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410-1492 in a Spanish Castle
CASTLES To begin your journey into the Middle Ages, try to picture a world with far fewer people, where no one moved away from their hometown, and life moved at a slower pace. There was no electricity, no water from faucets, no television, and no cars. Imagine such a world to begin your journey into a land that was filled with real knights, castles, lords, and ladies and enter the Middle Ages…
Early Middle Ages The years 500 to 1000 AD are known as the tough times or the Dark Ages. During this time Vikings were invading much of Europe. Tribal disputes were causing constant war. Pagan worshipping was common place. Only the monks in the monasteries kept learning alive. During the Early Middle Ages Charlemagne also conquered most of France. High Middle Ages The years 1050 to 1300, evoked for many people romantic images of knights in shining armor, magnificent castles, and glorious cathedrals. And to many people, the word medieval (Latin medium aevum; “middle age”) wrongly suggests a cultural intermission between the classical period of the Greek and Roman civilizations and the Renaissance. On the contrary, the High Middle Ages was a dynamic period that shaped European identity and development, stimulated in part by Europe’s interactions with other cultures in Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Many of the basic social and political patterns and institutions later associated with European history were formed during this era. Clear political boundaries and cultural identities emerged in the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, eastern Europe, Iberia, and Scandinavia. Between 1000 and 1300, a chain reaction of developments in economy, society, and political life contributed to new trends in religion, scholarship, literature, and other arts—trends that shaped European culture to the present day. Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages lasted from 1300 to 1400 AD. This was time of tragedy and hope. The 100 Years' War between England and France and the bubonic plague known as the Black Death took many lives. The church was fighting. Hope began when the working people began to rise. New ideas grew. Overseas exploration lead to a modern time.
The Muslims and the Christian Reconquest The Alhambra in Granada A breathtaking palace-city that has a sophisticated blend of medieval Islamic,Renaissance Christian and modern architectural styles. In 711 Spain was invaded by Muslims from Africa. For centuries the Muslim conquerors would control much of the Iberian Peninsula. The high point of Islamic culture in Spain occurred in the 10th century. Muslim rulers introduced new crops and efficient irrigation systems, trading and commerce thrived, and mathematics, medicine, and philosophy flourished. Muslim power declined after 1000 as Christian kingdoms in northern Spain, supplemented by migrants from Europe, gradually moved southward to take control of the peninsula. That process was completed in 1492 with the Christian conquest of Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain.
Iberia/Spain • The kingdom of "Castilla" (its name means, "Land of Castles") occupied the eastern half of the actual region of Castilla y León, and the neighboring regions of Cantabria, La Rioja, Madrid and part of Castilla-la Mancha. It is the land of origin of the Spanish language (Castellano) • The origin of Castile is at the lands od the Eastern frontier of León, in northern Spain. Those lands were inhabited by people of a mixed origin (Cantabric, Basque, Celtiberian), who possessed their own language (the Castilian-spanish) and body of laws, which differed from the Visigothic-inspired laws of the Leonese court. The Castilian legal system was based on old customs and traditional laws, as interpreted and applied by popularly appointed judges. Castile became independent in practice under Count Fernán González (X century). The "legal" independence came under Fernando I , son of the King Sancho III "the Great" of Navarre, last Count and first king of Castile (he was also king of León owner of La Mota or Moat Castle). • After the disintegration of the Moorish Caliphat, it expanded to central Spain: "New Castile", becoming the leader of the "Reconquista". An important act of this was the conquest of Toledo (1085), by the king Alfonso VI, that united the muslim kingdom of Toledo with Castile. • It conserved a close relation with León (unions with the kings Fernando I, Sancho II, Alfonso VI or Alfonso VII), until their definitive union, during the year 1230, with the king Fernando III "The Saint", son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. This king reconquered Southern Spain: Murcia & Andalucia (except of Granada) • The two kingdoms remained independent until the union of Spain, with the marriage of Isabel I (Queen of Castile & León) and Fernando II (King of Aragón and Count of Barcelone).
Queen Isabella I Her father died when she was three and her older brother became King Henry IV. The Spanish nobles had become very powerful during the reign of John II. They did not wish to have Henry as their king. They felt that he was not very smart and would not be a good leader. They hoped to make Isabella's other brother, Alfonso, their king, but he died on July 5, 1468. Some people thought that he might have been poisoned to prevent him from being made king. But soon Isabella would be at odds with her brother over her impending arranged marriage and faced imprisonment in the dungeon for her defiance. King Henry had wished his sister to marry Don Carlos, the Prince of Viana, who was the eldest son of John II. He was also heir to the Kingdom of Navarre. The King of Aragon, wished to marry Isabella to his son, Ferdinand. Before the final arrangements could be made, Don Carlos died. Henry tried to arrange marriages with several other people including King Alfonso V of Portugal, but Isabella had already decided that she wished to marry Ferdinand. Isabella made plans to marry Ferndinand. The only problem was that she had to find him. She sent out noblemen to search for him and he was finally found in Sicily (the island at the bottom of Italy) where he had become King. He has also now become heir to the throne of Aragon. He braved a trip back to Spain and married Isabella in 1469 in the palace of Juan de Vivero.
