Castellology

Giornata di Studio 20 ottobre 2013 –Firenzuola. Alcune note introduttive. - A stampa in Notiziario della Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del turismo - Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana, 9/2013, 2014 All’Insegna del Giglio s.a.s. Inoltre online http://www.progettoubaldini.it.

At the City Council Hall of Firenzuola, Sunday, October 20, 2013, was held the day of study on the fortifications of the family of Ubaldini in the territory of Firenzuola (FI) titled "Castles of Ubaldini in the Municipality of Firenzuola" with the support of Bank of Mugello, Soc. Poggio ai Segugi Srl and the Municipality of Firenzuola inside the event "From the wood and stone."
The initiative is meant to disclosure, science-based, knowledge and preservation and enhancement of historic fortifications with particular reference to the "Alpes" called ubaldinorum. - Print edition on Notiziario della Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del turismo - Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana, 9/2013, 2014 All’Insegna del Giglio s.a.s, online in http://www.progettoubaldini.it

Châteaux, guerre de Cent Ans, Berry; divergences entre la vision du roi et celle de la population; autorisations de fortifier dans les villes, les églises et les résidences aristocratiques des villages et de la campagne; conflits autour du guet; confiscations, compensations et incitations.

L’Abbazia di Campoleone sorgeva quasi a ridosso dell’Arno sul colle alluvionale retrostante l’abitato di Castelluccio, non lontano da Quarata e da Ponte a Buriano. Il lavoro apparso su Annali Aretini XXV (2017), forse per la prima volta una analisi sistematica e ricerca di tipo “classico” riesuma non solo le vicende di vita del monastero dedicato a San Gennaro ma tenta l’interpretazione delle strutture superstiti anche sulla scorta del manoscritto di Antonio Mucci, Memoria dell’Abbazia di Campoleone (1848). Probabilmente fondata da Ugo Marchese di Toscana, unitamente ad altre notevoli abbazie tra cui le badie di Marturi (968-70), Vandigazza (993) e probabilmente della Verruca pisana (ante 996), l’abbazia di Campoleone, con il limitrofo castello abbaziale e le fortificazioni vicine, accrebbe il proprio patrimonio fondiario nell’arco di un secolo e mezzo sancito da cinque provvedimenti imperiali (dal 997 al 1161) in cui venivano confermate anche preziose fonti di reddito come ampie foreste nonché opifici idraulici e mulini ad acqua.Nella seconda metà del secolo XII l’abbazia di Campoleone, insieme al castello, vantava un notevole gettito di entrate derivante dai vari diritti gravanti sui beni ed annesse pertinenze. Nel primo quarto del secolo XIII si modificarono, nel giro di pochi anni, le sorti di Campoleone. Prima del 1214 il Comune di Arezzo danneggiò il castello ed il campanile della chiesa abbaziale, stipulando poi accordi con l’abate sinchè le tensioni si placarono nel 1216 quando il Comune medesimo entrò definitivamente in possesso del «castrum Campileonis»: in favore dell’abate venne concessa un’ampia area in città nella quale ri-edificare gli edifici religiosi, di servizio come le officinae e abitativi «come una volta esistevano nel castello di Campoleone».
SOMMARIO
Considerazioni preliminari. Terre, poteri, risorse. Il territorio, i luoghi e gli uomini dell’abbazia di Campoleone Alcune note sul culto di San Gennaro ad Arezzo La chiesa abbaziale di San Gennaro a Campoleone Le pertinenze e i dintorni dell’abbazia Fortificare e meditare, un minimo comune denominatore: la sicurezza «Fin qui l’osservazione. Il resto è deduzione». Appunti per una conclusione

The studies on the history of the Valmareno and its district, were focused on the centuries after the territory was feoffed to the warlords Brandolino Brandolini and Erasmo da Narni in the 1436; this probably due to the shortage of documents in the local archives prior to this event. The object of this article, after a survey on the central sources of the venetian Senate, is the reconstruction of the history and microhistory of the Valmareno district between 1341 and 1436. This research confirm the political experimentation of Venice in the Trevigiano and Cenedese areas during XIV and XV centuries.

