Name: Bastions of Power
Uploaded: 2019
Description: Images of castles have always conjured up stories of adventure, opulence, and power. Yet, what was life really like behind their walls?

Images of castles have always conjured up stories of adventure, opulence, and power. Yet, what was life really like behind their walls?

Part 1 of our documentary follows their development from simple wooden fortifications to the most elaborate strongholds and residences.

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Life behind the Walls of Europe's Castles

We examine the military function of castles from the 11th to the 16th century. When the enemy was at their gates, they had to withstand battering rams, catapults, and sapping which called for ever new solutions by their defenders until, finally, large-calibre cannons spelt their end.

We examine the military function of castles from the 11th to the 16th century.