Expert Compares Disney Castles To Their Real-Life Inspiration | Architectural Digest

[@obhatti]

I’m sorry but can we please get an hour + long version of this video? Or, does this woman teach / give lectures somewhere because wow she was amazing to listen to!! If she teaches, I’d like to be a student in her class! Great video!

[@sunflowers_foxx]

She teaches at UCLA

[@IBBMS]

Yes, I'm dong work while "watching" and her voice is very soothing but also authoratative. I'm only passively listening but the info is being retained.

[@jennyknepper]

Second this request

[@sunflowers_foxx]

She’s in the art history department at UCLA

[@grizzlyrider6original70]

I agreed

[@dennynikaj]

As a fellow architect, I am so happy that people like her exists, passionate about our profession and explaining everything with a loot of love.

[@GeorgeVenturi]

As a really good architect and engineer let me remind you that the job of designing a castle wasn’t done by somebody who was formally called an architect, but was handled by a master stone mason, somebody who had years of experience laying out and building stone works. If we know the name of a particular mason depends on the nature of the castle’s construction, and how long it took. There are two major differences, planned castles and organic.

[@dennynikaj]

@@GeorgeVenturi both of them architectural concepts.

[@GeorgeVenturi]

She is a medieval architecture historian. Not a fellow architect. We love architecture but we are not the same.

[@dennynikaj]

@@GeorgeVenturi it is true, we build things, and you just comment on them, we also love you dear architecture historian.

[@GeorgeVenturi]

@@dennynikajIf you want to became an architect please come to Boston. We have some great schools here. I did my masters at the GSD. Good luck and keep learning. One day you might build something amazing. You can do it Dennis Hachinka!!

[@caseyfinnegan4139]

I didn't realize that the Disney logo is a combination of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty's castles, but it makes sense because of Disneyland (Sleeping Beauty's castle) and Disney World (Cinderella's castle!) How neat!!

[@Femaleviewpoint]

also it’s shows the dome

[@TheStOne1]

Please invite this woman to do more videos about Disney's architecture. She is amazing and there are more castles to annalize: Cinderella, The little Mermaid (both Eric's and King Triton's), Mulan's Imperial Palace and the Beast's castle.

[@eclaireurspatial]

I'd love for her to do a rundown of Hogwarts castle! This is such a fun and great video. Good job AD thinking outside the box!!

[@SonyaMasonTelly]

Yes please to Hogwarts!!

[@LLLLLLLLLucas]

@@SonyaMasonTelly she is amazing, though for your ref, Hogwarts in the films was heavily inspired by, Durham Cathedral and Alnwick Castle which both featured in many exterior shots. Hogwarts also of course borrowed heavily from French Chateau architecture.

[@sunflowers_foxx]

She actually is working on a Hogwarts one it’s out in september

[@halfwaytothehill2164]

Please!!!

[@arielgrushka]

Omg yesss

[@jonathannuamah3296]

I couldn’t help but think, “how is this video going to be *not* boring.” But wow! The insight is incredible. Makes me want to watch these movies all over again just to appreciate the architectures of these castles.

[@kaelthunderhoof5619]

She hasn't even touch the traps and killboxes of castles yet. Castles are never boring

[@ryanwatts4878]

I love the combination of intellectual reality and discussion of Disney castles so entertaining and interesting. And my new word of the day “Promontory”!

[@thedecider4755]

L

[@oxoelfoxo]

Mine are crenel and merlon

[@gruweldaad]

But don't pronounce it the way she does, because she's wrong.

[@MarcellinaMoon]

mine is barbican

[@jorgecuevas8843]

The fact that the actual buildings are Even more beautiful just showcases how gorgeous Europe actually is.

[@OnixMint]

So true! I also think Cathedrals are also just as beautiful and are the perfect inspiration for Disney movies!

[@something7935]

And south asia/middle east.

[@alessiobenvenuto5159]

Sometimes it's weird to think you don't have any castles or ancient cathedral, while here being surrounded from buildings 2000 years old it's just s fact of life.