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L’attenzione degli storici per il distretto cenedese della Valmareno si è sempre concentrata sui secoli successivi all’infeudazione dei Brandolini da Bagnacavallo, operata dalla Repubblica di Venezia nel 1436; ciò fu probabilmente dovuto alla scarsità, pressoché assoluta, di documenti negli archivi locali antecedenti a quella data. Nel presente contributo si è cercato, tramite lo spoglio di fonti centrali quali delle delibere del Senato veneziano, di ricostruire la storia e microstoria di quel distretto nell’intervallo 1341-1436, vale a dire dall’ultima dominazione caminese all’infeudazione dei condottieri Brandolino Brandolini ed Erasmo da Narni. La ricerca conferma la sperimentazione politica veneziana nel Trevigiano e Cenedese dei secoli XIV e XV. Le notizie, in gran parte inedite, testimoniano che l’attività dei podestà – dei quali si fornisce un elenco nell’ultima parte – si concentrò soprattutto sull’organizzazione militare del distretto, confine della Repubblica sino al 1420, pur non mancando informazioni circa l’amministrazione civile.

Rapport sur la soutenance de la thèse d'histoire et d'archéologie du Moyen Âge de M. Charles VIAUT, « À la table des princes… et des autres. Consommation et pratiques alimentaires sur les sites castraux et élitaires du nord de l'Aquitaine et du centre-ouest de la France (Xe-XV e siècle) », université de Poitiers, 18 novembre 2021.

The examination of data from a corpus of archaeological sites and textual sources, some of which have never been published before, has enabled a fresh approach to food practices on elite sites between the Loire and Garonne from the tenth to the fifteenth century. The thematic approach, from the provisioning and preparation of food to its consumption and its social and cultural significance, shows the central importance of food activities in the organisation of the residences of power and in the display of the culture and identity of the elite group. The long-term approach has made it possible to understand the transformation of food practices over a period of several centuries, linked to the evolution of lifestyles and representations of the aristocratic group, but also to economic and environmental factors. The close links between the sites and their immediate environment are thus one of the main ways of interpreting supply, although over time the role of the monetary economy and the market has become increasingly important. From the point of view of culinary history, hypotheses concerning the evolution of Aquitanian and Poitevin cuisines have also been put forward in the sense of a gradual standardisation of culinary practices, and even of tastes. The approach to a theme at the interface of the history of food and castral archaeology has finally given rise to a methodological reflection on the divergences and joint uses of written sources and archaeological data.

La famille des Baux compte parmi les plus puissantes du comté de Provence. Malgré les nombreux conflits dans lesquels les membres de celle-ci sont impliqués ou les difficultés économiques qu’ils peuvent rencontrer, ils acquièrent progressivement de nombreux territoires et châteaux notamment dans l’espace de la vicomté de Marseille ou encore dans ce qui constitue à partir de 1229 le Comtat Venaissin.
L’analyse des archives relatives aux seigneurs des Baux montre qu’afin de gérer ces domaines ils se déplacent régulièrement. À partir de l’étude des lieux et des dates de signature des actes concernant la branche aînée, celle qui conserve les domaines arlésiens, camarguais et baussenques, il a été possible de mettre en évidence une hiérarchisation
entre certaines localités et par extension entre les châteaux que celles-ci abritent. Le propos se concentrera sur la période restreinte entre la fin du XIIe  siècle et la seconde moitié du XIIIe siècle, durant laquelle Hugues III des Baux ainsi que son fils et successeur Barral sont à la tête d’un domaine très étendu, principalement entre les châteaux des Baux, d’Arles et de Trinquetaille, mais aussi de ceux situés autour de Marseille.

