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(relaxed music)

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Miraculously preserved, restored,

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or in ruins, castles always fascinate the public.

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The Middle Ages is an era of builders.

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They left us extraordinary monuments

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which are important to our identity.

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Centuries after their appearance

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on the landscape, they remain with cathedrals symbols

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of the Middle Ages, of the power of those

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who built them, their lords or sovereigns.

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For Philip II, the construction

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of castles was a tool with which to restore

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the authority of the king of France.

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Their construction accompanied the political

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and cultural evolution of the medieval period.

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Hundreds were built in Europe

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and up to the gates of the Middle East.

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But their shape, layout, and characteristics

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evolved considerably over time.

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There's innovation,

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but there's also competition to build the best,

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most perfect, most original, newest castle.

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From the first stone towers

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erected in a few months to the colossal sites

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of Carcassone and Chambord, for five centuries

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between 1000 and 1500 A.D., these constructions

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shaped the landscape of a nation in the making.

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From then on, numerous powers

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are centered around the castle.

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Border fortresses like Salses

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or royal castles like Vincennes,

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these buildings will have three functions,

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accommodation, defense, and a statement of prestige.

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They're the markers of a world in constant mutation.

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Together, they tell the tale

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of 500 years of the Middle Ages.

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The appearance of castles in Europe owes nothing to chance.

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During the long period of Roman peace in the first centuries

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of our era, a few castra, or fortified villas,

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had been built at the empire's border, nothing more.

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In Latin texts, we see the term castrum.

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So castrum, or castellum, gradually becomes castle.

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Castellum simply means village.

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It's a very generic term.

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And during the ninth and 10th century,

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we gradually see the meaning changing from a stronghold,

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which can be a very large fortified city,

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to gradually become what we understand as a place

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that is indeed fortified, but is also a residence.

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And not just anyone's residence,

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but the residence of a person with power.

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(dramatic music)

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In the ninth century, the partition

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of Charlemagne's empire plunged western Europe into chaos.

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The authority of the king, but also that of his vassals,

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the counts, in considerably weakened.

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The fortified villas have to make way

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for new types of constructions,

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especially since from the eighth and ninth century,

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this vast region, which isn't yet France,

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is beset by numerous invasions.

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Hungarians to the east.

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Vikings to the north and west.

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Saracens to the south.

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To impede their progress, Europe covers itself with castles.

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First in the west and south of France,

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then in Normandy, Germany, and England.

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Feudalism is on the rise.

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The lords, emancipated from a weakened monarchy,

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set out to conquer territory.

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But they then need to protect it.

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They create fortifications that can be built

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in record time, around three months.

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Motte-and-bailey castles, set on artificial mounds.

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To symbolize and concrete entrench

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their castle, they had to artificially create an elevation

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in order to see far away and be seen from far away.

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The average size of these cone-shaped mounds is

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about 30 meters in diameter at the bass and 10 at the top.

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The height varies from six to 12 meters,

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creating a slope of 35 to 55 degrees.

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Upon this stands a keep, between 15 and 25 meters tall.

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Below it is a courtyard, which is usually circular or oval.

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It's surrounded by a ditch

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and a rampart surmounted by a wooden fence.

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A wooden gatehouse defends the entrance.

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This is where the service buildings, stables,

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ovens, wine presses, and forges are located.

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It's something simple

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that's technically very easy to build.

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It could be made from materials taken from the ditch,

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using the workforce that you have at your beck and call.

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So you don't need real technicians to build this structure.

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Motte-and-bailey castles

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will multiply over the 10th and 12th centuries.

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Their defense rests on a succession of obstacles,

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ditches, embankments, wooden fences,

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and the ability to withstand a siege.

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The keep, often accessible by a simple ladder,

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is a sign of the lord's prestige and authority.

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This is where he lives with his family.

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Aude, in the Pas-de-Calais,

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built about 1120, has four levels,

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a partially buried ground floor, acting as a cellar

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and granary, topped with an upper floor,

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consisting of a hall and the lord's bedchamber.

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Above this was the room reserved for the lord's children,

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and that assigned to the guards.

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Finally, at the very top was the lord's private chapel.

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Once again, this is a symbol

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to show the rest of the population

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and the rest of the aristocracy

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that you've made your mark on the landscape.

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(mysterious music)

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At this time, the lords are clashing

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in private wars in order to expand and assert their power.

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Motte-and-bailey castles spread

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in western Europe and into England.

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They represent authority and power,

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and allow the domain to be protected from enemy raids.

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These first wooden structures, effective

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against small troops of infantrymen and horsemen,

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nonetheless have a weak point, fire.

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During the 10th and 11th centuries, defensive installations

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will be reinforced by the use of stone,

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some stone defenses being built

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in place of the old wooden fortifications.

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Like Restormel Castle in southern England.

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In France, the architecture of the first fortifications

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is influenced by the Normans, firmly implanted

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over a vast area they now see as a kind of nation

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they have to protect from their neighbors' appetites.

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It's a constant risk in the feudal system,

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losing one's legitimacy by being

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swallowed up by someone stronger.

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So they defend themselves by keeping others out.

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In this constant quest for protection,

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masonry will strengthen the defense system of castles

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from the start of the 11th century.

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The most powerful and wealthy lords

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replace the wooden keeps with large stone towers.

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The most famous of these lords, Fulk Nerra,

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who became count of Anjou at only 17,

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will have 30 or so fortresses built,

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including Loches, in Indre-et-Noire,

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one of the oldest and most imposing stone keeps.

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With this construction, Fulk Nerra establishes himself

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in everyone's eyes as the king's equal.

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He has a choice

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between two kinds of construction.

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It can be strategic, but it can also be

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a kind of ostentatious castle palace that's the expression

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of both his power and his taste for pomp as a great lord.

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So, for example, a keep like Loche isn't a tool of war.

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It's built entirely of stone and dressed stone, what's more.

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Set back from the more recent fortifications,

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the rectangular keep at Loche

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measures about 25 by 15 meters.

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It is 37 meters tall.

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There is a door on the least vulnerable side.

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The windows are splayed a narrow on the outside.

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On the third floor, wider openings probably

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gave access to an overhanging wooden gallery,

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making it possible to change aim or to drop stones

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on attackers reaching the base of the walls.

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(stone rumbles)

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We see signs of residential keeps

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from around 900 in France,

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generally with one lower room or two levels of lower rooms.

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And a great hall, which often also led to the tower, which

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is a multifunctional reception room on the first floor.

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Above that is a space called the camera,

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the bedchamber, for example, which is more private.

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And then often a defensive floor in the upper part,

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which is a guard's room and also serves as a watchtower.

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The defense of such a fortress

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is purely passive.

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The wider and deeper the castles' ditches,

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the higher its walls,

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the better its defense from incursions.

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That's passive defense.

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(driving music)

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This passive defense

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is combined with deep defense.

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Most fortresses from the Roman period

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are located in particularly inaccessible places,

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at the crossroads of strategic communication routes.

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Numerous obstacles prevent the attacker

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from approaching the keep,

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ditches, ramparts, or wooden fences.

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The castle is built in a naturally

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well-defended place, on a hill, surrounded by a river,

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forming natural obstacles to a potential enemy's advance.

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They slow down the enemy's advance.

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They isolate and protect themselves,

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and design a castle as a refuge.

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That doesn't mean they do nothing at all,

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because we know that at the top of the castle walls,

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there were wall walks from which

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they could shoot and keep watch.

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But it's still relatively passive.

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Obstacles, walls, ditches, natural defenses.

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Many keeps built during the 11th century

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adopted the old square design that was easy to construct.

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The Anglo-Norman model of this type of building

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is the Tower of London, built around 1070

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by William the Conqueror.

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Or the large keep of Chateau de Falaise in Normandy, built

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at the start of the 12th century.

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But square keeps soon show their defense limits.

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Their badly defended corners, creating blind spots,

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are easily accessible to attackers.

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They can dig saps, tunnels underneath the foundations

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of the keeps or walls, which are then stuffed

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with flammable material to bring down the wall

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and allow access to the keep.

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These square keeps will soon disappear in favor

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of round ones, better suited to the art of war.

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This will be the great widespread innovation

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of the 12th and 13th centuries, but it won't happen

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until the reign of the builder king, Philip II.

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(relaxed music)

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From the early 12th century, the castle represents

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much more than just a fortification.

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It is also a place for everyday life.

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The peasants come there to work,

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maintaining the walls, clearing the ditches,

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or farming the lord's land, his domain.

