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lozdrop
Member
posted 09-09-2002 02:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lozdrop   Click Here to Email lozdrop     Edit/Delete Message
i was just wondering if you could reply to my question because it is very important that I get it answered. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of living in a castle in the middle ages?

Erik Schmidt
Senior Member
posted 09-09-2002 06:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Erik Schmidt   Click Here to Email Erik Schmidt     Edit/Delete Message
A lot of people lived in castles.
What kind of person are you referring to.
-the lord of the castle
-the lady of the castle
-a servant(baker, cook, hand maid etc.)
-a member of the garrison(soldier)
-a knight in service to the lord of the castle?

Erik

Merlin
Senior Member
posted 09-10-2002 05:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Merlin   Click Here to Email Merlin     Edit/Delete Message
The living standards in most castles were slightly higher then those in other houses. But this has to be relativated for the later middle ages (13th century onwards) when living in a town became more and more popular. Until then, castles were the important centres of social, economic and political life for the surrounding lands (which could be very small or very large), even if they stood inside a town or city. With churches and royal palaces they were among the first medieval buildings to be made of stone, which allowed to build structures with more luxury for representation.
Living in a castle was more secure because the inhabitants were better protected against robbery and pilage in case of war. But you also could become a target for enemies just because you lived in a castle that controled an important road or river.
In many castles space was a rare good, especially in the winter, when only a few rooms were warm and it became very narrow and very dark inside. And, last but not least, living in a castle was much more expensive – it took a lot of money and workforce to uptain a certain standard, to repair the walls and roofs, to keep the walls guarded day and night. For many noble families those costs became too high in later centuries, so they had to give up their castle and move into a town-house or become simple farmers again.

These are only some of many points – hope it helps...

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