THE CASTLE IN MEDIEVAL HISTORY

The castle for the most part has been neglected by historians both as a force in medieval history and as a resource for the study of the Middle Ages. The present examination attempts to bring into focus the ways in which the castle can be seen as a prime institutional force in the creation, passage, and decline of medieval civilization. The study is accomplished through the use of architectural data pertaining to the origin, transition, and dissolution of the castle and its relationship to the general trends in medieval politics, society, economics, and culture.;Throughout the study emphasis is placed on the manner in which the castle as an architectural, technological entity served to shape and reinforce the course of medieval history. The conclusion reemphasizes the importance of the castle for the period of the Middle Ages and asserts the validity of the castle as a source for the study of all facets of medieval civilization.;The factors that brought about the political and military system known as feudalism are discussed in connection with the factors that created the castle as an architectural form. The maturation of the feudal system is considered in relation to the architectural transitions which occurred in the castle. The High Middle Ages is examined topically through an account of the part played by the castle in the lives of the medieval aristocracy and peasantry and through discussions of the affiliations between the castle and the medieval church, and the castle and medieval artistic culture. Returning to a chronological framework the decline of medieval civilization is analyzed in association with the concurrent decline of the castle as a viable architectural form.