[@blobba5442]

@@something7935 so not east asia?

[@nereitaammc_99]

Absolutely

[@infraredthomas]

Wow - this was really interesting - I was spellbound. Not only did we learn some of the possible thought process of the animators - real locations that influenced the final design - but also what all of the design elements are in castles/fortresses. What a great topic to do a video on and so well presented.

[@chileanyways196]

This was so interesting. I’d love a part two or an hour long version of this video I could listen to her talk about these things for hours

[@verolly31]

Mont St Michel is magical. I’ll never forget my visit there.

[@dominikr8428]

Very nice! I would add that the Rapunzel castle is inspired with Mt. St. Michel's island location and triangular shape, however the elongated onion domes of the towers have little to do with France. They remind me more of baroque architecture found in central and northern Europe (for example Kronborg Castle, Royal Castle in Warsaw or many Bavarian churches).

[@paddington5492]

There are many churches with onion domes in eastern France though (where I live)

[@dominikr8428]

@@paddington5492 interesting, I can't think of any examples. what area do you mean exactly?

[@jadawin10]

@@paddington5492 Not really "onion dome", (I live in north Franche-Comté)...

[@SonyaMasonTelly]

What a fantastic video, both educational and really interesting. I learned so much, especially about the terminology of the break down of castles. I’m also so pleased that so many Disney castles were discussed, especially different varieties. What a fabulous lecturer!

[@ytw8419]

Love this talk so much. Congratulations, AD, you outdid yourself, and we wouldn't think it was possible. And please, Professor Cohen, we want more.

[@j3an-mich3l]

Absolutely delightful exploration of how Disney drew inspiration fictional castles from real-world buildings. Bravo to Mrs. Cohen for providing her expertise and depth of knowledge through an engaging and lively narrative. Hopefully 🤞🏼 this is just the start of a great educational AD series!

[@NeovanGoth]

Interesting fun fact about Kind Ludwig II. is that he kinda was the Walt Disney of his time, who with Neuschwanstein tried to build his private Disney Land, where he could enjoy the magical world of his imagination and show it off to visitors. Just like the physical Disney castles, Neuschwanstein is basically fake, built from bricks and made to look like a real fortified castle made of solid stone. It's a mixture of different styles from different time periods primarily meant to look magical, not to make any sense. Inside the castle there are a lot of themed rooms with motives from mainly Wagnerian operas. Just like Walt, Ludwig II. was an admirer of technology, used state-of-the-art building techniques and machinery and had all kinds of novel technical gadgetry installed, like an electrical signaling system and phone lines (keep in mind that this was around 1880!), a central heating system based on hot air, and a nifty oven that automatically adjusted the turning speed of its skewer. Heck, there even was a fake grotto made of fake stone that lead to a winter garden! The only thing more Disney Land is probably the bigger fake grotto Ludwig had built at Castle Linderhof, that genuinely resembles a Disney Ride, including a (fake, of course) boat right out of a fairy tale. Actually I'm really surprised that he didn't also built a monorail. :D Ludwig meant Neuschwanstein less as representative castle and more like some kind of livable theater backdrop, something that probably would be called a theme park today - which in some way it actually became right after Ludwig's early death, when it was opened to the public and still is, tempting millions of tourists to visit Bavaria.

[@Phelie315]

Ludwig was so wrong as king, he was not a leader at all, would have made a great artist though :) I did read that Neuschwanstein is the only castle in Germany that's actually profitable to run these days. Not sure if really no others are (like Ludwig's other castles or Sanssouci in Potsdam perhaps) but if there's any castle that makes money it's definitely this one.

[@kr9ptontv]

@@Phelie315 As a German I can say, that there a are a lot more castles that make money ;)

[@laba1574]

@@Phelie315 I guess there aren't many castles that actually make money, since there are so many. Most of them look quite similiar and Neuschwanstein is definitely one of the most beautiful ones. Just because of its location alone on the foothills of the Alps it is already really great. When castles are open to the public they are often quite cheap to visit or even free.

