maintain the life and if something happens to be able to support the autonomous existence outside the rest of the world.Include craft workshops, a forge, kitchen and other elements to build a life as possible.
- main tower (dungeon).The heart of the castle.By and large, it is a castle dungeon in the castle, as was in the safest place and was fortified on all sides.He was a feudal dwelling in parallel included food and weapons caches.
- city walls.Surrounding the courtyard, serving as a defense and external sign of power.They tried to do as much as possible thicker and impenetrable.
- moat.Surrounding walls, serving as an additional means of defense against those who would very much like to profit content locks.Its presence solves two problems made it impossible to undermine and deprive potential attackers to get close to the walls.Moat filled with water to a constant was connected with a nearby pond.Communication with the outside world is supported by the drawbridge.
- Gate.We were called in to control the mass movement of people, animals and vehicles.
locks as a means of protection
Prototypes of these buildings were still in Iran, and later moved to the Ancient Rome, then moved to Byzantium, which have become quite popular due to the fact that they were used as a fort.
however flourishing locks obtained during the Middle Ages, they were used as dwellings of feudal lords and were primarily defensive in nature.That's when they came to our usual form.Locks geographically located on steep hills and uplands, in order to complicate the possible assault.These measures were not related to the widespread persecution mania mighty of the time.We must not forget that the Middle Ages have passed "under the auspices" of feudal disunity and discord, the protection of life in such conditions was paramount.
locks as a sign of status
time went on, like to change the Middle Ages, with its theological diktat and the need to live, looking back, it was replaced by the Renaissance, which has built a cult anthropocentrism.Locks of impregnable fortresses naturally turned just in people's homes.Structures are lighter, more elegant, more beautiful, each creating something of their own, competing with the neighbor as the forces and capabilities.
Locks as the center of the mysteries
Walking through the winding corridors of the castle, it's hard to shake the feeling that watching you.Too many secrets and innuendo they store.Overthrow the monarchy, corrupt servants, unhappy love stories - all this excites the imagination and causes goose bumps.Consider some of the mysteries of ancient castles?
Tower
Mentioned ancient castles with their secrets and ghosts - what first comes to mind?Of course, the Tower of London.This structure of London served as a prison for those that now have only one way - to the scaffold.Do not avoid this fate, and Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII.The church did not allow him to get a divorce, and a new love demanded decisive action.Monarch, which 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, rising on the chopping block, no tantrums and tears.In turn, her husband, too, "have mercy" - provided a skillful French executioner, and after the death of Anna's head is not put on public display, and buried by placing it under his right arm.Since then, not only in the Tower, but also on the territory of the London periodically began to notice a blurred image of a woman in luxurious dress that holds his head with his right hand.
Castle Mayerling
When you look at this image, the old castle seems so serene that it is difficult to believe in his dark and tragic story for Austria.It was there that he died under mysterious circumstances, Crown Prince Rudolf, the only son of Sisi and Franz Joseph.Rudolph, according to contemporaries, was suffering from depression and temporary clouding of reason, from which the "treated" shock doses of alcohol.One frosty January day in 1899 he, along with his mistress, Maria evening went to the castle Meyerling, never to return.They were found dead some time later - the girl was shot and Rudolph - poisoned.There are many versions of what happened: some say that the Crown Prince persuaded Mary to leave with him and to shoot himself after he takes the poison, the other - the heir he killed her and then committed suicide, others insist that both were killed opponentsCrown to destabilize the situation in Austria.
Olesko Castle
When referred to the old castles of Ukraine, the first thing comes to mind is this structure.Its history is rich in events - which is at least the fact that in the XVII century at the court served the father of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, but then there was a tragedy, which they say, and still.The owner Olesko castle was beautiful daughter, whose hands hard, but unsuccessfully sought the young Adam.The mission to get his father's blessing beloved was doomed to failure, because he wanted to see in zyatyah only representative of the royal family.Unable to bear another failure, Adam committed suicide in front of everyone.Due to the fact that he was a suicide, she was buried without Christian rites - according to one version was buried near the walls of the castle, on the other - just threw the body in a swamp.The daughter of the owner was not able to survive the loss and also took her own life.Braves that decide to spend the night in the castle Olessky argue that the two restless souls still roam the structure, breaking the silence moans.
Castle Woodstock
famous ancient castles of the world and include the Woodstock.Speaking about the distinctive features, we can mention the fact that it echoes heard clearly amazing 17 times in a row.However, it does not excite the imagination of people.In the XII century it witnessed the love triangle, two corners of which were presented to the most influential spouses at the time, and the third angle was brilliant beauty.We are talking about Henry II Plantagenet, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Rosamund Clifford.According to legend, Henry hid his mistress Rosamund in a castle tower in Woodstock.The path went through the maze that was impossible to overcome the blind.And the measure was justified, because the monarch knew that his spouse crowned not only smart, but also extremely vindictive.In spite of everything, Eleanor followed her husband and found beauty.Its solution was inexorably - Rosamunde had to die.The choice given to her death from a dagger or poison.Beloved Henry chose the latter, and met death in terrible pain - indeed, from an angry woman is difficult to expect a quick, merciful death.Plantagenet learned of the tragedy, distraught and forever imprisoned treacherous wife.The memory of Rosamund he retained until his death and presumably died on the same day as it is, but after 13 years.The spirit of the girls are still haunting the castle, waiting for their king.
