Castles
Most Beautiful Castles in the World
from: John Rhiman
.jpg "Castle of Almoroul (Portugal)")
Castle
(from Latin: castellum),
is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace.
.jpg "Castle of Ourém (Portugal)")
Although popularly associated with the European Middle Ages, structures with similar functions have been employed since the Stone Age all over the planet. As recent examples have the castles of Japan and the fortifications of the Incas.
( some photos were taken from the net )
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