Explore the brilliant and brutal defensive architecture, from the cleverly designed clockwise spiral staircases that gave right-handed swordsmen an advantage, to the aptly named "machicolations" used to drop projectiles on attackers below. Discover why Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe—a legacy of conquest and control left by English kings. Journey to the Czech Republic to learn about Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle complex in the world, and contrast these mighty fortresses with the purely decorative "sham castles" built by English aristocrats centuries later simply as elaborate garden ornaments. Castle life included some less-than-glamorous daily details, such as the rudimentary toilets known as "garderobes," which were little more than a hole in the wall above a moat.

Want to learn more? Head over to my website www.funfactsdailypod.com and be sure to listen to my other podcasts Who ARTed: Weekly Art History for All Ages or Art Smart. For family fun, check out my son's podcast Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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