The Catholic King and Queen Ferdinand II King of Aragón & Count of Barcelone 1452-1516 Isabel I Queen of Castile & León of Spain 1451-1504
Map of the Spanish Kingdoms1360 On this map, the areas outlined in brown are under Muslim control. Yellow is Navarre, pink is Castile and Leon, purple is France, blue is Portugal and green is Aragon.
The Capitulation of Granada 1492 by F. Padilla: Boabdil before Ferdinand and Isabella
La Mota or Castle of the Moat Valladolid - Castilla y León Medina del Campo was a very important city in Spain. In Medina, we visited the Castillo de la Mota, or Castle of the Moat which at one time belonged to King Juan II, Isabel’s father. This castle was built before the rein of the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel. Isabel died there. Its main purpose was to protect its inhabitants from invaders. The monarchs did live in this castle for a short time. Later, it became a state prison.
Battles and the Castle's Defense Archery served as defense, but longbows were more effective on open battlefields. As such, the crossbow became very popular for both the attacking and defending armies. Capturing a medieval castle was a lofty goal for many commanders in the Middle Ages and battles were often centered around these fortresses. Since medieval castles occupied such strategic points along trade routes, ports and rivers, they had the highest military value. Prime locations for castle construction include high, rocky ground…mountain passes…isolated peninsulas…and lake islands.
Weaponry Sword and Shield Sword and Shield Mace Mace War hammers Assorted daggers Arming Sword dirk, misericorde, poniard, rondel, scramasax Bow and Arrow Pollaxe
People of the CastleMany different people lived in and around a castle. The lord and lady, of course, were there, but one could also find everybody from knights to cooks in and around the castle grounds. The most important people, were the Lord, the lady and the Bishop
Who Are They? Knight A professional soldier Butler Cared for the cellar and was in charge of wine and beer Atilliator Skilled castles worker who made crossbows. Castilian Resident owner or person in charge of a castle. Chaplain Provided spiritual welfare for laborers and the castle garrison. Cook Roasted, broiled, and baked food in the fireplaces and ovens Messengers Servants of the lord who carried receipts, letters, and commodities.
Parts of a castle Castles were not just buildings, they were fortresses made to protect people during military conflict. As a result, most castles shared some basic parts that helped them serve their purpose.
The first thing that distinguished a castle was the moat or ditch. Most were filled with deep water to prevent enemies from coming in, but even those without water stopped intruders because the deep, steep walls prevented the enemy from entering. • The only way to cross a moat was on the drawbridge. These wooden structures could be raised or lowered depending on whether or not the people in the castles wanted you to come in. Ropes or chains were attached to the end of the bridge and then rigged to a pulley so that guards were able to quickly raise it. • Upon crossing the drawbridge, you would reach the curtain, or wall. This wall surrounding the castle was strong enough to survive a battering ram, a common weapon, and could be anywhere between 8 and 20 feet thick. (That's as wide as the height of a 2-story building!) • A gatehouse was built into the curtain. At first it was just a simple door by which to go in and out of the castle, but over time that changed. Because enemy armies often came to this area, an iron grate was added that could be put down to block entrance, in addition to heavy wooden doors. Small holes, called murder holes, were added to the ceiling above the main entrance to pour boiling liquid down on entering enemies. • Towers were also a part of the curtain. They allowed people to look about and keep watch outside the castles walls. In addition, at times they kept prisoners. For example, the Tower of London in England was well known for the important political prisoner kept within its walls. • The Keep of the castle was the highest point and the center of defense. The strongest and most secure place in a castle. • Inside the castles walls were many things. There was a kitchen where the cooks made meals. The great hall was where everybody ate and the servants slept. Court jesters often sang, juggled, and told stories here to amuse the lord and his family. Stables were used to house livestock of all sorts and each castle had a chapel that could be located in a tower or gatehouse. The chapel sometimes served as a private church for the lord and his family even when there was another church in a nearby town. Castles also had one or more houses built in for people to stay. Often there was a lord's house and then one or two others, depending on how many people were living at that particular castle.
Inside a Castle Castles looked cool on the outside, but really they were cold, damp, and poorly lit. The only heating was provided by fireplaces in each room and castles had to be lit by torches because they were very dark inside. People tended to spend much time outdoors to get away from the dampness of the castle. Tapestries were hung on the wall to help brighten up the halls and keep in heat. The main furniture in the great hall were wooden benches and large tables made by laying wood planks across other benches. At night, the table was taken down to make room for the servants who slept on the floor. The floors were covered year-round with reeds, bones, and scraps of food. When the room began to smell, the servants added more reeds and sprinkled spices to help get rid of the odor. Once a year, the servants replaced the soiled reeds with new ones, and the whole process started again. The king and his family often shared a single room where their sleeping quarters were separated only by curtains.