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The master of the house lives there with his large family,

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brothers, sisters, cousins.

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The knights move into the fiefs granted them by their lord,

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where they build fortified homes.

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But this sudden independence has an effect

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on their relationship with the lord to whom they're bound.

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There are two great rituals,

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the oath of fealty and the act of homage.

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You swear an oath, something spiritual and mysterious,

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which is over your head,

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and you promise not to harm your lord.

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You are a part of his court.

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It's a society where a man's worth is measured

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by the number of people he has around him, serving him.

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From there, there are numerous

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powers centered around the castle.

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When the prince is away, homage is paid to the castle.

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In the same way, the king of France

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now demands that the great lords pay him homage

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and swear to give him military support and advice.

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This organization of the relationships

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between vassals sums up the feudal system.

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The pyramid of power rebuilds itself.

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Medieval society evolves.

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If the king, who had lost everything,

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gradually recovers his rights, recovers the ban,

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the power to command and punish, and from now on his courts

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are the only ones that can dispense justice,

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this process involves new castles, or in any case,

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conquering lords' castles

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and adapting them with new techniques.

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Castles are more beautiful, most sophisticated

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in military terms, even more impregnable,

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marking the recovery of the territory by the monarchy.

263
00:14:13,213 --> 00:14:14,907
Especially since in the 12th

264
00:14:14,907 --> 00:14:17,630
and 13th centuries, a period known

265
00:14:17,630 --> 00:14:19,740
as the golden age of castles,

266
00:14:19,740 --> 00:14:23,570
France and England are fighting a merciless war,

267
00:14:23,570 --> 00:14:27,002
a conflict in which castles play a vital part.

268
00:14:27,002 --> 00:14:29,120
We have political entities

269
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,960
that are becoming more powerful,

270
00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:35,273
entering into open war in the 1180s and 1190s.

271
00:14:36,670 --> 00:14:38,270
And this inevitably leads

272
00:14:38,270 --> 00:14:40,510
to the construction of new castles,

273
00:14:40,510 --> 00:14:44,077
and as a result, to strongholds.

274
00:14:44,077 --> 00:14:45,740
There's innovation,

275
00:14:45,740 --> 00:14:48,340
but there's also competition to build the best,

276
00:14:48,340 --> 00:14:51,960
most perfect, most original, newest castle.

277
00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,740
When Philip II ascends the throne in 1180,

278
00:14:55,740 --> 00:14:57,770
the kingdom of France is hardly bigger

279
00:14:57,770 --> 00:15:00,220
than the current Ile-de-France.

280
00:15:00,220 --> 00:15:03,966
Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and even Touraine

281
00:15:03,966 --> 00:15:07,593
are under the thumb of King John of England.

282
00:15:09,619 --> 00:15:12,910
Philip II extends his kingdom at the expense

283
00:15:12,910 --> 00:15:15,493
of the Anglo-Norman rulers, the Plantagenets.

284
00:15:16,950 --> 00:15:18,790
He restores his influence in all

285
00:15:18,790 --> 00:15:21,423
the provinces held by the great vassals.

286
00:15:22,420 --> 00:15:25,203
He sets up an administration to run the kingdom.

287
00:15:26,875 --> 00:15:30,710
Benefiting from the growth of the cities he rallied to him

288
00:15:30,710 --> 00:15:32,350
and the weakening of the lords

289
00:15:32,350 --> 00:15:34,980
impoverished by the first crusades,

290
00:15:34,980 --> 00:15:38,119
Philip II, like his Capetian predecessors,

291
00:15:38,119 --> 00:15:42,750
embarks on a vast initiative to restore royal power.

292
00:15:42,750 --> 00:15:45,680
But he won't stop at territorial gains.

293
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,800
He covers the kingdom with military infrastructures,

294
00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,193
at the forefront of which are castles.

295
00:15:52,435 --> 00:15:54,270
For Philip II,

296
00:15:54,270 --> 00:15:58,017
the construction of castles was obviously as a tool of war

297
00:15:58,017 --> 00:16:01,290
and confrontation, a stronghold.

298
00:16:01,290 --> 00:16:04,433
But it was also a special tool in the service of his power,

299
00:16:05,910 --> 00:16:08,640
his authority, his image.

300
00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,370
For him, it was a tool with which

301
00:16:10,370 --> 00:16:13,313
to restore the authority of the king of France.

302
00:16:14,169 --> 00:16:16,280
In all, about 30 buildings

303
00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,763
bear the king's mark throughout the kingdom.

304
00:16:19,690 --> 00:16:21,520
When he hadn't built them himself,

305
00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,233
he gave them a round tower, a symbol of his authority.

306
00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:31,840
In June, 1204, Philip II was made king of France,

307
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,700
and no longer king of the Franks.

308
00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:37,050
In order to defend his kingdom and keep it

309
00:16:37,050 --> 00:16:40,730
from the ferocious appetites of the Plantagenet sovereigns,

310
00:16:40,730 --> 00:16:45,060
the new king builds fortresses with standardized plans.

311
00:16:45,060 --> 00:16:49,320
A square enclosure, ramparts flanked by circular towers

312
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,890
at the corners, and semicircular towers in the middle.

313
00:16:52,890 --> 00:16:54,623
A keep in the center,

314
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,310
but which soon moves to the corner.

315
00:16:58,310 --> 00:17:00,750
Walls with crenellations.

316
00:17:00,750 --> 00:17:03,360
A walkway around the tops of the walls,

317
00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,890
running from one tower to another.

318
00:17:05,890 --> 00:17:09,180
And finally, a gatehouse and guard room,

319
00:17:09,180 --> 00:17:11,230
solidly built at the entrance.

320
00:17:11,230 --> 00:17:16,050
The show castle and model for all others is in Paris.

321
00:17:16,050 --> 00:17:17,640
The Louvre, which wasn't

322
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,847
the French king's residence, that was the Palais de la Cite.

323
00:17:21,847 --> 00:17:25,200
The Louvre was built in the 1190s.

324
00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:30,200
And it's the ultimate castle that introduces a new model

325
00:17:30,281 --> 00:17:33,060
which will be called the Philippine Castle

326
00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:35,533
in reference to constructions by Philip II,

327
00:17:36,705 --> 00:17:38,420
and which is the result of a great deal

328
00:17:38,420 --> 00:17:40,823
of thought around a standard plan.

329
00:17:43,190 --> 00:17:45,760
The Louvre occupied the southwest corner

330
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,710
of the current square courtyard.

331
00:17:47,710 --> 00:17:50,360
After 12 years of work, the great tower,

332
00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:52,260
the keep, is completed.

333
00:17:52,260 --> 00:17:56,030
31 meters tall, it is surrounded by a circular moat

334
00:17:56,030 --> 00:17:59,435
around 7.5 meters in width and depth.

335
00:17:59,435 --> 00:18:02,640
The fortress walls, forming a square measuring

336
00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,622
78 by 72 meters, are reinforced by 10 towers.

337
00:18:07,622 --> 00:18:11,749
A ditch filled with water completes the defenses.

338
00:18:11,749 --> 00:18:14,130
The main door is to the south,

339
00:18:14,130 --> 00:18:16,453
while a smaller door faces the city.

340
00:18:17,690 --> 00:18:19,880
The west wall is reinforced,

341
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,190
being more vulnerable to attack.

342
00:18:22,190 --> 00:18:24,410
Against the west and south walls,

343
00:18:24,410 --> 00:18:27,260
two buildings house the soldiers, animals,

344
00:18:27,260 --> 00:18:31,000
and equipment necessary to withstand a siege.

345
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,533
The other two walls are simply crenelated.

346
00:18:35,273 --> 00:18:39,363
A deep well and a cistern provide the water supply.

347
00:18:42,540 --> 00:18:45,390
Castles built to Philip II's plan

348
00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:48,940
employed concepts that have existed since ancient times.

349
00:18:48,940 --> 00:18:52,920
That's to say, quadrangular plans, segments of walls

350
00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,180
built fairly high, and crowned with walkways

351
00:18:56,180 --> 00:19:01,180
and regularly flanked, so protected by defensive towers,

352
00:19:01,220 --> 00:19:05,190
the whole thing being surrounded and isolated by ditches.

353
00:19:05,190 --> 00:19:08,910
That's an old idea, but one that's evolving.

354
00:19:08,910 --> 00:19:11,530
Because we now have towers with increasing numbers

355
00:19:11,530 --> 00:19:16,040
of active defense elements, that's to say arrow loops.

