Visiting castles in France can be exciting – with all the stories of ferocious battles and knights in shining armor. Some of the castles are even known to have a resident ghost.
France has well over 1,000 castles throughout the country. A few of these castles have been used as stage sets for movies, such as Jeanne d’Arc and Chocolat.
So why are there so many castles in France? Castles served primarily as the residence of a nobleman who defended certain territories. They were places especially designed to protect the nobleman and citizens from any invading army, which is the reason why castles have drawbridges and battlements. Each castle was a fortress where the nobleman could control the surrounding territory.
One of the most famous castles in France would probably be the Chateau de Versailles. This castle was once just a village 10 miles from Paris, but today it is a suburb of the capital city. It has always been the center of power for the absolute monarchies. Noblemen from all the surrounding territories were required by Louis XIV to spend some of their time every year at Versailles, so that he could prevent regional power from developing.
If you venture out into the countryside, you’ll find that many French castles are built high on top of cliffs, such as Castlenaud and Beynac in the Perigord region. East of Beynac is the French Chateau de Montfort. This castle has seen many wars throughout the past, burned down and rebuilt many times.
Gordes, in Provence, is also a highlight and popular tourist destination. The village homes are made of stone, in colours of honey and terracotta, with its medieval castle perched at the top. The relaxed and laid back atmosphere which prevails around the village, makes it easy to forget that Gordes has had a tumultuous history, having been besieged during the Wars of Religion.
Famous French castles are not the only things you’ll see. There are many villages that were built on hillsides, as fortresses during a battle, and have remained today. All of them with amazingly gorgeous surroundings – a standout being the Lot Valley, which covers 4 districts: Midi-Pyrenees, Acquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Auvergne.
Najac, for example, is a village that was built on a ridge – one reason for this was that it was much harder to fight when a soldier had to run uphill, and it was easier for the defending people to fight looking down on the enemy. The village still has the fortress and medieval style homes.
Penne is a beautiful picturesque village that is a must-see, built on the side of a lush green hill. The battlements are located at the top, with the beautiful medieval houses just below the battlements; the 12th century church makes you feel like you are stepping into the past.
Hopefully, this small tidbit of information shows that the culture and French architecture in the larger cities is not all that there is to see, while touring France.
Category: ‘Daggers’
Castles in France – Dungeons and Daggers, Oh My
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A Short History of the Dagger
Before there were swords, before even spears, there was the dagger. In fact, the dagger was quite possibly the first real weapon ever created by man. Oh sure, it may not have been called a dagger back then, more of a knife really, made from stone then chipped and scraped into a sharp point. It is believed that Thag the Smart Guy, a popular caveman from prehistoric times, first invented the dagger to kill a rival caveman named Grung. He is quoted as saying “Me tired of Grung hitting me with rocks. Me gonna fix him.” However, since this whole incident took place before recorded history, it’s all pretty much hearsay.
The true dagger is a weapon that has both edges sharpened. The length and width of daggers varied quite a bit throughout history, especially early on, when the line between dagger and sword was notably blurred. Typical daggers tend to be no more than 14 inches or so in length, with European daggers usually having crossguards and pommels (and, knowing medieval Europeans, probably bloodstains as well).
Swords supposedly owe their existence to daggers. In the arms-race of ancient history, daggers allegedly became longer and longer until they became in all respects, swords. When swords took over the dominant role in combat, daggers were still kept around for several reasons; they were great for close quarters fighting, they could be hidden easily and, if weighted properly, could be thrown at opponents. Daggers were also still quite popular in the dining halls to cut and skewer food as well (seriously).
In the renaissance, daggers regained much of their popularity, but this time in a supporting role. Swords had become lighter and faster, allowing combatants to hold another weapon in their free hand. That weapon was usually a dagger and was used mostly to parry, bind or slow and opponents blade. Later, specialized daggers with large, basket-type hand guards were created to make the weapon even better suited to its new defensive role. The new dagger was often referred to as “Main-Gauche,” which in French means “My Gosh!” and was said to have originated from the first guy to die when his blade was parried by one such dagger. Alright, that’s not really true. “Main-Gauche” actually means “Left Hand”, which is a LOT less exciting than my definition, isn’t it?
Daggers have, throughout history also had more insidious roles as well. Their small size and ability to deliver quick lethal strokes made them excellent weapons for more unsavory types. Assassins relied on them because they were easy to hide. Julius Caesar, Caligula (and several other Roman Emperors), Poet Christopher Marlowe, St. Lucy, Scottish Regent Earl Douglas, and many many others in history have been assassinated by enemies wielding daggers. Another dark task given to daggers has been to dispatch of sacrificial offerings, whether the offering consisted of animals or humans. Many cultures throughout time have practiced ritual sacrifice and, usually, this was done using daggers (often ornate ones at that).
Daggers eventually gave way to knives as time went on. Knives are generally single-edged weapons and are used for a large variety of utilitarian functions, only one of which is killing things. Knives have been carried by hunters, soldiers, craftsmen, repairmen and angry, crazy people everywhere (Strongblade obviously does not condone nor tolerate any kind of illegal activity with its weapons, nor will we sell our items to anyone we think will use them irresponsibly or in a “crazy” fashion).