King’s Kitchen and Bath The king's kitchen staff decorated most of the food before they served it. Sometimes when meat was served, the servants put the fur or feathers back on the meat to make it look alive! On the other hand, because there was no refrigeration, the food spoiled quickly. Sometimes when food was spoiled, they just dumped extra gravy on it and served it anyway. One of the only ways to preserve and season food was to salt all the meat. In fact, since salt was so important at the medieval table, it began to be a sort of status symbol. Most great halls only had one large salt container, and where you sat in relation to it told people how important you were. The more important people sat "above the salt," and those who were less important sat "below the salt." During the evening meals, the lord and his family sat upon a raised platform and watched court jesters who sang, juggled, and told stories.Castles had no modern plumbing, but the garbage disposal presented no problem. The servants dumped it in the moat. Bathrooms in castles often emptied right into the moat as well. Since people in the Middle Ages believed that washing too much could make you sick, bathing became a once-a-month affair. Most didn't even bother with soap because the soaps were so strong that they could eat holes through cloth. The royal family preferred dirt to holes, so wash days were few and far between
The Dungeon The word "dungeon" is a corruption of the French term, "donjon." Interestingly, a castle's donjon did not function as the prison. Rather, the donjon was the great tower, later called the keep. Normally, the great keep was a self-sufficient tower housing the lord and his family, which, at times, became a sturdy refuge capable of withstanding at least a brief siege. Over the centuries, the keep devolved from the castle's most formidable tower, to a storage tower, and then to a prison tower. Hence, the mutation of the French term. Frequently, the castle's prison was located near or inside the main gatehouse to prevent the enemy from gaining access to the interior. Then, the guards could also keep a close watch over their captives. The oubliette must have been an incredibly brutal prison, with or without the physical tortures that may have accompanied imprisonment. Known throughout Europe and even in the Middle East, these early castle prisons were usually shaped like slender cylinders. The only entrance into the windowless chambers was through a trap door in the ceiling, which opened into the floor of the guardroom above and was usually too high for the prisoners to grasp in an escape attempt. The doomed prisoners were tied to a rope and then lowered into the oubliette. They received food the same way. As indicated above, sometimes the oubliette sat below ground level. On occasion, the pit filled with water that seeped up from the earthen floor, making survivalalmost impossible.
The Inquisition 1200 - 1500 Christian Inquisition tries Heretics The Roman Catholic Church establishes and maintains a religious tribunal to try heretics, individuals whose beliefs differ from official church doctrine, or orthodoxy. The Inquisition is most virulent in 15th-century Spain, embattled by invading Islamic Moors of Northern Africa. During the course of the Inquisition, thousands of people, some innocent are tortured and executed in castle dungeons.
No this is not magic ! Conducting such an experiment could have made you a heretic during the days of the Inquisition Optical Illusion 55: Crazy Spinning CirclesThis is a static image, it contains NO animation.
Moat Castle Who do you think still haunts the castle? In the castle walls, wail echoes of the past. Each century new, yet olden curses often last. In each corridor, Stains are cast. Misfortune woes, aching shadows a vast.
Adios! !
Let's Review When • When did the middle ages begin in Spain? • When was the High Middle Ages? • When did they end approximately? • The word “medieval” in Latin literally means what? • Name at least three things the were important contributions to • society during the High Middle Ages in Europe?
Let's Review • Who invaded Spain in the year 711? • What new things were introduced to Spanish culture by the invaders? • In what year was the beginning of the invaders decline? • What year was Granada recaptured by Spain? • What are the names of the Catholic King and Queen of Spain? • What parts of Spain did they rule before their union? • What does the word “castilla” mean in Spanish? • What part of Spain did the Spanish language originate? • Who is Count Fernán González?
Let's Review • Who is Fernando I? • Who is King Sancho “The Great” of Navarre? • Who is Alfonso VI? • Who is Fernando III "The Saint”? • Why was Medina del Campo and important city in Spain? • What landmark is in Medina del Campo and what important people lived in it? • What did the landmark later become? • Name at least five Medieval weapons. • Who are the most important people that live in a castle • Name the seven types of people and their jobs that are important in • maintaining a castle/fortress.
Let's Review • What is the purpose of a moat, drawbridge and gatehouse? • Explain what is the function of the keep. • What are castles like on the inside? • What was the most important food additive that determined a person’s status • and why? • What is a castle’s “donjon” and what is its function? • What is the oubliette? • What are the dates of the Inquisition? • What does the word “Heretic” mean? • Why was this practice started and what was involved?
