Windsor Castle, "stands on a low hill on the south bank of the River Thames over looking the little modern town of Windsor." (Hindly, p. 80) The first castle on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle made by William the Conqueror. Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world; Queen Elizabeth II lives it in now. Windsor Castle is on the original mound of the motte-and-bailey castle. The most amazing thing about the castle is the change it went through, from a fortress to a palace. Windsor Castle had two sieges one in 1193, and one in 1215. In 1254 King Henry II replaced the wooden Windsor with a stone Windsor. Henry III put up three more towers; in the 1350's Edward III added more royal apartments; Jeffry Wyatt put a lot of work in to the castle. Some of the original Windsor still stands, like the great round tower.
Windsor Castle and The Tower of London are the two most famous castles in the world, the are both by the River Thames. The Tower of London was built to protect the capital, while Windsor Castle was built to control the approaches to London. William I built the White Tower, it stood only a few yards from the city's east wall, the old wall of a Roman town. The White Tower is 90 feet high and the original tower is located in the center if a building.
Castel del Monte is in Southern Italy, it was built for Emperor Fredrick II. This is a legend about Castel del Monte: Emperor Fredrick II had never visited the castle site. He was curious about how the castle was coming so he sent a young courtier to see it and report back. The courtier never went to the castle because he was spending time with a beautiful maiden. A messenger came and told the courtier he had to come back to the imperial court in Naples. The courtier came back and told the Emperor it was a terrible job and he wouldn't like it. The Emperor was angry and sent a letter to the architect saying that he should call himself a disgrace and explain himself at the capital. The man was terrified; he killed his family and himself. When the Emperor saw the beautiful castle he was so angry that he dragged the courtier by the hair to the top of the tallest tower and threw off as a sacrifice to the architect and his family.
Castel del Monte was built from golden limestone, and made in the Gothic style. It was decorated with sculptures, colorful mosaics, and carvings. It even had flushing toilets.