Colloque international organisé du 27 au 29 septembre 2018 à la Cité de Carcassonne (France) Exemplaire offert par l'Association Mission Patrimoine Mondial Usage réservé aux membres du Comité français du Patrimoine Mondial 4 5 séance inaugurale séanCe inaugurale Introduction du président André Viola Introduction de Nicolas Faucherre Que faire des châteaux et des forteresses en ruine ? Réflexions autour de l'authenticité par Philippe Bragard 7 9 12 Maryline Martin et Florian Renucci-Guédelon : une aventure médiévale contemporaine Stéphane Gautier-Le Château de Vitré, entre ruine et reconstruction Conclusion de Michel Cotte table des matières

La première campagne d'investigations archéologiques programmées menées en février 2015 au château de Fressin, sous l'égide du SRA Nord-Pas-de-Calais, a permis de réaliser un plan microtopographique du site (haute-cour, basse-cour, fossés) ainsi que quelques premiers relevés de vestiges en plan et relevés pierre-à-pierre ciblés.

In het eerste deel van dit artikel hebben we de oudste geschiedenis van kasteel Oud Teylingen/Lockhorst behandeld. Een archeologische opgraving aan de Norremeerstraat, dus aan de rand van het kasteelterrein, verricht in 2017, leverde gegevens op over de periode voorafgaand aan de stichting van het kasteel. Vóór de 13de eeuw waren aan de Norremeerstraat akkers te vinden, doorkruist door sloten. Ergens in de loop van de 12de of 13de eeuw werden de sloten verlegd en verrezen daar houten gebouwen.
Later in de 13de eeuw werd de inrichting van het terrein alweer gewijzigd, want nu begon de bouw van het kasteel. Bestudering van de archeologische gegevens, in combinatie met het bewaard gebleven kaartenmateriaal, maakte het mogelijk om de locatie van het kasteel redelijk nauwkeurig te bepalen. Het stond aan de oostzijde van de Norremeerstraat, tussen de huidige huisnummers 7 en 17. Ook brachten we de eerste bewoners in kaart. Vanaf de 13de eeuw werd Oud Teylingen bewoond door de familie Van Teylingen, in de 14de eeuw opgevolgd door het aan hen verwante geslacht Foyken. Huwelijksbanden met de Van Teylingens zorgden even later voor de komst van de families Van Poelgeest en Van der Does. We sloten af met de 16de-eeuwse bewoners en tevens nieuwe naamgevers van het kasteel, de familie Van Lockhorst.
In dit afsluitende deel brengen we de volgende bewoners in kaart. De bewoningsgeschiedenis is door eerdere auteurs nooit volledig beschreven, reden om dit hier wél te doen, helemaal tot de laatste dagen van het slot. Dit zal ons naar de laatste vraag brengen: wanneer, en door wie, is het kasteel precies afgebroken?

In het eerste deel van dit artikel worden de resultaten van een archeologische opgraving aan de rand van het vroegere kasteelterrein van Oud Teylingen/Lockhorst te Warmond kort samengevat. De resultaten daarvan worden vervolgens gebruikt om het (begin 19de eeuw afgebroken) kasteel preciezer in de ruimte te plaatsen. Ook wordt de exacte oriëntatie van het kasteel, zoals het zich in prenten laat kennen, nader bepaald. Ten slotte worden de oudste bewoners in kaart gebracht en worden de bronnen vermeld die hun verblijf in Warmond aantonen.

Článek přináší informaci o nálezu tří vídeňských feniků z areálu hradu u Boršova nad Vltavou, k němuž došlo během detektorové prospekce v roce 2018. Všechny tři feniky byly vyraženy během vlády Rudolfa Habsburského v letech 1276–1282. Mince v kombinaci s písemnými prameny dokladují využívání hradu v poslední čtvrtině 13. století.

The article informs about three Vienna pfennigs from the area of a castle near Boršov nad Vltavou (České Budějovice District), found during a metal detector survey in 2018. All three pfennigs were struck during the reign of Rudolf I of Habsburg in 1276–1282. The coins in combination with the written sources prove that the castle was inhabited in the last quarter of the 13th century.