[@nicholasbosco8811]

I remember attempting to google real life architectures from hollywood animated movies when I was young. So happy that AD comes up with this video!

[@LacyJane]

the AD breakdown we've been waiting for 😭

[@samwilliams9919]

Fantastic video! Part 2 please with the castles from Cinderella, Beauty and the beast and the Little mermaid!

[@eduardof7322]

I was really expecting to see Ariel´s castle since its it was... you know, the most fantastical of all.

[@namewithoutdigits]

😂

[@kitlc1]

The defensive wall in Arendelle might have an inspiration closer to home. The Romans used defensive walls, and there are medieval walls still standing in Italy. I saw the walls of Genoa, and the towers can be seen on the crests of the hills around the city.

[@thevikingbear2343]

Also, for Norwegians, the wall separating nort part of Great Britain from the South (built by the romans) was very important when Norway invaded England (England was a collection of different countries actually at the time) so maybe that is a nod to that history?

[@ThePawcios]

Roman Castrum in fact it is a first stone castle, there is many of the in europe. Thy do not have the keep thou

[@hujiaming6151]

This feels so good, like going back to child times, hearing grandma telling a great story, all about fairy tales and castles.

[@IsabelS_Fuyu]

Is this a series cause I'm a fan! This is making me nostalgic for my Art History Class in highschool 😍

[@onaraisedbeach]

Friendly neighbourhood Scottish castles historian here. Great video, Meredith! As a few have already observed, the main tower of DunBroch is based on brochs (hence the name) of c.500BC - 500 AD (though many were used well into the Early Medieval period). Look up the Broch of Mousa, Dun Telve, and Dun Carloway for architectural comparisons. The architectural forms of northern and western Scotland were not at all influenced by Roman architecture (as some commenters below have suggested), given that Rome never made it into those areas except for a few trade goods that moved through long distance networks to reach places like Orkney and the Hebrides. The earliest stone castles in Scotland were built by the Norse in the early to mid-12th century, and they were themselves inspired by castles seen by Norsemen travelling throughout Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Interestingly, although DunBroch is said to be most closely inspired by Dunnottar and Eilean Donan, I don't see much resemblance - besides, Eilean Donan is an early 20th century reconstruction. By far the closest architectural parallel is Urquhart Castle, down to the position of the gatehouse, the inclined terrain leading up to it, and the large tower on the left (Urquhart Castle has the Grant Tower). Fun Fact: George R R Martin visited Urquhart Castle and even used it as the backdrop for his author pic in the Bantam paperback edition of A Clash of Kings!

[@magicknight13]

I love that she brought up the Urnes Stave church!! I loveeee this video and could listen to her talk about architecture for hours! I love architecture ❤

[@daisykid3]

I'm a big fan of fantasy and Disney so this checked so many boxes for me!! I would love to see her go over more castles from movies and tv.

[@Mirimes]

i always thought that for the aladdin castle they were inspired by the dome of the rock and generally speaking bizantine churches/ottoman mosques more than the taj mahal (mostly because the general shape is similar but they're more colorful than the taj mahal)

[@Tpoleful]

The castle is so far removed from real life structures, it really is on a league of its own. I'd say St Basil's and other Slavic orthodox churches come closest to it. Even the Byzantine/Ottoman architecture looks too different.

[@lauraherreratorres3653]

More of this! More of her! Please keep it coming!

[@kbird0]

I love this woman and I want to be her. She's so knowledgeable.

[@MrSludov]

The Alcázar of Segovia HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH FRANCO, it is a 12th century palace fortress, which was one of the main residences of the kings of Castile, and whose current appearance was completed between the 15th and 16th centuries by Juan II of Castile and Felipe II (who in addition to being King of Spain, was Count of Flanders and Duke of Burgundy), who added the Flemish-style spires that crown the towers. The Franco thing is simply RIDICULOUS.

[@christinac6710]

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen. Educational, interesting, great pace. I want to learn more from her!!!

