Thursday, January 7, 2021

When The Middle Ages Returned

In the late Nineteenth Century the western countries were mostly at peace. It was generally a prosperous time and quite a few people had a lot of money. There was money to travel and to build. 

The development of trains and steel ships made it possible for many more people to travel than ever before. Many travelers saw medieval castles. There was the widespread popularity of children's tales that were set in times far past.

There were, of course, many cathedrals in Europe from the Middle Ages. But cathedrals tend to be located in cities, often with the city being built around the cathedral, and so would already be familiar. It was the late Nineteenth Century when many more people saw castles than ever before.

The result was a fascination with medieval castles. Some people, with money to spend, went completely overboard in building their own castles. There was also the Neo-Gothic movement in architecture, although I don't think these castles would fall into that category.

Let's have a look back at that era.

Possibly the best-known late Nineteenth Century castle is Neuschwanstein, in Bavaria. Whether or not a real castle ever actually looked like this, the outstanding Neuschwanstein ended up being the model for Disney's Magic Kingdom. Medieval castles were built with security, rather than looks, as the primary consideration.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle#/media/File:Schloss_Neuschwanstein_2013.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle#/media/File:Neuschwanstein_detail.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle#/media/File:Hohenschwangau_-_Schloss_Neuschwanstein5.jpg 

In France, there is Chateau Pierrefonds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Pierrefonds#/media/File:Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Pierrefonds_vu_depuis_le_Parc.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Pierrefonds#/media/File:Chateaudepierrefonds04.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Pierrefonds#/media/File:Pierrefonds1.jpg 

In London, Tower Bridge was built as the late Nineteenth Century compliment to the adjacent Tower of London.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3879/3734/1600/dc_250883.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge#/media/File:The_Tower_Bridge,_London_in_the_night_3.jpg

In Toronto Casa Loma was built in the early Twentieth Century. Castles of this era were usually built like a castle on the outside, but a palace on the inside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Loma#/media/File:Exterior_of_Casa_Loma,_June_2012.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Loma#/media/File:DSC09003_-_Oak_Room_(36406890003).jpg 

The city of Buffalo, NY built the Connecticut Street Armory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Street_Armory#/media/File:ConnecticutStreetArmory-ProspectPark.JPG 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Street_Armory#/media/File:Connecticut_Street_Armory.jpg 

Medieval castles would be made out of thick and heavy stone, not of clay bricks, but Niagara Falls built it's armory like a castle, in the late Nineteenth Century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls_Armory#/media/File:Niagara_Falls_Armory_Jun_09.JPG 

The nearby city of Tonawanda also built a brick castle armory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonawanda_Armory#/media/File:Tonawanda_Armory_Nov_2008.JPG 

This is Disney's Magic Kingdom, modeled on Neuschwanstein.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World#/media/File:Magic_Kingdom_-_Cinderella_Castle_panorama_-_by_mrkathika.jpg 

The presidential court of John F. Kennedy was called "Camelot", after the castle of the legendary King Arthur.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arth_tapestry2.jpg 

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