Lo studio esamina le vicende della fortificazione di Monterotondo, in Mugello (FI), con particolare attenzione per i ruderi ancora ben visibili, nell'agosto 2008, di una torre della cinta in pietra che coronava la sommità di Monterotondo. Foto del sopralluogo, ricostruzioni, vecchie incisioni artistiche, fonti documentali e considerazioni di ordine castellologico completano lo studio.

This work examines a set of castles, enclaves or population centers located in the valleys of Alhama-Linares and Cidacos that have a historical link with the Order of the Temple throughout the twelfth Century because they inhabit knights linked to the Militia or for receiving this institution various donations. Frontier castles, warlords and Knights Templar appear intimately interconnected, showing a scenario where the influence and the ideological and spiritual expansion of the Temple can be seen through the border valleys. Following the natural course of these river channels from its source to its mouth in the Ebro, includes various populations attached of Soria, La Rioja and as well as Navarre. All of them are harbor a set of strategic fortresses, whose defense was entrusted to a line of warriors, who through the transfer of their weapons and horses to the Temple showed the sacralization of military activity that they exerted in these castles.

SOMMAIRE Études -Marc VIRÉ Le châteua de La Roche-Gayon (Val-d'Oise), dernières recherches. seconde partie : le châteuu du bss. -François GENTILI et Ivan LAFARGE, avec la coll. de Pascal RAYMOND et Marc VIRÉ < Le Weux Chôteuu > ù Saint-Murtin-da-Tbrtre (Val-d'Oise) : un site forffié du XIIe siècle sur le bulcon de I'Île-de-France. -Ivan LAFARGE Éléments urchitectursax en plâtre du < Weux Châteuu > de Ssint-Martin-da-Tbrtre (Vat-d'Oise) : une srchitectare de plâtre pour un habitat seigneurial du XIIe siècle.

Estratto dalla Rivista "Notizie di Storia" n. 34 della Società Storica Aretina. Poggio Santa Cecilia, un castello “ad frontieras” (al limite fra i territori di Arezzo e Siena), fu occupato
dai ghibellini nell'ottobre del 1285. I guelfi lo recuperarono nell'aprile dell'anno successivo, passando
per le armi gli avversari. Siamo negli antefatti della battaglia di Campaldino.

In: Sakrální a profánní prostor v dìjinách køesanské kultury a umìní Miroslav Smaha / Kateøina Hladká (ed.), odevzdáno do tisku Kaple se stala bìnou souèástí vrcholnì støedovìkých královských hradù ji v dobì jejich vzniku na pøelomu 12. a 13. století a s mením zpodìním ji najdeme i na lechtických hradech. Naprostá vìtina tìchto kaplí ze 13. století byly objekty sice bezprostøednì související s obytnou zástavbou, ale jejich prostor a vyuití byly pøísnì oddìleny. Zmìna v tomto smìru nastala krátce pøed polovinou 14. století. Tehdy se poprvé v Èechách objevují kaple, které mají podobu chóru a jsou otevøeny vítìzným obloukem do profánního sálu. Tomuto stavebnímu typu a nìkolika dalím solitérním pøíkladùm, které v sobì sluèují provoz sakrální a profánní, je vìnován tento pøíspìvek. 1

Renate Leggatt-Hofer 143 4 Schloss Orth an der Donau und die Wiener Hofburg im 16. Jahrhundert als Brennpunkte eines habsburgischen Kaiserprojektes-politische Architektur im europäischen Kontext 143 4.1 Ausgangslage-Fragestellung-Zielsetzung 143 4.2 Historisch-politische Hintergründe 149 4.3 Das Echo der habsburgischen Kaiserpolitik im europäischen Residenzbau 167 4.4 Die Strahlkraft des Wiener Kaiserkastells (1552-1619) 180 4.5 Zusammenfassung 181 5 Die archäologische Grabung 2004 in Schloss Orth an der Donau Nikolaus Hofer 181 5.1 Einführung 181 5.1.1 Befunddokumentation und Grabungsmethodik 181 5.1.2 Chronologische Aussagekraft und Qualität des Fundmaterials 184 5.1.3 Aufbau der Befund-und Fund auswertung