356
00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:17,670
These standards, typical

357
00:19:17,670 --> 00:19:21,100
of Philip II's architecture, can be found in Dourdan,

358
00:19:21,100 --> 00:19:23,080
in Essonne, the most accomplished

359
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,153
and best-preserved fortress of its kind.

360
00:19:27,980 --> 00:19:30,320
Curtain walls with battlements,

361
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,860
walkways running around the walls.

362
00:19:32,860 --> 00:19:36,060
A door equipped with a portcullis and other iron

363
00:19:36,060 --> 00:19:38,990
and wood grilles, a solidly built gatehouse

364
00:19:38,990 --> 00:19:41,208
defending the main entrance.

365
00:19:41,208 --> 00:19:44,093
Arrow slits in the towers and walls.

366
00:19:44,995 --> 00:19:47,830
Towers at the corners of the ramparts,

367
00:19:47,830 --> 00:19:50,670
and a keep that gradually supplants the massive

368
00:19:50,670 --> 00:19:54,890
square towers and then disappears in the 13th century,

369
00:19:54,890 --> 00:19:57,410
the lord willingly moving into a building

370
00:19:57,410 --> 00:19:58,733
in the inner courtyard.

371
00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,240
Although this standardization of castle architecture lasts

372
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,630
nearly two centuries, it comes up against the development

373
00:20:09,630 --> 00:20:13,580
of devastating catapults and then artillery.

374
00:20:13,580 --> 00:20:16,430
The architecture will have to adapt once again

375
00:20:16,430 --> 00:20:19,350
and adopt even more defensive forms.

376
00:20:19,350 --> 00:20:22,800
By that time, the towers standardized by the king

377
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,663
will feature in all new fortifications.

378
00:20:26,872 --> 00:20:29,622
(dramatic music)

379
00:20:34,740 --> 00:20:37,180
During the 12th century, following the model

380
00:20:37,180 --> 00:20:40,460
initiated by Philip II, medieval architectures

381
00:20:40,460 --> 00:20:43,840
would favor round, rather than square, towers,

382
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,560
because the siege engine projectiles brought back

383
00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,563
by the crusaders ricochet more easily off their surfaces.

384
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,630
The Crusades, and more generally,

385
00:20:56,630 --> 00:21:00,222
exchanges with the East, had a considerable influence

386
00:21:00,222 --> 00:21:03,180
on the construction of castles at the end

387
00:21:03,180 --> 00:21:06,233
of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century.

388
00:21:07,331 --> 00:21:11,478
Because military engineers were vying with each other

389
00:21:11,478 --> 00:21:16,080
to find new techniques for attack and for defense.

390
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,003
They went back to the large Greco-Roman siege engines,

391
00:21:22,390 --> 00:21:26,728
such as the giant crossbow and trebuchets.

392
00:21:26,728 --> 00:21:29,070
So, counterweight devices.

393
00:21:29,070 --> 00:21:31,180
Capable of firing blocks of stone

394
00:21:31,180 --> 00:21:35,140
weighing over 100 kilos against castle walls and towers,

395
00:21:35,140 --> 00:21:38,170
this impressive siege engine was still let down

396
00:21:38,170 --> 00:21:41,943
by its lack of maneuverability and slow rate of fire.

397
00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,790
The trebuchet is also an example

398
00:21:44,790 --> 00:21:47,773
of medieval biological warfare.

399
00:21:47,773 --> 00:21:51,230
While the defenders dropped foul waste and excrement

400
00:21:51,230 --> 00:21:53,653
onto the attackers from the wooden hoardings,

401
00:21:55,010 --> 00:21:58,210
trebuchets were used to project animal entrails

402
00:21:58,210 --> 00:22:02,282
and infected corpses into the besieged castle

403
00:22:02,282 --> 00:22:05,133
in the hope of contaminating its garrison.

404
00:22:12,730 --> 00:22:16,550
Whatever their size, counterweight, or firing system,

405
00:22:16,550 --> 00:22:18,690
these machines required a large number

406
00:22:18,690 --> 00:22:20,734
of men to operate them.

407
00:22:20,734 --> 00:22:23,930
They also required the knowledge to make them,

408
00:22:23,930 --> 00:22:26,890
and above all, the money to buy them.

409
00:22:26,890 --> 00:22:29,550
The largest siege engines were therefore beyond

410
00:22:29,550 --> 00:22:32,500
the reach of lesser lords, often impoverished

411
00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:35,053
upon their return from various crusades.

412
00:22:36,465 --> 00:22:39,963
So, there's an effort to attack the castles,

413
00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,319
the strongholds, and in return, of course,

414
00:22:44,319 --> 00:22:45,973
an effort to defend them.

415
00:22:47,176 --> 00:22:49,700
The walls are made thicker.

416
00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:52,170
New defenses are created.

417
00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:54,313
Walkways with machicolations.

418
00:22:55,590 --> 00:22:59,170
Systems to drop projectiles on the attackers' heads,

419
00:22:59,170 --> 00:23:02,773
which are found in some 12th-century castles in the West,

420
00:23:04,210 --> 00:23:07,860
such as Chateau-Gaillard, but that we only see developing

421
00:23:07,860 --> 00:23:10,240
at the end of the 14th century.

422
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,420
Chateau-Gaillard, in Normandy,

423
00:23:12,420 --> 00:23:14,850
considered impregnable, was the pride

424
00:23:14,850 --> 00:23:16,470
of Richard the Lionheart.

425
00:23:16,470 --> 00:23:18,450
The English king accomplished the feat

426
00:23:18,450 --> 00:23:20,920
of having it built in only two years.

427
00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,500
It was the last obstacle,

428
00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:26,420
destined to stop Philip II in his advance upon Eure.

429
00:23:26,420 --> 00:23:30,500
It is only after a very long siege in the spring of 1204

430
00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:32,670
that he manages to capture it,

431
00:23:32,670 --> 00:23:36,450
because Chateau-Gaillard is equipped from very early on

432
00:23:36,450 --> 00:23:39,493
with the most effective form of active defenses.

433
00:23:40,850 --> 00:23:42,770
It has to resist attack.

434
00:23:42,770 --> 00:23:44,990
So replacing the wooden hoardings

435
00:23:44,990 --> 00:23:47,860
with stone machicolations in Chateau-Gaillard

436
00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:50,992
was a very novel thing to do in the West.

437
00:23:50,992 --> 00:23:54,150
There were stone machicolations on arches

438
00:23:54,150 --> 00:23:58,340
at the top of the tower, and the walls were thicker.

439
00:23:58,340 --> 00:24:01,395
The walls of Chateau-Gaillard are very thick.

440
00:24:01,395 --> 00:24:05,319
There's great mechanical resistance to ballistic impact.

441
00:24:05,319 --> 00:24:08,470
The spur was there in case of ballistic fire

442
00:24:08,470 --> 00:24:11,630
to deflect projectiles and stop them from landing,

443
00:24:11,630 --> 00:24:15,370
while the scalloped edge is also to repel ballistic fire

444
00:24:15,370 --> 00:24:17,840
to make the projectiles ricochet off

445
00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:19,830
and minimize the impact.

446
00:24:19,830 --> 00:24:23,480
The thicker walls and the shape are a real solution.

447
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,590
In the 12th and 13th centuries,

448
00:24:25,590 --> 00:24:28,280
simple entrenchment is no longer enough.

449
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,303
With the architecture of Philip II, defense becomes active.

450
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,045
The castle can now protect all of the lands surrounding it.

451
00:24:38,045 --> 00:24:41,580
Because men posted on its wall walks or hiding

452
00:24:41,580 --> 00:24:45,350
in its guard house can actively defend the building

453
00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:49,394
thanks to new defensive mechanisms in the towers and walls

454
00:24:49,394 --> 00:24:53,230
and their ability to move along the curtain walls.

455
00:24:53,230 --> 00:24:55,770
Advances in the art of construction have made

456
00:24:55,770 --> 00:24:59,853
the fortifications even stronger and harder to approach.

457
00:25:01,150 --> 00:25:04,040
During the 13th century, the wooden hoardings,

458
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,650
vulnerable to fire, gradually disappear to be replaced

459
00:25:07,650 --> 00:25:11,600
by cobalt constructions, brattices, small rectangular

460
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,180
structures with openings, and machicolations,

461
00:25:15,180 --> 00:25:18,730
stone galleries running along the tops of the walls.

462
00:25:18,730 --> 00:25:20,710
To better protect the outer wall,

463
00:25:20,710 --> 00:25:22,640
from the middle of the 12th century,

464
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,791
the towers are used as firing positions.

