In their heyday castles were homes to the wealthiest and most powerful members of society--royalty and the great nobility, who displayed their wealth by giving sumptuous banquets and maintaining large households of retainers and servants. As they traveled from castle to castle, the monarchs and nobles exercised governance and dispensed justice. The first part of this book describes the household of a great castle. The second and third parts relate the evolution of the castle and its role in society. The final section traces the decline of the castle in favor of grand houses and palaces. A wealth of source material, along with archaeological evidence, brings the world of the medieval castle to life.