What do Machicolations do?
A machicolation is an opening in a medieval castle for dropping rocks or boiling water on an enemy. It’s like a sneaky window in a castle that lets people drop stuff on their enemies to keep them from coming in.
What is a Machicolated roofline?
1a : an opening between the corbels of a projecting parapet or in the floor of a gallery or roof of a portal for discharging missiles upon assailants below — see battlement illustration. b : a gallery or parapet containing such openings.
Why did castles have murder holes?
Murder holes were essential elements of a medieval gatehouse as the gatehouse was built to protect the castles entrance from enemy attack as it was traditionally the most vulnerable part of the medieval castle.
What were crenellations used for?
Crenellations are one of the most recognizable elements of a medieval castle. These upright projections resemble teeth, bared at invaders to prevent their attempted entries and at allies to show the owner’s strength. Each upright section is called a merlon or crenel, and they protected defenders from attacks.
What was the purpose of the dwelling tower?
Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces. At the same time, they were also used as an aristocrat’s residence, around which a castle town was often constructed.
What is a portcullis in a castle?
: a grating of iron hung over the gateway of a fortified place and lowered between grooves to prevent passage.
What is a Barbican in a medieval castle?
A barbican (from Old French: barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes.
What is the meaning of Merlon?
: any of the solid intervals between crenellations of a battlement — see battlement illustration.
What kind of buildings have machicolations on them?
After the Knights were given rule over Malta, machicolations also became a common feature on rural buildings, until the 18th century. Buildings with machicolations include Cavalier Tower, Gauci Tower, the Captain’s Tower, Birkirkara Tower and Tal-Wejter Tower.
Why is the machicolated tower called the Porte de Vence?
Machicolated tower. This tower gate is one of the rare vestiges of Saint-Paul de Vence’s medieval town walls. It is also known as the “Porte de Vence”, i.e. the Vence gate, because it faces in the direction of the town of Vence.
Where was the first machicolation built in France?
One of the first examples of machicolation that still exists in northern France is at the Château de Farcheville built in 1291 outside Paris. The origins are from Syria and the Crusaders brought their design to Europe. Machicolations were a common feature in many towers in Rhodes, which were built by the Knights Hospitallers.
Where was the first castle with a machicolation built?
Machicolations were more common in French castles than English, where they were usually restricted to the gateway, as in the 13th-century Conwy Castle. One of the first examples of machicolation that still exists in northern France is Château de Farcheville built in 1291 outside Paris.