465
00:25:25,791 --> 00:25:27,300
The key element

466
00:25:27,300 --> 00:25:30,100
of active defense is the archer tower.

467
00:25:30,100 --> 00:25:32,860
In a semicircular tower, you make arrow loops

468
00:25:32,860 --> 00:25:35,820
on the sides and front, but on the floor above,

469
00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:37,690
they're in a different place.

470
00:25:37,690 --> 00:25:39,840
That way, all the firing angles

471
00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,210
are covered, leaving no blind spots.

472
00:25:42,210 --> 00:25:45,050
Because staggering the arrow loops at different levels

473
00:25:45,050 --> 00:25:48,390
in a fan shape allows the archer to defend

474
00:25:48,390 --> 00:25:52,131
almost every angle actively from the tower.

475
00:25:52,131 --> 00:25:56,770
This is really implemented from the late 12th century.

476
00:25:56,770 --> 00:25:59,963
And Philip II will do this systematically.

477
00:26:01,723 --> 00:26:04,070
Progress is such that fortresses

478
00:26:04,070 --> 00:26:08,558
can now be built on plains, on flat, open ground.

479
00:26:08,558 --> 00:26:11,080
The architecture of Philip II

480
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,370
will influence English rulers for several centuries.

481
00:26:14,370 --> 00:26:17,020
Dover Castle, on the English coast,

482
00:26:17,020 --> 00:26:20,430
defends the port closest to France.

483
00:26:20,430 --> 00:26:23,350
Henry Plantagenet made it considerably larger

484
00:26:23,350 --> 00:26:28,350
between 1179 and 1188 by adding a splendid palace keep.

485
00:26:29,414 --> 00:26:33,599
In southeast England, Bodiam Castle, built in 1385

486
00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:36,290
in the middle of the 100 Years' War,

487
00:26:36,290 --> 00:26:39,030
is an archetypal French fortress.

488
00:26:39,030 --> 00:26:42,323
It's built on a square base, but doesn't have a keep.

489
00:26:43,856 --> 00:26:46,773
(mysterious music)

490
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,410
Additions, improvements, or real creations,

491
00:26:55,410 --> 00:26:58,130
the principles of the fortification of architecture

492
00:26:58,130 --> 00:27:02,550
initiated by Philip II evolved further with his successors,

493
00:27:02,550 --> 00:27:06,390
his son, Louis VIII, and his grandson, Louis IX,

494
00:27:06,390 --> 00:27:10,078
who ceaselessly expand the royal domain.

495
00:27:10,078 --> 00:27:12,986
Louis IX, or Saint Louis,

496
00:27:12,986 --> 00:27:16,320
who had to fight especially in the south of France

497
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,630
against the count of Toulouse,

498
00:27:18,630 --> 00:27:21,173
had castles, strongholds built.

499
00:27:22,022 --> 00:27:24,478
These eventually became places

500
00:27:24,478 --> 00:27:27,373
from which to exercise royal power.

501
00:27:28,820 --> 00:27:31,750
In 1248, the Treaty of Corbeil

502
00:27:31,750 --> 00:27:35,223
fixed the border between France and Aragon.

503
00:27:35,223 --> 00:27:38,418
A few years earlier, several fortresses perched

504
00:27:38,418 --> 00:27:41,210
at the top of impressive cliffs had been bought

505
00:27:41,210 --> 00:27:44,720
by Louis IX to mark the kingdom's new borders.

506
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,490
Their names were Aguilar, Queribus,

507
00:27:47,490 --> 00:27:50,810
Peyrepertuse, and Puilaurens.

508
00:27:50,810 --> 00:27:53,010
Among these vertiginous citadels,

509
00:27:53,010 --> 00:27:56,183
Peyrepertuse in the Aude is the most impressive.

510
00:27:57,243 --> 00:28:01,470
The fortress, dating from the late 13th century, runs along

511
00:28:01,470 --> 00:28:06,470
a 300-meter ridge and stands 500 meters above the valley.

512
00:28:06,590 --> 00:28:08,970
The complex is in three parts,

513
00:28:08,970 --> 00:28:12,860
two castles and a vast central esplanade.

514
00:28:12,860 --> 00:28:17,370
The old keep includes a dwelling and a Romanesque church,

515
00:28:17,370 --> 00:28:21,480
while a second fortress, erected further up in 1242,

516
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,670
allows total autonomy in case of siege.

517
00:28:24,670 --> 00:28:27,010
Although impressive, these citadels

518
00:28:27,010 --> 00:28:29,750
only have very small garrisons.

519
00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:32,620
This is particularly the case with Puilaurens.

520
00:28:32,620 --> 00:28:36,160
Perched on its limestone spur, the fortress is defended

521
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,113
by 20 infantrymen and a pack of dogs.

522
00:28:40,030 --> 00:28:43,624
What could so few men have done in case of invasion?

523
00:28:43,624 --> 00:28:45,410
Would they only have had time

524
00:28:45,410 --> 00:28:47,990
to go down into the valley they overlooked?

525
00:28:47,990 --> 00:28:52,330
In fact, these vertiginous citadels aren't just fortresses.

526
00:28:52,330 --> 00:28:54,870
They're mainly political construction,

527
00:28:54,870 --> 00:28:57,611
weapons in a psychological war.

528
00:28:57,611 --> 00:29:00,650
They symbolize the war of the Capetian kings

529
00:29:00,650 --> 00:29:03,473
to make their mark on the kingdom they govern.

530
00:29:04,570 --> 00:29:07,570
The Albigensian Crusade is an opportunity

531
00:29:07,570 --> 00:29:11,110
for Capetian power to establish a strong foothold

532
00:29:11,110 --> 00:29:14,069
in territories far from the royal seat.

533
00:29:14,069 --> 00:29:16,470
It's true that these castles,

534
00:29:16,470 --> 00:29:20,600
known as border castles because they're coveted territories,

535
00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,184
are very often the synthesis of old fortifications,

536
00:29:24,184 --> 00:29:27,030
old places of power, which are taken,

537
00:29:27,030 --> 00:29:29,720
retaken, and strengthened by various people.

538
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,020
Carcassonne is the prime example.

539
00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:34,930
It dates back to the late Roman Empire.

540
00:29:34,930 --> 00:29:38,080
On top of this infrastructure is a double wall built

541
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,750
to Philip II's standards with new forms, for example

542
00:29:41,750 --> 00:29:45,778
the use of bossage, stones given a rough, rustic appearance.

543
00:29:45,778 --> 00:29:49,270
The towers are a little bit bigger, but it's built

544
00:29:49,270 --> 00:29:53,520
on Philip's model with circular towers and arrow loops.

545
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,970
And it has to be very beautiful,

546
00:29:55,970 --> 00:29:58,840
so therefore very expensive.

547
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,020
But what counts is that the beauty and the final form

548
00:30:02,020 --> 00:30:04,840
of the architecture are proof of the power,

549
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,363
the authority of the Capetian king over these areas.

550
00:30:10,170 --> 00:30:11,670
Carcassonne Castle,

551
00:30:11,670 --> 00:30:13,770
bristling with nine towers,

552
00:30:13,770 --> 00:30:16,000
is an architectural gem.

553
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,620
The city's fortifications are a monumental complex,

554
00:30:19,620 --> 00:30:22,560
with three kilometers of ramparts interspersed

555
00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:26,746
with 40 towers equipped with two large doors.

556
00:30:26,746 --> 00:30:29,497
This huge acropolis towers 50 meters

557
00:30:29,497 --> 00:30:32,490
above the right bank of the River Aude.

558
00:30:32,490 --> 00:30:35,190
The loveliest fortified city in Europe,

559
00:30:35,190 --> 00:30:39,680
Carcassonne has two walls crowned by a wall walk.

560
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,470
The first inner wall sits on the ancient foundations.

561
00:30:43,470 --> 00:30:46,803
The second is protected by 14 towers.

562
00:30:49,063 --> 00:30:52,310
It's a considerable financial investment,

563
00:30:52,310 --> 00:30:54,470
because it's built in dressed stone

564
00:30:54,470 --> 00:30:56,999
and designed for active defense.

565
00:30:56,999 --> 00:31:00,194
There are archer towers, immense towers

566
00:31:00,194 --> 00:31:03,433
with arrow loops up to two to three meters long.

567
00:31:05,150 --> 00:31:08,370
We know very well that arrow loops don't actually need

568
00:31:08,370 --> 00:31:11,754
to be two to three meters long to be more effective.

569
00:31:11,754 --> 00:31:14,860
So there's an ostentatious element.

