What exactly is a castle? Like the French chateau and the Spanish castillo the word castle comes from the Latin castellum meaning “a fortified place” — and that’s what a castle is. As opposed to a palace which is an unfortified royal residence or a fortress which was fortified but wasn’t lived in by nobles castles were both the home of the local lord and his protection.

Castles were built mostly in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. Their main purpose was first and foremost for defense to protect the lord and his family and servants from attack but also to show off the lord’s power rank and wealth.

Because they were primarily for defense castles were usually built in places easy to defend such as on hilltops cliffs or surrounded by water whether a river or a man-made moat. Today many castles are uninhabited but are open to the public to visit.