This article discusses the results of archeological excavations carried out in 2015 in the relics of a defense device on Mount Żar (530 m a.s.l.) in Bugaj near Wadowice (southern Poland). The object in Bugaj, until now
considered a remnant of the so‑called layout in the motte‑and‑bailey castle, located approximately 220 m from the ruins of the Barwałd castle, destroyed during the siege in 1477. The hillfort has a similar form to the oval, while its raised plateau is surrounded by a shallow moat and a low, sometimes poorly legible, circular prominence. The maximum dimensions of the hillfort are 41 × 35 m. The inner part of the stronghold was smaller (about 24 × 18 m). During the researches relics of its destroyed fortifications were found,consisting of the remains of a palisade made of poles with a diameter of approximately 25 cm, spaced every 50 cm. In the vicinity of the fortifications medieval relics, dated back to the end of the 15th – the beginning of the 16th century, were found (vascular ceramics, spearheads, boltheads, a bronze scabbard`s ferrule, and a leaded bullet for a handgun). The dating of artefacts at the end of the Middle Ages coincides with the results of dating 14C of one of the preserved pillars, burned between 1446 and 1530. According to the author of the article the relics of the stronghold are the remains of the temporarily fortified quarters of Jakub from Dębno, directing on the king’s Kazimierz Jagiellończyk command the siege of the castle Barwałd in 1477. In terms of function the stronghold in Bugaj has no analogy in the Polish lands. The layouts similar in terms of form, located in the vicinity of brick castles and connected with their siege, are known, among others, from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

dt: Die ehemalige Zugbrücke zur Burg Fürstenberg hat eine erstaunlich Bau- und Konstruktionsgeschichte, die trotz späterer Veränderungen noch ablesbar ist.
engl. The former drawbridge to the castle Fürstenberg has a peculiar construction history which is still observable.

Monography focused on history of west-bohemian noblemen family, especially during 14. and 15. centuries, whose best-known members include Bušek I. and Bušek II., both significant office-holders during reign of Charles IV. In addition to personal histories of family members, the work also presents their mansions and churches. The heraldry and the sigillography is also discussed.

Giornata dei Castelli 25 maggio 2014, Istituto Italiano dei Castelli Sezione Emilia Romagna.
La Rocca di Reggiolo (RE). Aspetti storici e difensive di una fortificazione di confine. Le alterne vicende di Reggiolo. La lettura del monumento e l’approccio castellologico. L’eredità: conservazione e valorizzazione. Il nucleo urbano.

La città di Serravalle, unita dal 1866 con la vicina Cèneda nell'attuale comune di Vittorio Veneto, nacque per esigenze di natura militare e di controllo viario. 1 Presso Serravalle, attestata significativamente come "clusa de Seravallo" nel 1320, 2 si incontrano la strada che giunge dalla borgata di san Giacomo di Veglia ossia da meridione, e l'asse viario proveniente da oriente (Cordignano-Cappella Maggiore-Anzano). Per chi proveniva da oriente o dal basso Cenedese, Serravalle costituiva un punto di passaggio molto più agevole e breve di altri 3 e quasi obbligato per portarsi a settentrione verso la Val Belluna ed il Cadore, oppure per proseguire ad ovest verso la Valmareno. L'interessante e felice posizione orografica, fu abilmente sfruttata dal punto di vista strategico con un ampio e articolato sistema difensivo.