[@madeleine9240]

Favourite AD video of all time! Love this. Very interesting. My favourite castle is from Sleeping Beauty

[@swithedits]

I could listen to her talk about architecture and history for hours. She explained this so well and made even what would typically have been boring bits way more interesting.

[@valdezlopez]

This is so fricking interesting. And the way she interprets all the details into what she saw on every story Disney film. Amazing.

[@more2me100]

Really enjoyed this video! She was speaking another language and I definitely learned a lot

[@Henle_]

Very interesting video, could we get another continuing video similar to this one, also including the classic Disney Castle? Cool stuff!

[@CoCoBliss4]

Whoa!!!!! This was phenomal!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise; for breaking this down. Really, really informative and so much fun to learn👌🏾💕🙏🏾

[@SaSha-hb5rq]

I was expecting they included Mulan. But the video is amazing, the insight is interesting and fun to watch

[@lacybookworm5039]

This was very interesting. Would you consider analyzing and comparing Lord of the Rings. castles to real world castles?

[@emmabruh]

The real buildings are just so stunning, no wonder they served as inspiration for such magical stories Neuschwanstein is definitely Germany‘s most famous castle but there are castles everywhere here, you can literally buy them, I’m so used to every small town having some sort of old castle or old cathedral that it’s weird imagining some countries don’t have that

[@coryspang7548]

I would love to visit Mont Saint Michele in Normandy. Its one of my favorite historical locations. Incredible architecture.

[@greatboniwanker]

Genuinely informative and fun!

[@Mangomony]

Love videos like these where we see the inspiration for all the extravagant places in movies, exists somewhere in our world

[@Palamedes2009]

Reimu:You know Shimyoumaru Shimyoumaru: tangled

[@DeevaSethi]

i just love how she compares the history of the irl castles to the plot of the disney ones

[@nicolerichards5122]

We need Meredith to do this but with Game of Thrones castles!!

[@lauraolap9921]

well, many of the ones that appear in the serie are from Spain, we have a lot of castles

[@drollymoony1989]

Truly amazing and interesting video - could listen to her forever!

[@englishclassbymissalda1499]

I enjoyed watching this video. Thank you for detailed explanations about the castle. Very interesting.

[@lvcasripardo]

Completely amazed by this video! Could we please get more of these? :)

[@msdenise1234567]

loving all the random subject you guys have been throwing in the mix lately!

[@thehapagirl92]

For the palace in Aladdin apparently Aladdin is set in the 15th century. The dome on top is reminiscent of Hoshang’s Tomb, Mandu in India built in 1440 which is in the 15th century.

[@heatherknopp3723]

This was really wonderful! So fascinating to see where Disney's imagineers found their ideas for the fictional castles they created for their fictional characters. Which leads me to think that we shouldn't judge them too much when something isn't "perfect" (the wall in Arendel, or Jasmine's "castle" in Aladdin). The stories are fantastical and mystical, and therefore we should overlook those kind of details in favor of the story. Imagination is a wonderful thing, so let's not stifle it too much by pointing out implausibilities or inaccuracies.

[@이마크-r8e]

This is so mesmerizing to watch! Hopefully they could've touched on the castles at the Disney Parks as well.

[@Allaiya.]

This was a great video. I noticed some of the inspirations before she named it. I just didn't notice it until the image was paused. But others it was new to me. I loved learning about them all!

[@sakura5sango6]

The fact that arguably the most iconic fantasy Disney castle out there is based on the Alcazar (which I got to know just a couple years ago, or so the nice lady told us there....) makes me strangely proud :)

[@billybee9659]

AD, we like her. Please do a part two. :)

[@chris_tian_ko]

So informative! Love this video!

[@hannahcheetah]

discussing disney castles interiors would be awesome. sleeping beauty’s stone interior and aladdin’s interior, princess and the frog, mulan, i could go on and on.

