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soccergurlie335 · Guest

I need to know the difference for my band class!!!! I want chocolate!!!!

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Guest · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 1:46 pm Post subject:

First congratulations. This whole website has been a fountian of ignorance and I was about to go elsewhere when I bumped into your question, which is actually a good one.

The main difference is defense. Castles, which usually date from an earlier time period, were built mainly with the idea of keeping other people out. Although they could sometimes be very lavishly decorated, particularly the keep, which was the castle holder's private residence and the last hold out in invasion, castles were primarily millitary instillations. They were hugely expensive to build, and so became quite a status symbol, but they were primarily military.

As gun powder became more common in Europe (what I've been talking about is European castles--my degree is in Medieval European history--non-European castles are a whole other thing) it became a waste of money to build thick walls and high towers, only to have them brought down with an explosion. By that time, armies were becoming larger and borders were better defended, royalty was becoming more powerful, and were able to enforce the peace so their nobles didn't have to worry about defending against EACH OTHER. The aristocracy was also becoming more wealthy and wanted to show it. Palaces really reappeared with the Renaissance. Earlier, people who had had palaces were the most powerful--Emperors, Popes, during the Classical period, Roman Senitors and generals. Basically people who could afford some other line of defence, so they could show their wealth--and security, because wealth BOUGHT security--by opulence.

By the way, palaces aren't exactly the decendents of castles. Weathly medieval people tended to favor manor houses, which were often fortified, unless they were near a castle where the family could evacuate to in case of war, or town houses, which didn't need to be fortified if it were in a walled town. By the Renaissance, there was getting to be less and less difference between the landholding class and the wealthier merchants. As the class lines blurred, the homes of the two started to be more and more alike.

I took the time to answer your question. Please have enough respect for me not to just cut and paste what I wrote and take credit for my work. Absorbing information, comprehending it and making it yours is how you go about thinking for yourself, and that's always a good thing.

Guest

Thank you I need to know that too.
Very Happy

hottamaleyaya · Guest

i still dont get why palaces took place........didnt they still need protection?
help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Sad

Thompson · Guest

I need to know the differences between a manor house and a castle for my Venn diagram for my Language Arts project.[color=red][/color] Sad

lyberrian · Guest

Thank you for a wonderfully concise answer! It was a great help in explaining the differences to my class.

richgirl413 · Guest

[b][color=red]Yes but that only gives me 2 reasons about how they were different! I need..like,,, three!!! So if anybody know a reason why castles and palaces are different other than 1) they were made 4 different reasons or 2) they were built differently please post it!!!! Rolling Eyes

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Guest

[quote="Anonymous"]Thanx so much!!!!! Where did you get that information? I need some more for my castle project for school. Please hrlp me some more. I could really use it. Laughing