What are some buildings that are symbols of power today?

1. What basic structure was used for the earliest castles? What was the central building of a castle called?

1. The earliest castles, wooden forts, used the structure of the motte (mound) and bailey (outer wooden wall). A castle’s central building was called its keep.

2. What do the world of the castle and the world outside the castle tell us about life in the Middle Ages?

2. The worlds inside and outside the castle tell us that there was a sharp social division between the privileged and the common people.

3. How did medieval castles offer protection to people of the towns that grew up around them?

3. People would take refuge from battles behind the walls of castles

4. What castle, dating from 1077 and still standing, is Europe’s largest fully preserved castle?

4. Salzburg, Castle, in Salzburg, Austria, is Europe’s largest fully preserved castle.

5. Which castle in England has, for more than 900 years, been the official residence of the kings and queens of England?

5. Windsor Castle is the official British royal residence.