[@aaronbynum8968]

This was so informative this knowledge is invaluable it ties us to the past and to many cultures through architecture; Disney gets alot of crap for not being culturally accurate all the time but in many ways its good because it makes you focus more on the story thats being told and unifying message.

[@kaylinevans]

I love videos like this! It gives a good breakdown of the works and their inspiration. Going into my folder of videos to share with my art students!

[@lizw495]

Ok I haven’t even watched this but I love the concept!! I studied interior design and loved the history of architecture and design. While I’m no expert at it, I do find myself critiquing movies design like I know it all. I can’t wait to watch this!!! 💕

[@weeredvixen8033]

The round tower in the Brave Castle DunBroch is not a medieval keep. It's a broch. They are much older ( 1st century,) have no windows or arrow loops (or fancy stone work at the top), one door and a stair case in the inside of the double thick wall. they are unique to northern Scotland and might be an interesting read for you if you're interested.

[@ThePawcios]

Interesting point, but for me the Brave castle perfectly reasemble Roman Castrum adopted by Brits

[@weeredvixen8033]

I love that the animators and artists actually came to Scotland on a fact finding tour. There's lots of details, like the stepped gables, the carvings, and the mish mash of building styles built over centuries, that just scream 'Scottish castle'. Brochs were the fortified equivalent of round houses from pictish and pre historic times in the area. I've never seen two together in the way they are depicted in the picture, but the animators did managed to get the landscape beautifully. Roman castrum are very geometric and uniform so I don't really see the resemblance. But interesting never the less.

[@onaraisedbeach]

​@@ThePawcios Scottish castles historian here. WeeRedVixen is spot on, the main tower of DunBroch is based on brochs (hence the name). Look up the Broch of Mousa, Dun Telve, and Dun Carloway for architectural comparisons. The architectural forms of northern and western Scotland were not at all influenced by Roman architecture, given that Rome never made it into those areas except for a few trade goods that moved through long distance networks to reach places like Orkney and the Hebrides. It's also mistaken to believe that early Scottish stone castles were inspired by Roman castrum - the earliest stone castles in Scotland were built by the Norse in the early to mid-12th century, and they were themselves inspired by castles seen by Norsemen travelling throughout Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Interestingly, although DunBroch is said to be most closely inspired by Dunnottar and Eilean Donan, I don't see much resemblance - besides, Eilean Donan is an early 20th century reconstruction. By far the closest architectural parallel is Urquhart Castle, down to the position of the gatehouse, the inclined terrain leading up to it, and the large tower on the left (Urquhart Castle has the Grant Tower). Fun Fact: George R R Martin visited Urquhart Castle and even used it as the backdrop for his author pic in the Bantam paperback edition of A Clash of Kings!

[@наталиярозанова-ю7р]

It will be very interested to get some review for Elsa's Ice-castle (Frozen). Which architectural style is it?

[@darrenwatters8129]

Ok this was amazing , I wished we could of gone through all of the castles from Disney.. Meredith was so charming and fun to watch.. Lets go with Harry Potter / Lord of the rings.

[@spinlok3943]

I'm disappointed she didn't talk about the Disney theme park castles.

[@gigigameleira]

Its so recent but already need a part two

[@LOLWAAHH]

Oooh maybe you can do the architecture in princess and the frog next? I absolutely love the reference to the extravagant mansions like the Wedding Cake house in Nola

[@luisalfredowwe]

oh wow! she was my professor in a couple of classes at UCLA, crazy to see her on yt

[@TheSorryGirls]

here for this content

[@scottbrown8872]

Great video! I'm from the same area as Dunnottar Castle (which is actually pronounced Dun-Otter).

[@verolly31]

I learned new words today I love it thank you!

[@theshypersistence]

So many architectural terms in one video 🥵😅 Fascinating and well-presented!

[@bart7309]

Awesome video, About Rapunzel's tower. I feel that is more like a Foley rather than an actual (or partial) castle.

[@dyllicarray2266]

What a cool topic and thanks for posting 👀🙂

[@isa_chan.23]

I really LOVED this video!!! Thanks to professor Cohen!!!

