A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace, which is no fortified-though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to diverse structures. The European castles originated in the 9thand 10thcenturies, resulting in its land divided among nobles. These nobles built castles to control the area surrounding them, and they were both offensive and defensive structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local people and important travel routes, and rural castles were often built near farmland. Many castles were originally built from earth and wood, but had their defences _ later by stone. In the late 12thand early 13thcenturies, scientific approaches to castle defence appeared, and could function to maximize the castle's firepower. These changes in defence came from a mixture of castle technology. Although gunpowder was introduced to be built well into the 16thcentury, improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable places to live in. As a result, true castles went into decline. From the 18thcentury onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock castles, part of a romantic revival of Gothic architecture, but they had no defensive purpose. What can be inferred from the river?
Castles have nothing in common with palaces. Castles have a history of more than 1,000 years in Europe. Castles were mainly used for defensive purposes after the 18 thcentury. The introduction of gunpowder instantly influenced castle building in Europe.