About Castle Dungeons

Castle dungeons are rooms typically set up within a castle that were used to house prisoners or hold people who had a questionable motives or an endangering nature. Although prevalent in medieval times, some original dungeons are still in fair condition today and can be seen through tours or visits to castles throughout the world.

History

The history of castle dungeons dates back to the late 1500s. They were a place to house prisoners or those who were a threat to society. Sometimes referred to as prisons back in the medieval days, castle dungeons were the place where police and law enforcement would deposit criminals. Prisoners would be held there while they served out sentences for their crimes or to await final sentencing or punishment.

Geography

Castle dungeons are the most prevalent in European castles throughout eastern Europe and many have maintained their decor intact from when they were last in use hundreds of years ago. Two of the most famous dungeons in the world are France's Bastille and England's Tower of London, which are both located in Europe. Castles and their dungeons are a frequent tourist attraction for many who visit and seek to aquire history regarding the locations.

Identification

The way to identify a castle dungeon is by its secluded location within the castle, either at the top or the bottom of the structure. A dungeon has minimal amounts of open windows and doors. The doors and windows that are present are typically barred or chained and have reasonable amounts of reinforcement nearby, such as extra locks and wooden cross-over barricades. Torture devices were often found in many castle dungeons as ways to make prisoners suffer or tell the truth about their crimes. Today, torture devices are considered illegal and have been banished in most areas around the world. Some historical castle museum dungeon sites still house torture chambers that can be seen today as important monuments that represent the past prison systems.

Size

The size of a castle dungeon can vary per the castle in which they are housed. For dungeons that were created on the top of the castle, many times they were circular, taking up the size of the roof or ledge of the castle. Dungeons that are located in the basement or bowels of the castle can take up the entire length of the castle, which could be thousands of square feet with separate rooms that were divided for each prisoner or person being punished.

Misconceptions

Many believe that dungeons were dark, damp and isolated locations below the castle where people were held against their will. In fact, some dungeons were located at the top of castles with open areas so that guards could keep a better eye on the prisoners. Sometimes a dungeon was referred to as a keep, where people were often held as a temporary measure until they were asked to enter the castle.

Resources

• Castle information
• Find a castle tour