570
00:31:14,860 --> 00:31:18,680
And also an element of demonstrating royal authority

571
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:20,610
through these constructions,

572
00:31:20,610 --> 00:31:23,783
which are also obviously strong constructions.

573
00:31:25,220 --> 00:31:27,700
The criteria for choosing the site of a castle

574
00:31:27,700 --> 00:31:32,051
was strategic, political, and also environmental.

575
00:31:32,051 --> 00:31:36,520
The site had to be close to a quarry and a forest,

576
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,143
which had to provide the materials for the site.

577
00:31:41,580 --> 00:31:45,540
After the forest has been cleared, the land is surveyed.

578
00:31:45,540 --> 00:31:48,049
Using a rope with 13 knots divided

579
00:31:48,049 --> 00:31:50,430
into 50 centimeters cubits,

580
00:31:50,430 --> 00:31:53,480
the master mason marks out the future building.

581
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,070
Stakes are planted at the center of the towers,

582
00:31:56,070 --> 00:31:58,890
then connected by ropes, determining the lines

583
00:31:58,890 --> 00:32:01,123
on which the curtain walls will stand.

584
00:32:03,460 --> 00:32:05,910
The building work is done by specialists

585
00:32:05,910 --> 00:32:08,510
with specific functions and skills.

586
00:32:08,510 --> 00:32:11,390
Stonecutters, masons, carpenters,

587
00:32:11,390 --> 00:32:14,530
and blacksmiths, divided into guilds.

588
00:32:14,530 --> 00:32:16,850
The cost of this work is high.

589
00:32:16,850 --> 00:32:19,950
The amount of dressed stone used to build a castle

590
00:32:19,950 --> 00:32:24,110
will therefore depend on the budget allocated by the lord.

591
00:32:24,110 --> 00:32:26,260
The size of the castle depends

592
00:32:26,260 --> 00:32:29,990
on the wealth of the person building it, the land he has,

593
00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:33,090
the revenues he can collect, and above all,

594
00:32:33,090 --> 00:32:36,580
the peasants he can make work on the site.

595
00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:39,677
The Middle Ages is an era of builders.

596
00:32:39,677 --> 00:32:43,699
It's a time when a lot of wealth, a lot of capital,

597
00:32:43,699 --> 00:32:47,948
went into building cathedrals and into building castles.

598
00:32:47,948 --> 00:32:51,199
It may have been detrimental to living standards.

599
00:32:51,199 --> 00:32:53,880
It may have been detrimental to the quality

600
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,581
of people's health and education.

601
00:32:56,581 --> 00:33:00,641
But it left us with extraordinary monuments

602
00:33:00,641 --> 00:33:05,033
that are important to our identity and what we are today.

603
00:33:07,744 --> 00:33:10,400
It takes eight to 12 years

604
00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,400
to build the castles of the early 13th century.

605
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,640
During the whole process, the masons will keep watch over

606
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,130
the quality of the assembly and the accuracy of the angles.

607
00:33:20,130 --> 00:33:23,100
They use hoisting gear, such as treadwheels,

608
00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:26,233
some of which can lift a weight of 600 kilograms.

609
00:33:28,540 --> 00:33:31,230
Rib vaulting, beams interlocking

610
00:33:31,230 --> 00:33:34,040
thanks to mortise and tenon joints,

611
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,240
dressed stone windows, each element of a castle

612
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,980
shows incredible craftsmanship.

613
00:33:39,980 --> 00:33:43,050
The site is therefore colossal, a conjunction

614
00:33:43,050 --> 00:33:46,803
of several skills coordinated by the master mason.

615
00:33:48,090 --> 00:33:50,510
We often wonder about the architects,

616
00:33:50,510 --> 00:33:51,810
especially when we're impressed

617
00:33:51,810 --> 00:33:54,337
by the quality of the buildings.

618
00:33:54,337 --> 00:33:57,940
There are cross-ribbed vaults and an elaborate idea

619
00:33:57,940 --> 00:34:00,526
of construction that echoes that of churches.

620
00:34:00,526 --> 00:34:02,288
Of course there are architects,

621
00:34:02,288 --> 00:34:03,943
but we don't have their names.

622
00:34:05,100 --> 00:34:07,250
Unfortunately, apart from a rare few,

623
00:34:07,250 --> 00:34:08,833
they're mostly unknown.

624
00:34:11,260 --> 00:34:13,310
Although the medieval architects' names

625
00:34:13,310 --> 00:34:17,550
have gone, their work, whose beauty and complexity remains

626
00:34:17,550 --> 00:34:21,423
uncontested today, has come down through the centuries.

627
00:34:25,783 --> 00:34:29,470
With the reign of Philip II and his successors,

628
00:34:29,470 --> 00:34:33,670
the kingdom enjoys a period of pacification and stability.

629
00:34:33,670 --> 00:34:37,780
But castles continue to spread over the royal territory.

630
00:34:37,780 --> 00:34:40,490
And although they still meet military standards,

631
00:34:40,490 --> 00:34:43,100
their residential function is growing.

632
00:34:43,100 --> 00:34:44,920
The quest for comfort becomes

633
00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,073
a major concern for their builders.

634
00:34:48,294 --> 00:34:51,700
The keep is eventually abandoned in favor

635
00:34:51,700 --> 00:34:55,460
of a specific building, a dwelling built in the courtyard,

636
00:34:55,460 --> 00:34:58,621
where the lord lives with his servants.

637
00:34:58,621 --> 00:35:02,180
Here we see the emergence of spaces that are

638
00:35:02,180 --> 00:35:04,533
much more suitable as a residence.

639
00:35:07,012 --> 00:35:09,450
And not just anyone's residence,

640
00:35:09,450 --> 00:35:12,950
but the person with the power and his inner circle.

641
00:35:12,950 --> 00:35:15,634
His extended family, his mesnie.

642
00:35:15,634 --> 00:35:17,620
Throughout the Middle Ages,

643
00:35:17,620 --> 00:35:21,010
we have what's called the trilogy, which appears

644
00:35:21,010 --> 00:35:23,763
from the Carolingian era in Latin texts.

645
00:35:24,925 --> 00:35:27,320
Aula, camera, capella.

646
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,010
The reception room, the aula in Latin,

647
00:35:30,010 --> 00:35:33,060
the hall, is a large room on the first floor,

648
00:35:33,060 --> 00:35:36,130
on the noble floor where the lord has his throne.

649
00:35:36,130 --> 00:35:39,530
Where meals are eaten and banquets take place.

650
00:35:39,530 --> 00:35:41,790
It's a place for conviviality.

651
00:35:41,790 --> 00:35:45,528
The tables are set up on trestles and removed after meals.

652
00:35:45,528 --> 00:35:48,430
There's a part which is more private,

653
00:35:48,430 --> 00:35:52,370
the camera in Latin, the chamber.

654
00:35:52,370 --> 00:35:56,330
And then a third place, which is the chapel.

655
00:35:56,330 --> 00:35:59,030
The chapel is not only a place for prayer and worship,

656
00:35:59,030 --> 00:36:02,240
but it's also a cultural place where people write.

657
00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:04,420
Some books are kept there.

658
00:36:04,420 --> 00:36:06,610
The library is in the chapel.

659
00:36:06,610 --> 00:36:09,260
So the castle is a residence and also a place

660
00:36:09,260 --> 00:36:12,173
of culture, which we too often forget.

661
00:36:13,876 --> 00:36:16,240
Light is an element of comfort

662
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:19,295
that is essential to the lord's daily life.

663
00:36:19,295 --> 00:36:23,339
But the first rudimentary castles have few openings.

664
00:36:23,339 --> 00:36:25,393
They're essentially arrow loops.

665
00:36:27,010 --> 00:36:30,440
In the 13th century, large arched gemel windows

666
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:32,853
are common on the less vulnerable facades.

667
00:36:33,850 --> 00:36:36,330
There are dwellings in the courtyard,

668
00:36:36,330 --> 00:36:37,860
like the 12th century houses

669
00:36:37,860 --> 00:36:40,020
that we still see in some cities,

670
00:36:40,020 --> 00:36:44,000
with beautiful gemel windows, which are quite large.

671
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,010
And people like to take advantage of the natural light,

672
00:36:47,010 --> 00:36:49,963
even if there were no big windows like we have today.

673
00:36:52,700 --> 00:36:55,490
From early on, there were stained glass windows

674
00:36:55,490 --> 00:36:58,480
as well as wooden shutters and oilcloth.

