The castles of Europe are one of the glorious legacies of the Middle Ages. Beautiful and fascinating to explore, great castles dazzle us with their grandeur, and their power to evoke an age of lords and ladies, knights and peasants, battles and sieges. But beyond their architectural majesty and romantic allure, great castles offer something much more.

From the mighty fortresses of the Normans and the châteaus of France to the crusader castles of the Mediterranean, great castles are invaluable, historical artifacts that give us an incredible window into the medieval world, in all its drama, passion, and human striving. Castles were part of the very fabric of medieval society, and profoundly influenced the political, economic, demographic, and social evolution of Europe.

In the 24 compelling lectures of Great Castles of Europe, expert castellologist Victoria L. McAlister, of Towson University, guides you through the era of the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, highlighting numerous of the most memorable and historically significant castles of these extraordinary times. Professor McAlister's thrilling presentation combines her own in-depth research, insights, and enthralling commentary with exciting scholarship from the interdisciplinary field of castle studies, drawing from cutting-edge research in history, archaeology, architecture, art, and literature.

Great Castles of Europe offers you a deep and unforgettable encounter with some of history's most remarkable buildings, as you see how major historical events such as the Crusades, the Reconquista, and the War of the Roses impacted castles and their evolution. You'll also explore the experiences of the people who lived in them, from kings and queens to lords and castle holders, and the experiences of the knights, administrators, churchmen, peasants, and women of all ranks whose lives intersected with the functioning of life within the castle.

A Breathtaking, Historical Journey

In this vivid and compelling course, you'll take a panoramic excursion into the remarkable world of castles, uncovering the true story of these amazing structures and their place in medieval life. In doing so, you'll encounter the many and diverse historical roles of castles, at stunning sites such as:

• Caernarfon Castle of Wales. This soaring, monumental edifice, built to consolidate the English crown's hold on Wales, served as a weapon of political propaganda.
  
• The Alhambra of Spain. The exquisite interiors of the complex's Palace of the Lions were the sumptuous royal residence of the sultans of the Nasrid Dynasty.
  
• Denmark's Kronborg Castle. Immortalized by Shakespeare as Elsinore in Hamlet, this superbly elegant Renaissance castle served principally as a customs station for passing ships.
  
• Massive Malbork Castle. Located in Poland, this classic medieval castle served as the administrative hub of a political state and the center of huge commercial networks.
  
• France's Carcassonne. One of the most beautiful and iconic medieval walled cities in Europe, Carcassonne emblemizes military action at castles, seeing a devastating siege during its tumultuous history.
  

In Great Castles of Europe, you'll enjoy a spectrum of the most magnificent and historic edifices ever built, and a richly detailed view of life in the Middle Ages.

Masterpieces of Medieval Architecture

While we tend to associate castles with warfare, their defensive role was only one side of their story. You'll learn that a great majority of castles never saw sieges or military conflict. At the beginning of Great Castles of Europe, you'll look at the three functions that historians dictate that a structure must serve in order to be considered a castle. Castles must have:

• Defensive Capabilities encompassing the architectural elements of curtain walls, battlements, towers, gateways, moats, and more;
  
• Residential Features including Great Halls, kitchens, residential apartments, hunting parks, and ornamental gardens; and
  
• Administrative Functions as centers of manorial estates and local affairs, encompassing roles such as agricultural production, courts of law, tax collection points, religious centers, and much more.
  

Within this context, you'll explore the multidimensional lore of castles in the Middle Ages, as the story unfolds across the European world:

• Castle Builders of Britain. Track British castle-building from the Norman invasion to the English civil wars and beyond; study sites such as the earth-and-timber castle Hen Domen, and its dramatic history, the famous Tower of London, with its classic Norman architectural features, and Bodiam Castle, an archetypal medieval castle that divides scholars as to its true purpose.
  
• Classic Castles of Spain and Italy. Trace the medieval history of the Iberian peninsula, where the mix of Christian and Islamic cultures produced unique castle architecture, as seen in the spectacular Alcázar of Seville and the great fortress-palace complex of the Alhambra. Also experience the beauty and unusual geometric form of Italy's Castel del Monte, a royal pleasure palace of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II to indulge in his passion of hunting.
  
• Christian Fortresses of the Holy Land. Witness the proliferation of castle-building during the Crusades, in the crusader kingdoms of the Mediterranean, often under the aegis of the military orders of the Teutonic Knights and Hospitallers. Take in the site of the awe-inspiring Crac des Chevaliers, its elaborate concentric design and innovative military architecture.
  
• Monastic Castles of Eastern Europe. In the wake of Europe's crusades against pagan peoples, relive the era of conquest, religious conversion, and colonization that produced Baltic castles that resembled fortified monasteries. Delve into the scholarly and scientific study of Latvia's Cēsis Castle, administrative center of military orders and the site of fierce battles and sieges.
  
• France's Renaissance Châteaus. As the age of castles waned, visit the astonishing châteaus of France, which featured ostentatious splendor and a minimizing of defensive features, such as the palatial Fontainebleau and Château d'Amboise. Study the majestic Château de Chenonceau, and the other building projects of French queen Catherine de Medici.
  

Castles and Medieval Lives

Throughout these richly informative lectures, Professor McAlister illuminates not only the castles themselves and their historical trajectory, but also the remarkable people whose lives were lived in and around them.

While many of the histories surrounding these castles hinge on the actions of male figures—such as King Richard Lionheart of England, builder of Château Gaillard in France; Master James of St. George, castle architect to Edward I of England; and embattled Dutch castle builder Dirk Loef van Horne—you'll also learn about the integral and intriguing roles of women in medieval castles.

You'll discover that there were multiple cases of women who not only owned and managed castles, but also who built them and defended them militarily. Among these cases, you'll follow the stories of castle builder, Lady Roesia de Verdun; heiress Isabel de Clare, who defended the siege of Kilkenny Castle; and Margaret Paston, matriarch and estate manager of England's Caister Castle. You learn Margaret's story from the astonishing Paston letters, a trove of documents that tell the incredible narrative of one family's struggle to hold onto a castle through wars and politically volatile times.

In rounding out the story of castles, you'll learn the history of the dehumanizing "slave castles" of the West African coast; you'll visit Neuschwanstein, the famous Bavarian fantasy and pseudo castle; and you'll follow the trail of Bram Stoker's Dracula to the castles of Transylvania.

The 24 eye-opening lectures of Great Castles of Europe offer you a deep and unforgettable encounter with some of history's most remarkable buildings, and with the extraordinary human sagas that took place within their walls.
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