Medieval Protection Without the Need for Dogs or Guns

Travel Shorts

What else could I be talking about other than a moat? Admittedly, most moats would be worthless against dragons, but luckily dragons are mostly mythical creatures.

“You live in a castle? Does it have a moat?“

The answer is a qualified, “Yes. Of course we have a moat.”

It seems inconceivable to most that we could live in a chateau in the middle of France and not have a moat of the type often seem in Earl Flynn movies. I am talking, of course, about the deep-water, treacherous-creature filled variety that completely surrounds its castle thereby providing a somewhat effective deterrent against medieval home invasions. At the very least they were good enough to allow the Lord and Lady of the manor to get a good night’s sleep.

Our chateau is a somewhat different from the glorious Lego-block fortresses featured in so many movies. It is both older and more modern.

The first chateau to occupy this footprint was built around the 13th century. Over time it had become the political heart of the region. Within its walls were housed a chapel, blacksmiths and other artisans and food storage facilities. It even had its own prison and an oubliette.

Sadly, many of the original plans and paintings were lost forever when the original structure was ransacked by French revolutionaries in search of heads to roll. Later Napoleon worsened the damage by borrowing some of what remained from the outer buildings for wintertime firewood.

Eventually the unpleasant memories were forgotten and an Italian aristocrat undertook the restoration — for personal use. The…

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