675
00:36:58,480 --> 00:36:59,900
And people also took advantage

676
00:36:59,900 --> 00:37:02,820
of the fireplace, torches, et cetera.

677
00:37:02,820 --> 00:37:05,140
Openings are made in large niches

678
00:37:05,140 --> 00:37:08,010
within the thickness of the walls, and provided

679
00:37:08,010 --> 00:37:12,243
on the two side walls with stone benches, window seats.

680
00:37:13,850 --> 00:37:16,240
Fireplaces are undoubtedly the elements

681
00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:18,230
of comfort that appear earliest.

682
00:37:18,230 --> 00:37:21,730
Relatively modest in the early 12th century fortresses,

683
00:37:21,730 --> 00:37:25,690
they become highly sophisticated in later constructions,

684
00:37:25,690 --> 00:37:29,170
the fireplace being synonymous with prestige.

685
00:37:29,170 --> 00:37:31,980
The hood is often decorated with ornaments,

686
00:37:31,980 --> 00:37:35,503
the lord's coat of arms, his motto, moldings,

687
00:37:35,503 --> 00:37:40,503
and richly carved decorations, sometimes painted and gilded.

688
00:37:41,530 --> 00:37:43,750
What is surprising is that we find

689
00:37:43,750 --> 00:37:46,550
in some rare texts, as in archeology,

690
00:37:46,550 --> 00:37:50,590
evidence of a certain luxury in castles very early on,

691
00:37:50,590 --> 00:37:52,690
particularly in everything concerning hygiene.

692
00:37:52,690 --> 00:37:56,612
There're examples in castles of private baths.

693
00:37:56,612 --> 00:37:59,590
There are always latrines in castles.

694
00:37:59,590 --> 00:38:02,670
Then there's the preparation of meals, kitchens,

695
00:38:02,670 --> 00:38:05,510
living spaces, so a whole organization

696
00:38:05,510 --> 00:38:08,450
and layout which becomes more complex.

697
00:38:08,450 --> 00:38:10,580
Water is a vital necessity,

698
00:38:10,580 --> 00:38:12,423
and one of the lord's concerns.

699
00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:16,290
Indispensable to everyday life,

700
00:38:16,290 --> 00:38:18,920
it is even more so in the event of a siege.

701
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:20,893
The fortress must be autonomous.

702
00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:24,570
Perched on a rocky spur, it has systems

703
00:38:24,570 --> 00:38:27,070
where rainwater is stored after being filtered

704
00:38:27,070 --> 00:38:30,050
through a layer of pebbles and sand.

705
00:38:30,050 --> 00:38:33,340
On the plain, every good castle has a well,

706
00:38:33,340 --> 00:38:36,663
which is another element of ornamentation and prestige.

707
00:38:37,593 --> 00:38:40,670
The wealthiest lords' homes have a water supply

708
00:38:40,670 --> 00:38:44,020
in the kitchen or pipes bringing in springwater,

709
00:38:44,020 --> 00:38:46,053
sometimes from several kilometers.

710
00:38:47,646 --> 00:38:49,100
(driving music)

711
00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:51,140
Such is the case in Vincennes,

712
00:38:51,140 --> 00:38:53,300
the ultimate royal castle.

713
00:38:53,300 --> 00:38:56,050
The water is piped directly from springs

714
00:38:56,050 --> 00:39:00,290
on the heights of Montreuil, three kilometers to the north.

715
00:39:00,290 --> 00:39:03,320
Arriving under pressure thanks to the difference in level,

716
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:06,000
the precious liquid is stored in a water tower

717
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,050
before being distributed to the kitchens

718
00:39:08,050 --> 00:39:09,653
and baths of the fortress.

719
00:39:13,170 --> 00:39:15,870
The 50-meter keep, surrounded by a wall

720
00:39:15,870 --> 00:39:19,534
with a castellum consisting of twin towers and a moat,

721
00:39:19,534 --> 00:39:24,033
is surrounded by a vast outer wall, 1,200 meters long.

722
00:39:25,273 --> 00:39:29,110
Typical of early 15th-century military architecture,

723
00:39:29,110 --> 00:39:33,620
the moat is 11 meters deep and 25 meters wide.

724
00:39:33,620 --> 00:39:35,960
The walls are crowned with machicolations

725
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,593
on a series of cornices overhanging the moat.

726
00:39:41,150 --> 00:39:45,160
Built during the 100 Years' War, from 1361,

727
00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,090
these fortifications are typical of the late Middle Ages,

728
00:39:49,090 --> 00:39:51,730
during which the conflict between the kingdoms of France

729
00:39:51,730 --> 00:39:53,470
and England went through several

730
00:39:53,470 --> 00:39:55,743
successive phases of high tension.

731
00:39:57,660 --> 00:40:00,070
During this interminable conflict,

732
00:40:00,070 --> 00:40:03,350
one invention would radically change the art of war

733
00:40:03,350 --> 00:40:06,543
and military architecture, gunpowder.

734
00:40:06,543 --> 00:40:09,228
(explosion rumbling)

735
00:40:09,228 --> 00:40:10,340
(dramatic music)

736
00:40:10,340 --> 00:40:13,980
At the end of the 14th century, numerous pieces of artillery

737
00:40:13,980 --> 00:40:18,026
appear on the battlefield and inside citadels.

738
00:40:18,026 --> 00:40:20,930
The spread of artillery does considerable

739
00:40:20,930 --> 00:40:25,053
damage to the curtain walls and the outer walls of castles.

740
00:40:26,610 --> 00:40:29,240
By firing stone cannonballs from a tube

741
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:31,970
which are smaller than the balls from big catapults,

742
00:40:31,970 --> 00:40:34,610
you can breach a wall just as effectively.

743
00:40:34,610 --> 00:40:37,090
And the cannon is more transportable.

744
00:40:37,090 --> 00:40:39,254
So, the castle wall also has to adapt

745
00:40:39,254 --> 00:40:41,303
to the emerging cannons.

746
00:40:42,357 --> 00:40:45,130
At first, they just enlarge the arrow loops

747
00:40:45,130 --> 00:40:47,613
a bit and designed openings for cannons

748
00:40:47,613 --> 00:40:52,461
with embrasures and cannon ports and then gun ports.

749
00:40:52,461 --> 00:40:55,180
Then they gradually start to design towers

750
00:40:55,180 --> 00:40:57,980
in which cannons can be installed.

751
00:40:57,980 --> 00:41:00,220
If the first stone cannonballs aren't

752
00:41:00,220 --> 00:41:03,640
very effective at demolishing walls, the appearance

753
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:07,670
of cast-iron balls in the mid 15th century changes things,

754
00:41:07,670 --> 00:41:10,663
because their destructive power is devastating.

755
00:41:11,550 --> 00:41:13,560
These are balls that breach walls.

756
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:17,130
Instead of smashing on the walls, they smash the walls.

757
00:41:17,130 --> 00:41:19,280
The strongest, most powerful cannons

758
00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,797
force a change in castle architecture.

759
00:41:21,797 --> 00:41:24,491
Throughout the 15th century, the fortifications

760
00:41:24,491 --> 00:41:27,100
start to become much more resistant.

761
00:41:27,100 --> 00:41:29,060
The fortresses become more squat,

762
00:41:29,060 --> 00:41:32,200
with walls sometimes more than 10 meters thick

763
00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:35,470
to withstand the impact of the new artillery.

764
00:41:35,470 --> 00:41:37,940
Castles will now be built or adapted

765
00:41:37,940 --> 00:41:41,660
to withstand siege artillery that's increasingly powerful,

766
00:41:41,660 --> 00:41:44,670
increasingly maneuverable, using balls weighing

767
00:41:44,670 --> 00:41:48,170
up to 200 pounds, about 90 kilograms,

768
00:41:48,170 --> 00:41:51,810
and 42 centimeters in diameter, sometimes surrounded

769
00:41:51,810 --> 00:41:55,390
with an iron band or made entirely of cast iron.

770
00:41:55,390 --> 00:41:57,400
Adjusting the dosage of gunpowder

771
00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:59,250
makes the shots more consistent.

772
00:41:59,250 --> 00:42:02,110
From now on, the artillery can focus its fire

773
00:42:02,110 --> 00:42:04,636
on any point of the ramparts, and thus,

774
00:42:04,636 --> 00:42:06,160
(cannon rumbles)

775
00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:07,313
create breaches.

776
00:42:08,449 --> 00:42:10,240
That's really the end

777
00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:12,913
of medieval stone castles as we know them.

