Medieval History Information

The golden age of castles and chateaux was during the Medieval period. As discussed in the Castles and Chateaux History Information section, the early fortifications were not true Castles and Chateaux.

The Middle Ages (Medieval History period) was a period of great cultural, political, and economic change in Europe typically dated from around 500 AD to approximately 1500 AD (European timeline for Middle Ages). The Middle Ages witnessed the first sustained urbanisation of northern and western Europe. It is period that has been researched thoroughly; there are many resources - magazines, conferences, journals and even links and pages on web sites about Medieval History!

During this period we see the first true castles and chateau in Europe. Initially for warfare but later the kings and nobility built them as palatial homes or in some cases the equivalent of weekend retreats!

In early Chateaux and Castles  we look at the construction and their use for warfare purposes in Europe - particularly the British castles after the Norman invasion.  Chateaux Palaces looks at how Chateau, in the late Middle Ages, were used has homes for the nobility!

Finally, we come to the modern Chateau. Although many are still used as residences, the use of chateaux has in many cases become commercial - as in wine chateaux, tourism (hotels / apartments) or visitor centres.