Furthermore, larger castles helped noble lords gain favor and respect from the local peasants as they could seek refuge and safety in the castle during a conflict. Noble lords used them as residences and to symbolize their authority to local peasants or other nobility.
Finally, castles also served as important symbols of power. As such, they were often used as staging grounds for a future assault. For instance, castles were often the site of weapons storage and made excellent centers for organizing and assembling armies. For example, historians have also argued that castles served an important offensive role in European conflicts. However, castles also severed many more roles in European society. They allowed a place for wealth and people to be held when under siege and as a means of creating a defensive line against an attack. Generally, historians believe that castles were built as a defensive measure to protect noble lords and their families.
