Castles and Movies – A history intertwined



Medieval castles have been used in movies since the earliest movies were made. The silent horror movie Nosferatu that was made in 1922 was filmed in Oratu castle. This beautiful and very ominous castle was built on the Orava River in Slovakia around the fourteenth century. The use of medieval castles continues to this day with many scenes from contemporary movies including the Harry Potter movies being filmed in castles.

Scottish Castles in the Movies

Scottish castles are a very popular setting for movies that take place in the middle ages or require a really old and medieval feeling. One of the most popular castles for this is castle Eilian Donan which has been used in many movies such as Highlander, Highlander End Game, and the James Bond movie The World is not Enough where it was the northern base for the British Secret Service. Another popular Scottish castle for filmmaking is Doune Castle, which was used extensively in the making of the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Eastern European Castles

Eastern Europe has many castles that have found their way into movies and one of the most famous, and oldest, is Spis Castle in Slovakia. It was built in the twelfth century and has been the setting for movies such as Dragon Heart, Phoenix, Kull the Conquerer, The Lion in Winter and The Last Legion.

British Castles in the Movies

There are many British castles, and there are many movies that feature British castles. These movies tend to be more about the later middle ages and the Victorian era where the castles serve as a lush setting for the political and social intricacies of the times. Two excellent examples of this are the movie Shakespeare in Love, which was filmed in Broughton Castle and Remains of the Day, which was filmed in Powderham Castle. This Victorian era use of British castles wasn’t exclusive though. There are many English castles that have a feel of the middle ages and Old Wordour castle was used as the ancestral home of Robin Hood in Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

Other Countries and other Medieval Castles

Some other other countries with medieval castles that have been used in movies include the Italian Rocca Calascio Castle found in the Abruzzo province and used in the filming of the 1985 Michelle Pfeiffer movie Ladyhawke. Germany has many medieval castles that have been used in movies and Sean Connery’s The Name of the Rose was filmed in and around Eberbach Cloister on the Rhine River.

Harry Potter

The Harry Potter movies, which oscillate between the modern world and a fantasy medieval world, use many of England’s gothic structures to achieve the right setting. And one of the most famous of these locations is Alnwick Castle.

Medieval Castles from around the world have been used quite extensively in movies. They communicate a wide variety of expression, mood, and atmosphere. And have been used in movies that date back to the period of a thousand years ago, movies of the Victorian era, and even movies of modern times. There are hundreds of great movies that showcase the beauty and majesty of the world’s medieval castles.