01.28.23

Advantages of building many castles in the High Middle Ages

Why did medieval rulers like Richard the Lionheart or Edward I build so many castles? Castles were very expensive, especially given poor tax-collection infrastructure; yet the historical record shows that successful conquerors expended great effort (and revenue) on the construction of numerous fortified stone castles. They embarked on these programs of mass construction not out of ignorance but, instead, because of economic and strategic considerations that made efficient use of castles a vital part of conquering and holding territory.

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