The feudal castle of Cesargrad is just one of many old towns and forts in north-western Croatia. It is located on the west side of the Cesargrad hill, just northwest of the town of Klanjec, from where it overlooks the Sutla River and its gorge Zelenjak. Today it is situated on the State Border between the Republic of Croatia and Slovenia, near the old town of Kunšperk on the Slovenian side.
Cesargrad was first mentioned in 1399, when it was in possession of the Counts of Celje. After the Counts of Celje died out in 1456, it passed from hand to hand between Styrian and Slavonian nobles, until it became property of the Erdödy family at the end of the 15th century. January 29th 1573 was an important date in Cesargrad’s history as the fort was destroyed by peasant armies during the Great Peasant Revolt. The Erdödy’s restored Cesargrad, but in the early 17th century the town was already referred to as a ruin.
In 2008 and 2010 the Croatian Conservation Institute carried out two archaeological research campaigns of this feudal castle. The 2008 campaign involved the exploration of the interior and surroundings of the square “H” tower, which is located in the north-eastern corner of the fort’s central area. In 2010, excavations were carried out in the large “K” room of the palace’s south wing, i.e. the town’s living quarters. Along with archaeological research, the conservation and restoration of this valuable monument of the Late Middle Ages has been planned due to the fact that a large part of the preserved standing architecture is in poor condition.
In both campaigns a larger quantity of kitchen, table and technical ceramics has been found, among which Late Gothic stove-tiles stand out due to their shape. Most of kitchen ceramics is coarse pottery, while a smaller part is fine table ceramics. Although a major part of this feudal castle hasn’t been explored, some observations about the quality of life and social status of the inhabitants of this fort can already be made based on this sample.
A distinctively small amount of fine glazed pottery and majolica is surprising since it has been a nobility residence. Interpreting the findings’ locations leads to the conclusion that those sites were used as living and working quarters by the fort’s inhabitants whose activities were associated to food and drinks preparation as well as their storage. Namely, the “H” tower’s ground floor room was one of Cesargrad’s kitchens, while the explored part of the palace’s south wing “K” room is also located on the ground floor. Although only a small part of the “K” room has been explored, the type of plaster flooring as well as the number and quality of ceramic findings indicate that the room was used for economic purposes and not as a representative area.
Beside the analysis of ceramic findings and architectural remains, an analysis of the remains of animal bones will be carried out to improve the knowledge on Cesargrad inhabitants’ eating culture and its quality at the end of the Middle Ages.
In the coming years the plan is to continue the research and conservation which will provide new insights about this feudal castle.

Our study revealed that there were two fortresses named after two Lewons in the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia. The first one was built in 1272 and was named after the king Lewon II. It is mentioned as Lewonklay, Lewonberd, berd Lēōni and Lamberd in primary sources. Its modern name is Maran kalesi.

The second fortress, now called Yilankale, was constructed most likely between June 19, 1320 and January 26, 1329 and was named after the king Lewon IV. The medieval authors called it Tłay Lewonin (with Klay Tłay Lewonin / the Castle of [king] Lewon the Young in mind), apparently also Tʽagaworašen.

In addition to these names, I propose to designate the fortresses by the conditional names Lewonklay I and Lewonklay II respectively, in chronological sequence.

Le site dit du Camp de Beugy (commune de Sainte-Suzanne, Mayenne) serait, selon l'historiographie ancienne, une fortification temporaire construite par Guillaume le Conquérant lors du siège de Sainte-Suzanne au début des années 1080, siège relaté par le chroniqueur Orderic Vital. Depuis 2010, une étude du site a été entreprise pour vérifier cette hypothèse.

