My stories take place mostly in fantasy lands, but here are six castles that have inspired portions of settings in my stories.
Malbork Castle, Poland, was founded in 1274. The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress, and is the world’s largest brick gothic castle.
Warwick Castle, England, was built by William the Conqueror in 1068. Originally a wooden motte-and-bailey, it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century.
The Château de Chenonceau, France, is mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance architecture.
The site of the Alcázar of Segovia, Spain, dates back to Roman times. The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy.
Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. The original castle was built in 1220 for Alexander II as a defense against the Vikings.
Carcassonne is a fortified French town. The main part of the lower courses of the northern ramparts dates from Gallo-Roman times.
Photos:
Malbork: Magda Prokopowicz
Warwick: Sheep purple, CC By
Chenonceau: Magda Zych
Alcazar: Juan Carlos Rodríguez
Eilean Donan: luca zaninoni
Carcassonne: Michael Zimmermann
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