<P> As social centres castles were important places for display . Builders took the opportunity to draw on symbolism, through the use of motifs, to evoke a sense of chivalry that was aspired to in the Middle Ages amongst the elite . Later structures of the Romantic Revival would draw on elements of castle architecture such as battlements for the same purpose . Castles have been compared with cathedrals as objects of architectural pride, and some castles incorporated gardens as ornamental features . The right to crenellate, when granted by a monarch--though it was not always necessary--was important not just as it allowed a lord to defend his property but because crenellations and other accoutrements associated with castles were prestigious through their use by the elite . Licences to crenellate were also proof of a relationship with or favour from the monarch, who was the one responsible for granting permission . </P> <P> Courtly love was the eroticisation of love between the nobility . Emphasis was placed on restraint between lovers . Though sometimes expressed through chivalric events such as tournaments, where knights would fight wearing a token from their lady, it could also be private and conducted in secret . The legend of Tristan and Iseult is one example of stories of courtly love told in the Middle Ages . It was an ideal of love between two people not married to each other, although the man might be married to someone else . It was not uncommon or ignoble for a lord to be adulterous--Henry I of England had over 20 bastards for instance--but for a lady to be promiscuous was seen as dishonourable . </P> <P> The purpose of marriage between the medieval elites was to secure land . Girls were married in their teens, but boys did not marry until they came of age . There is a popular conception that women played a peripheral role in the medieval castle household, and that it was dominated by the lord himself . This derives from the image of the castle as a martial institution, but most castles in England, France, Ireland, and Scotland were never involved in conflicts or sieges, so the domestic life is a neglected facet . The lady was given a dower of her husband's estates--usually about a third--which was hers for life, and her husband would inherit on her death . It was her duty to administer them directly, as the lord administered his own land . Despite generally being excluded from military service, a woman could be in charge of a castle, either on behalf of her husband or if she was widowed . Because of their influence within the medieval household, women influenced construction and design, sometimes through direct patronage; historian Charles Coulson emphasises the role of women in applying "a refined aristocratic taste" to castles due to their long term residence . </P> <P> The positioning of castles was influenced by the available terrain . Whereas hill castles such as Marksburg were common in Germany, where 66 per cent of all known medieval were highland area while 34 per cent were on low - lying land, they formed a minority of sites in England . Because of the range of functions they had to fulfil, castles were built in a variety of locations . Multiple factors were considered when choosing a site, balancing between the need for a defendable position with other considerations such as proximity to resources . For instance many castles are located near Roman roads, which remained important transport routes in the Middle Ages, or could lead to the alteration or creation of new road systems in the area . Where available it was common to exploit pre-existing defences such as building with a Roman fort or the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort . A prominent site that overlooked the surrounding area and offered some natural defences may also have been chosen because its visibility made it a symbol of power . Urban castles were particularly important in controlling centres of population and production, especially with an invading force, for instance in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century the majority of royal castles were built in or near towns . </P>

What was the purpose of castles in the middle ages