The goal of the article is to present the assumptions of a research project financed by the National Science Centre within the OPUS 11 call for proposal (UMO-2016/21/HS3/03119), ‘Castrum et curia. Studies on the development of private defensive seats and their base from the Middle Ages to the Post-medieval period on the example of the estate of the Pałuki family and their successors’.
For several decades already, one can observe a significant increase in interest in the research problems concerning castles, which is sometimes treated as a separate, interdis-ciplinary field of knowledge and called the castellology. Despite the passage of time and the great increase in data, it should be noted that the attention of researchers, including archaeologists, has to date mainly focused on the architecture of residential buildings and their fortifications, defining their forms, development phases and more or less credible dating. Without abandoning or even refining this kind of studies, now it is time to move to research on wider context of issues which the castastology can carry. The problem I am dealing with is an attempt to meet these kinds of challenges, and its aim is to create a model approach to the development of a private castle estate from the Middle Ages to the Post-medieval period, which will be implemented by presenting a comprehensive analysis of the problem. This topic will be presented on the example of four manor and castle complexes, the beginnings of which are associated with the powerful Pałuki family. All of them are characterised by the 14th-century origins, which enables to trace the process of private estates forming from almost the very beginning to the disappearance or transformation into the late Post-medieval manor complexes.
The state of knowledge regarding particular issues contained in this approach should be assessed as unequal and diverse. Undoubtedly, an excellent starting point is an advanced research on the Pałuki family itself: genealogy, public careers and land estates, which originated from a monumental monograph by Władysław Semkowicz published in 1907, subsequently verified and developed in excellent studies by Janusz Bieniak (Semkowicz 1907; Bieniak 1985). It is impossible to omit here the works by Joanna Karczewska, who undertook studies on the Pałuki nobility and its estates in the 15th century (Karczewska 2006; 2010). These works do not refer, however, directly to the problems of castles and castle estates, which certainly requires further development in the course of field research and further archive inquiries. Relating the current state of knowledge, it is worth noting that similar issues became the subject of works devoted to other families and areas, whose authors are, amongst others, Stanisław Kołodziejski (Lesser Poland families Lis, Gryfit and Półkozic, Kołodziejski 1994), Ryszard Grygiel and Tomasz Jurek (Doliwa family in Greater Poland; Grygiel and Jurek 1996; Grygiel 2001), and Anna Marciniak-Kajzer (as-sociated mainly with Lesser Poland Leliwa-Tarnowscy family; Marciniak-Kajzer 2001). It seems, however, that the current development of research requires the delineation of new horizons and standards.
The private castles of Greater Poland to date have been given little space in science, usually considering them in terms of analysis of their architecture, which was burdened with a lot of hypotheticality and speculation. The only monographic study more broadly related to issues in question is the work of this paper’s author and Tomasz Olszacki pub-lished in 2015, where many further research needs were outlined (Olszacki and Różański 2015). The valuable observations regarding the considered structures include the com-ments of such researchers as Leszek Kajzer, Piotr Lasek, Jan Skuratowicz and Sobiesław Szybkowski, referring to the castles in Gołańcz and Szubin and focusing in particular on highlighting the splendour of these edifices, their high architectural class and outstand-ing residential values. These remarks undoubtedly encourage the proper recognition and study of these complexes, of which Szubin, one of the most interesting private castles of Polish Middle Ages, does not even have a credible plan(!). A model example of castle developm ent will be elaborated, apart from the castle in Szubin, using the example of towers from Gołańcz and Danabórz as well as motte in Łekno.
The innovative nature of the proposed research is determined by their complemen-tarity, combining methods typical of archaeology, history of architecture and history of art, history sensu stricto, as well as geology and significant use of laboratory analyses and non-invasive research techniques. Researching in this way medieval manor sites, as well as castles existing from the late Middle Ages to the Post-medieval period, together with their immediate surroundings, will be a kind of testing ground which, with positive verification, has a chance to become a model of the most comprehensive archaeological and architectural activities, as well as social aspects of the origins and development of the private castle estate in the lowland zone of Poland. The importance of the project’s activities should also be noticed at the heritage conservation level, as it is intended to demonstrate the integrity of the castle structure (including the motte) and the surrounding area (including its range determination), which will help to delineate zones and ways to protect these extremely valuable for cultural heritage areas.
Therefore, it remains to express hope, bordering on certainty, that the results of such activities will bring valuable input to research on the origins and development of knightly seats in Polish territories.