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I’d like to know what the difference between a Castle and a Palace is? Plus, their historical context…which came first, where, etc, that sorta thing.
Thanks for your question. We have found the following resources that should help to answer your question:
1. From the Encylcopedia Britannica:
The terms castle and palace have often been used interchangeably, but originally they had different purposes. Castles were fortifications, while palaces have been built for centuries solely as residences for kings and nobles. Historically the palace preceded the castle by several centuries. Although the word derives from the Palatine Hill in Rome, where the emperors built their residences, palaces were built for the pharaohs of ancient Egypt as early as the 16th century BC. Much larger than the Egyptian palaces were those built in Assyria, which today is Iraq. At Khorsabad the palace of Sargon II, who ruled from 721 to 705 BC, extended over more than 25 acres (10 hectares)…
Source: Britannica Student Encyclopedia. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 28 May 2008
2. From Wikipedia:
Castle comes from the Latin word castellum. This is a diminutive of the word castrum, which means “fortified place”. The word “castle” (castel) was introduced into English shortly before the Norman Conquest to denote this type of fortress, then new to England, brought in by the Norman knights.
Palace is a grand residence, especially the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking public figure. In many European countries, such as France and Italy (but not Britain), the term is also applied to large (but not necessarily very large) urban buildings built as the private mansions of the aristocracy. The word “palace” comes from the name of one of the seven hills of Rome, the Palatine Hill. The original ‘palaces’ on the Palatine Hill were the seat of the imperial power, while the capitol on the Capitoline Hill was the seat of the senate and the religious nucleus of Rome.
3. From The Oxford English Dictionary:
CASTLE: A large building or set of buildings fortified for defence against an enemy; a fortress, stronghold. Retained as a name for large mansions or country houses, which were formerly feudal castles, but not, like F. château, transferred to this sense.
PALACE: An official residence or former residence of an emperor, king, pope, or other ruler; (also) an official residence of a member of a ruler’s family. Also- U.S. regional (chiefly south.). The official residence of a state governor or other important dignitary; any large and splendid residence or official building; a stately mansion; a building, usually large and lavishly decorated, intended as a place of amusement, entertainment, or refreshment; Christian Church. An official residence of an archbishop or bishop; spec. the official episcopal residence in a cathedral city. Also in extended use: any episcopal residence.