With the appearance of firearms, the
embrasure
designated more specifically the opening made in a fortified structure to allow the firing of these weapons. In modern architecture, the embrasures are provided during construction because they are intended to receive a door or a window.
Do castles have windows?
Windows in a real castle are rarely seen below the top floor, although
they have been added in later times in many castles
. Renaissance windows were added to many medieval castles. Early windows were not large, and often were not glazed. … Early windows often had stone seats built into the castle walls next to them.
What are windows in a castle called?
With the appearance of firearms, the
embrasure
designated more specifically the opening made in a fortified structure to allow the firing of these weapons. In modern architecture, the embrasures are provided during construction because they are intended to receive a door or a window.
What are small windows in castles called?
Senior Member. Hi susanna – usually the outer walls of the castle or fortress don’t really have “windows” but small openings, usually for arrows or other weapons. These are called “
arrowslits” or “embrasures
.”
What is the tower on a castle called?
In architecture,
a turret
(from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle.
What are the features of a castle?
- Outer defenses.
- Moat.
- Walls (inner and outer)
- Towers (inner and outer)
- Gatehouses, drawbridges and barbicans.
- Inner defenses.
- Baileys or wards.
- Living quarters and support buildings.
What is the top part of a castle called?
The battlements
are the top sections of the outer wall of the castle. Now to access these battlements the archers would stand on a walk way that was a wall in it’s own right. This walkway is built right up against the outer wall and is called the Rampart.
How did they keep castles warm?
Thick stone walls, tiny unglazed windows and inefficient open fires
made the classic castle something of a challenge to keep warm. … By heating the stones as well as the chamber, and directing the smoke away from the room, these fireplaces made life in a medieval castle a considerably more comfortable affair.
Was glass used in castles?
Glass was expensive, so
it was rarely used in castle windows
. Diamond (or “angled”) mullions, which indicate a window without glass, were found from at least the 14th century, and were used for bedrooms, store rooms and other chambers until the late 17th.
Where did soldiers sleep in a castle?
In the early Middle Ages, when few castles had large permanent garrisons, not only servants but military and administrative personnel slept in
towers or in basements
, or in the hall, or in lean-to structures; knights performing castle guard slept near their assigned posts.
What are loopholes in a castle?
An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is
a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts
.
What is a portcullis in a castle?
:
a grating of iron hung over the gateway of a fortified place and lowered between grooves to prevent passage
.
How thick is a castle wall?
The height of walls varied widely by castle, but were often
2.5–6 m (8.2–19.7 ft) thick
. They were usually topped with crenellation or parapets that offered protection to defenders.
What kind of rooms are in a castle?
- The Great Hall.
- Bed Chambers.
- Solars.
- Bathrooms, Lavatories and Garderobes.
- Kitchens, Pantries, Larders & Butteries.
- Gatehouses and Guardrooms.
- Chapels & Oratories.
- Cabinets and Boudoirs.
What is the point of a castle called?
A keep
was a great tower and usually the most strongly defended point of a castle before the introduction of concentric defence. “Keep” was not a term used in the medieval period – the term was applied from the 16th century onwards – instead “donjon” was used to refer to great towers, or turris in Latin.
What are the up and down bits on a castle called?
The raised parts are called
cops or merlons
, the indentations embrasures or crenelles. Also, you can read the entry for battlement in the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. You can also take a look at a page all about parts of castles in the Middle Ages for some related vocabulary.
