11th-Century Castles — Norman Architecture and the First Stone Keeps

The 11th century was marked by the rise of Norman military architecture. Stone castles gradually replaced timber structures, with the appearance of great rectangular keeps dominating the landscape. The conquest of England by William the Conqueror (1066) perfectly illustrates this capacity to raise imposing fortifications swiftly. In France, this period saw the flourishing of Romanesque style in both religious and military architecture, with thick walls, narrow openings and an austere ornamental simplicity.