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Who lived in the keep of a castle?

What other rooms were there in a Medieval castle? At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.



The keep, historically referred to as the donjon, served as the heart of a medieval castle and the ultimate stronghold for its inhabitants. Primarily, it was the residence of the lord of the castle, his immediate family, and his most trusted knights. During the early medieval period, the keep was a multifunctional space where the noble family ate, slept, and conducted business in a central Great Hall. It was designed with thick walls and high elevations to be the safest place during a siege. While later castles moved living quarters to more comfortable "ranges" along the outer walls, the keep remained the symbolic seat of power. It also housed high-ranking servants, legal officials, and occasionally prestigious prisoners, though the lower levels were more likely used for storage of grain, wine, and armaments rather than living space for common soldiers.

The keep of a castle was typically the residence of the lord or noble family who owned the castle. It served as their primary living quarters and was the most secure and fortified part of the structure. The keep often housed private chambers, a great hall for feasting and conducting business, and sometimes a chapel. In times of siege or danger, the keep was the last line of defense, offering protection to the lord, their family, and their closest retainers. Additionally, the keep might also house important guests or high-ranking officials visiting the castle.

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At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

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castle. keep, English term corresponding to the French donjon for the strongest portion of the fortification of a castle, the place of last resort in case of siege or attack.

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Since the 16th century, the English word keep has commonly referred to large towers in castles. The word originates from around 1375 to 1376, coming from the Middle English term kype, meaning basket or cask, and was a term applied to the shell keep at Guînes, said to resemble a barrel.

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Without electricity and just wood for heat, castles were often dark and cold in Medieval times, Bachrach said.

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Castles, abandoned farm homes, historic towers—these are among the 103 disused buildings that the Italian government will be giving away for free. But free, of course, does not mean it costs you nothing.

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A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.

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THE NORMAN KEEP This type is known as a 'shell' keep because its outer walls provided a protective shell for smaller buildings within. The stone Keep was built in the early 12th Century by Robert Consul, Earl of Gloucester, replacing the timber defences of Robert Fitzhamon, Norman Lord of Glamorgan.

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In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below.

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Before castles were built, different communities of people built their own shelters and fortifications in Scotland. For examples, Vikings built longhouses and Romans built hillforts.

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While kings and queens certainly took up residence in palaces as well as castles, nonmilitary royals might also have lived in (or still live in) palaces. Bishops and ministers could live in castles to showcase the power of their immense riches rather than their nonexistent military power.

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