778
00:42:14,349 --> 00:42:16,730
At the end of the 15th century,

779
00:42:16,730 --> 00:42:18,443
no wall can withstand the cannons.

780
00:42:20,382 --> 00:42:23,132
(dramatic music)

781
00:42:26,334 --> 00:42:29,996
In new Occitanie, Bonaguil Castle,

782
00:42:29,996 --> 00:42:34,133
built between 1445 and 1482 by a megalomaniac lord

783
00:42:34,133 --> 00:42:37,040
on the site of a 13th century castle,

784
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:38,960
will benefit from improvements made

785
00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:41,263
to resists the development of artillery.

786
00:42:42,890 --> 00:42:44,650
A massive outer wall called

787
00:42:44,650 --> 00:42:47,249
a barbican protects the entrance.

788
00:42:47,249 --> 00:42:51,750
And almond-shaped keep with a streamlined profile.

789
00:42:51,750 --> 00:42:55,350
More than 100 cannon ports in the walls,

790
00:42:55,350 --> 00:42:59,920
encircled by a boulevard, and protected by firing positions

791
00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:02,513
in the moats and the base of the ramparts.

792
00:43:06,310 --> 00:43:09,020
Castles adopting these architectural forms,

793
00:43:09,020 --> 00:43:12,030
adapted for the impact of artillery with these very big

794
00:43:12,030 --> 00:43:16,953
artillery towers, are the work of very great lords or kings.

795
00:43:16,953 --> 00:43:19,793
Faith in castles remained strong.

796
00:43:20,670 --> 00:43:23,050
But those built from they 15th century

797
00:43:23,050 --> 00:43:25,200
are very different from their predecessors.

798
00:43:26,605 --> 00:43:28,710
They're increasingly buried

799
00:43:28,710 --> 00:43:31,880
to stop artillery fire breaching their outer walls.

800
00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:34,469
The Fortress of Salses, at the foot

801
00:43:34,469 --> 00:43:38,003
of the Pyrenees-Orientales, is an example.

802
00:43:40,420 --> 00:43:43,130
Built at the end of the 15th century by order

803
00:43:43,130 --> 00:43:47,370
of the king of Spain, it defends the border with France.

804
00:43:47,370 --> 00:43:50,600
Its general design is highly innovative and heralds

805
00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,520
the modern fortifications of which Vousbons

806
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:56,167
is one of the undisputed masters.

807
00:43:56,167 --> 00:43:58,543
Salses is an example of a caesura.

808
00:43:58,543 --> 00:44:00,440
It's the end of the castle.

809
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,810
We can no longer speak of a medieval castle,

810
00:44:02,810 --> 00:44:05,120
even if it retains some of the features.

811
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:06,720
It's already a citadel.

812
00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:08,730
It has big artillery towers,

813
00:44:08,730 --> 00:44:11,850
very thick walls, and is defended by cannons

814
00:44:11,850 --> 00:44:14,456
inside vaulted rooms which are bunkers

815
00:44:14,456 --> 00:44:17,670
with ventilation systems so that the gunners

816
00:44:17,670 --> 00:44:20,700
aren't poisoned by the fumes from their guns.

817
00:44:20,700 --> 00:44:22,080
It's very solid.

818
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:23,730
We're evolving towards forms

819
00:44:23,730 --> 00:44:26,104
that are stockier, more resistant.

820
00:44:26,104 --> 00:44:27,980
The wall walk has also

821
00:44:27,980 --> 00:44:30,223
been designed to accommodate cannons.

822
00:44:31,070 --> 00:44:33,670
And the horseshoe-shaped towers are detached

823
00:44:33,670 --> 00:44:36,924
from the fortress, like advanced defense posts.

824
00:44:36,924 --> 00:44:41,128
The walls, widened at their base, are 14 meters thick

825
00:44:41,128 --> 00:44:44,030
and sunk into the moat in order to protect them

826
00:44:44,030 --> 00:44:47,320
from direct hits by attackers, with only the part needed

827
00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:51,010
by the artillery emerging from the sloping banks.

828
00:44:51,010 --> 00:44:53,330
The moats are protected by gun ports

829
00:44:53,330 --> 00:44:55,738
in the base of the curtain walls.

830
00:44:55,738 --> 00:44:57,380
In elevation,

831
00:44:57,380 --> 00:44:59,350
it's nothing like a medieval castle.

832
00:44:59,350 --> 00:45:01,670
There are no tall towers.

833
00:45:01,670 --> 00:45:03,780
The towers are buried.

834
00:45:03,780 --> 00:45:07,200
There are very thick walls against which the cannonballs

835
00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:10,755
will die rather than shatter the masonry.

836
00:45:10,755 --> 00:45:13,908
So we have buried fortifications,

837
00:45:13,908 --> 00:45:16,670
the beginning of what will be called

838
00:45:16,670 --> 00:45:20,083
bastion architecture, so earth constructions,

839
00:45:22,145 --> 00:45:24,623
a staggering of the defenses.

840
00:45:25,490 --> 00:45:27,790
There are several lines of defense.

841
00:45:27,790 --> 00:45:30,280
The cannons are pushed back a long way,

842
00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,130
but its architecture and function

843
00:45:32,130 --> 00:45:34,513
is no longer that of a medieval castle.

844
00:45:36,198 --> 00:45:38,050
The Fortress of Salses

845
00:45:38,050 --> 00:45:40,322
embodies the end of an era.

846
00:45:40,322 --> 00:45:43,150
Castles will disappear from the landscape

847
00:45:43,150 --> 00:45:45,959
of increasingly centralized nations.

848
00:45:45,959 --> 00:45:48,003
Their decline also symbolizes

849
00:45:48,003 --> 00:45:50,553
the death throes of the feudal system.

850
00:45:51,693 --> 00:45:55,550
The castle's demise is due to peace.

851
00:45:55,550 --> 00:45:58,000
Peace within the kingdom of France.

852
00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:02,300
Once the 100 Years' War is over in the 16th century,

853
00:46:02,300 --> 00:46:05,140
there are still religious wars, but there would be

854
00:46:05,140 --> 00:46:09,610
gradually less need for defended castles.

855
00:46:09,610 --> 00:46:12,714
So, the emergence of royalty, the birth

856
00:46:12,714 --> 00:46:17,690
of the feudal monarchy, gradually pacifies the territory.

857
00:46:17,690 --> 00:46:19,540
And the castles and their most

858
00:46:19,540 --> 00:46:21,923
military aspect die their death.

859
00:46:25,030 --> 00:46:26,430
Once more the doing

860
00:46:26,430 --> 00:46:28,627
of the prince who orders its construction,

861
00:46:28,627 --> 00:46:33,627
the castle is transformed into a palace, a royal residence,

862
00:46:33,740 --> 00:46:36,570
its architectural splendors symbolizing

863
00:46:36,570 --> 00:46:39,361
the prestige of its royal owner.

864
00:46:39,361 --> 00:46:43,150
Chambord, built under the supervision of Francis I,

865
00:46:43,150 --> 00:46:47,140
from 1519, is a perfect example.

866
00:46:47,140 --> 00:46:49,380
When you visit Chambord,

867
00:46:49,380 --> 00:46:51,920
what you're seeing is the ultimate castle.

868
00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:54,540
One of the greatest castles of the Renaissance.

869
00:46:54,540 --> 00:46:57,177
It's not a fortified medieval castle at all.

870
00:46:58,020 --> 00:47:00,610
It's a castle in its own right.

871
00:47:00,610 --> 00:47:03,210
Some defensive attributes have been kept,

872
00:47:03,210 --> 00:47:07,260
such as the keep, battlements, machicolations,

873
00:47:07,260 --> 00:47:11,333
but they become decorative, a symbol of political power.

874
00:47:12,750 --> 00:47:15,440
Yes, Chambord is a royal residence,

875
00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:17,640
like all the castles in the Loire.

876
00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:19,900
Superb castles to which the king

877
00:47:19,900 --> 00:47:22,780
also brings craftsmen from Italy.

878
00:47:22,780 --> 00:47:25,800
Leonardo da Vinci stayed in these castles

879
00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:30,040
at the request of the great lords and the French royalty.

880
00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:33,430
It's a completely different context.

881
00:47:33,430 --> 00:47:37,152
These are areas that are completely peaceful for centuries.

882
00:47:37,152 --> 00:47:39,220
At the same time, the kings

883
00:47:39,220 --> 00:47:42,120
continue to demolish the fortresses.

884
00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:46,250
Henry IV has several demolished to avoid, as he says,

885
00:47:46,250 --> 00:47:49,440
their being used by the enemies of royalty authority.

886
00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:51,150
This says it all.

887
00:47:51,150 --> 00:47:55,100
The castles and all-powerful lords are gone from their land.

888
00:47:55,100 --> 00:47:57,700
Much of the life of nobles will now take place

889
00:47:57,700 --> 00:48:00,253
close to their sovereign, at court.

890
00:48:01,940 --> 00:48:04,920
And Louis XIII, then Louis XIV,

891
00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,253
will continue their work of demolition.

892
00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,990
Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Richelieu,

893
00:48:11,990 --> 00:48:15,320
are all great destroyers of castles, because they want

894
00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:19,603
to end the religious wars and to restore monarchical order.

895
00:48:20,775 --> 00:48:23,938
There's a desire to bring down all these symbols

896
00:48:23,938 --> 00:48:28,340
which are also the symbols of a bygone time.

897
00:48:28,340 --> 00:48:30,020
Often, it was enough to dismantle

898
00:48:30,020 --> 00:48:32,383
the battlements, the symbols of defense.

899
00:48:34,140 --> 00:48:37,047
In other cases, the castles were completely demolished

900
00:48:37,047 --> 00:48:38,933
and the stones used elsewhere.

901
00:48:39,930 --> 00:48:42,580
During the revolution, all the symbols

902
00:48:42,580 --> 00:48:45,380
of seniorial authority are destroyed.

903
00:48:45,380 --> 00:48:48,400
The castles were abandoned, some were used as quarries,

904
00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:51,433
feeding the 19th-century fashion for romantic ruins.

905
00:48:53,205 --> 00:48:55,705
(light music)

906
00:49:03,973 --> 00:49:05,850
In the 19th century,

907
00:49:05,850 --> 00:49:09,400
the castle becomes mysterious or lugubrious.

908
00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:11,640
Under the pen of the Romantic writers,

909
00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,270
a whole fantasy develops around the moss-covered ruins

910
00:49:15,270 --> 00:49:18,601
overrun by vegetation, the vision of an idealized

911
00:49:18,601 --> 00:49:22,940
and fictional Middle Ages, the fairy tale castle projects

912
00:49:22,940 --> 00:49:27,047
its Gothic silhouette onto lithographs and paintings.

913
00:49:27,047 --> 00:49:29,370
In the 19th century,

914
00:49:29,370 --> 00:49:32,400
many scholars with an interest in history discover

915
00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:35,755
not only castles, but churches, their heritage,

916
00:49:35,755 --> 00:49:39,679
and have a very romantic and idealized view of them.

917
00:49:39,679 --> 00:49:43,858
The Middle Ages becomes fashionable in a cliche form,

918
00:49:43,858 --> 00:49:46,930
because some well-to-do families build themselves

919
00:49:46,930 --> 00:49:49,810
neo-Roman and then neo-Gothic castles.

920
00:49:49,810 --> 00:49:52,350
From 1837, the year in which

921
00:49:52,350 --> 00:49:55,740
the Historical Monument Commission was created in France,

922
00:49:55,740 --> 00:49:57,940
a conservation movement developed,

923
00:49:57,940 --> 00:50:01,457
castles restored in the national interest.

924
00:50:01,457 --> 00:50:05,290
Just like Pierrefonds in the Olse, which illustrates

925
00:50:05,290 --> 00:50:08,700
the poetic fervor of the romantic fashion.

926
00:50:08,700 --> 00:50:12,130
Dismantled by order of Louis XIII, it would be completely

927
00:50:12,130 --> 00:50:15,993
rebuilt by the architect Viollet-le-Duc from 1857.

928
00:50:18,181 --> 00:50:20,450
It's a royal construction

929
00:50:20,450 --> 00:50:23,450
that has marked the history of royal castle architecture.

930
00:50:23,450 --> 00:50:26,270
But at the same time, you have to look

931
00:50:26,270 --> 00:50:28,681
for the original castle and take into account

932
00:50:28,681 --> 00:50:32,810
the restorations, reconstructions of the 19th century,

933
00:50:32,810 --> 00:50:35,787
including its reinterpretation by Viollet-le-Duc.

934
00:50:36,700 --> 00:50:38,180
It has to be read in two ways.

935
00:50:38,180 --> 00:50:41,280
Viollet-le-Duc was a real genius.

936
00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:44,540
On the outside, he did a very faithful reconstruction

937
00:50:44,540 --> 00:50:47,724
of the superstructure and the top of the towers.

938
00:50:47,724 --> 00:50:51,649
And inside he showed a great deal of creative freedom.

939
00:50:51,649 --> 00:50:55,410
It's a perfect balance between a faithful reconstruction

940
00:50:55,410 --> 00:50:59,752
and a creation that's well researched by a cultivated man

941
00:50:59,752 --> 00:51:03,253
who was also an art and architecture historian.

942
00:51:04,230 --> 00:51:05,960
These imposing ruins,

943
00:51:05,960 --> 00:51:09,020
which became a tourist destination for the aristocracy,

944
00:51:09,020 --> 00:51:11,840
are restored by order of Napoleon III,

945
00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:14,750
who wants to turn it into an imperial residence.

946
00:51:14,750 --> 00:51:17,240
The architect Viollet-le-Duc will apply

947
00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:20,470
his fantasy vision of the Middle Ages to it.

948
00:51:20,470 --> 00:51:24,140
This building is a fusion of architectural styles,

949
00:51:24,140 --> 00:51:27,650
freely inspired by the medieval period.

950
00:51:27,650 --> 00:51:32,490
Double ramparts, watchtowers, arrow loops,

951
00:51:32,490 --> 00:51:35,600
covering the wall walk, the keep, and the castle's

952
00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:40,020
eight towers rub shoulders with strangely-shaped gargoyles,

953
00:51:40,020 --> 00:51:44,493
extravagant porticos, and labyrinthine corridors.

954
00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:48,410
It has a Gothic side

955
00:51:48,410 --> 00:51:50,400
in the savage sense of the term.

956
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:52,750
It's very gory, very Dracula.

957
00:51:52,750 --> 00:51:55,550
It's part of our contemporary imagination,

958
00:51:55,550 --> 00:51:58,703
which comes from romanticism around castles.

959
00:51:59,690 --> 00:52:02,533
At the same time, Viollet-le-Duc

960
00:52:02,533 --> 00:52:05,820
and the great restorers of the 19th century

961
00:52:05,820 --> 00:52:08,890
had a very positive view of the middle ages.

962
00:52:08,890 --> 00:52:12,710
A bit like Chateau Bianc, it was our roots.

963
00:52:12,710 --> 00:52:14,840
It was a glorious period.

964
00:52:14,840 --> 00:52:18,830
A sense of honor, a sense of nation, the spirit of chivalry,

965
00:52:18,830 --> 00:52:21,660
all of this is part of the same fantasy.

966
00:52:21,660 --> 00:52:25,520
And there's this desire to rebuild the neo-Gothic churches,

967
00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:29,960
but also castles like Pierrefonds, which remind us

968
00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:33,860
that the Middle Ages is also an era of builders,

969
00:52:33,860 --> 00:52:36,550
which has probably produced the greatest constructions

970
00:52:36,550 --> 00:52:41,097
we've ever had in the West, at least since Roman times.

971
00:52:41,097 --> 00:52:43,150
There are 500 years

972
00:52:43,150 --> 00:52:46,700
of medieval architecture here, condensed into a building

973
00:52:46,700 --> 00:52:49,940
owing more to myth than historical reality.

974
00:52:49,940 --> 00:52:54,060
Pierrefonds is a neo-Gothic decor of a fairy tale.

975
00:52:54,060 --> 00:52:56,770
For half a millennium, sovereigns and lords

976
00:52:56,770 --> 00:52:59,930
have built fortresses whose beauty, complexity,

977
00:52:59,930 --> 00:53:03,478
and incredible longevity fascinate us still.

978
00:53:03,478 --> 00:53:05,570
They are witnesses of an era

979
00:53:05,570 --> 00:53:08,842
of technological progress and creativity.

980
00:53:08,842 --> 00:53:11,326
These buildings will remain forever

981
00:53:11,326 --> 00:53:13,880
the symbol of the Middle Ages.

982
00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:17,020
Their architectural majesty and the testimony

983
00:53:17,020 --> 00:53:20,320
they provide about an era still full of mystery

984
00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:23,322
still arouses the public's curiosity,

985
00:53:23,322 --> 00:53:27,892
proof that castles still fuel our imaginations.

986
00:53:27,892 --> 00:53:30,642
(dramatic music)