[@sophiesyversen7779]

I love this video. It so interesting of what the Disney castles are inspired of😊😮

[@emm_arr]

7:00 Conwy Castle. The wall in the foreground is not the caste - but a railway addition.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

The fact that the castle from Brave is old and "almost in ruins" supposedly 100 years before that type of castle was even created fits in with the Pixar Theory, as Brave is supposed to be set after WALL-E when the humans come back to re-colonize Earth and basically retrace their way through history. Like, the castle doesn't even have to be an actual 11th-century castle, it's an old theme castle built by B&L to entertain the masses.

[@ThePawcios]

Actually Romans were building stone castles (CASTRVM), soo she is a bit wrong :P

[@sarahcoleman5269]

@@ThePawcios It's been 4 months, but I believe the castles discussed in the video were Mott and Baily castles, which are specific to the time when Anglos took over the British/Gaelic areas. Romans built Forts for the soldiers and Villas for the landowners because they were not so worried about defending their land. Who would dare oppose the Roman Army, right? Castles are generally fort-like structures where the landowners live inside because society was less cohesive and people had to worry about invaders all the time. I'm not an expert, but I've watched enough Time Team to know that what the Romans built weren't considered "castles" by the medieval definition used in this video.

[@SolarisDrawings]

17:30 the Onion domes were actually made in a Syrian Restaurant called Alf Layleh W Layleh/ ألف ليلة و ليلة

[@semiperfekt]

I wish the editors had spoken to the architect here because when she name drops different styles and a picture pops up it really doesn't match what she described. The tower of a scandinavian structure is obviously something particular, but the editor just googled scandinavian castle and put it in there except it shows no similarities with what she describes.

[@felipeandmichelleshorts]

I know I should be making a comment about the castles, but the cinematography in this video is *chef's kiss*

[@Allaiya.]

Honestly, I always thought the Aladdin palace was cool because it was so different. Didn't' realize people found it offensive. 15:38 Wow, that is a beautiful building

[@マークロウイジ]

Im not into this kinda of topic but wow That is so entertaining If my school teach us like this I'd listen and pay attention properly because When just hearing and they have an accent its hard to interrupt them talking and ask what they just said

[@МашаКудряша-ч9ы]

Amazing! This video was gripping

[@juanoquendo]

Great video. Mont Saint-Michel now has a bridge which allows access regardless of the tide.

[@TheSauceSultan]

I think we can all agree she needs to come back for more movie castle breakdowns

[@nicolezly]

whoa, if only all architecture classes are presented with such informative post-production..

[@emiliepryor51]

This was dope, thank you so much.

[@pranavS001]

This is wonderful!

[@Kerrogann]

I loved that video, and since you did Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin, it would be great to make a video where their live-action remake versions are, and compare also for Beauty and the Beast (cartoon and live) and maybe The Little Mermaid (Eric's Castle)

[@wilsonsmom411]

This was super fun, thank you!

[@louise5885]

More like this, please!!

[@chloef544]

love these videos, really interesting

[@jakobraahauge7299]

I would really have loved to hear this lady talking about Cuzco's palace - it has Andean inspiration and then is the playground of horrible modern urban types 😄🎉 she should just do them all! She's magnificent!!

[@Editorknowsbest]

From the miniature thumbnail, Ms. Cohen is a celebrity look-alike. My first thought was, “Why is Meryl Streep talking about architecture?” Lol

[@ozwolf01]

The long wall down the hill into Arendelle strikes me as being more of an aqueduct from a spring up the mountain than boundary wall. Combine it into a walled structure and your water source is more easily defended during siege.

[@Nerivan-911]

for the Mont Saint Michel, a chapel was founded in 708 by Aubert the bishop of Avranches, but the benedictine abbey was founded in 965 by Richard the first, duke of Normandy!

[@shellbysy7459]

I loved this video - such interesting learning! What were castles typically made of before the 11th century?

[@balenciaga2634]

next is Architectural Expert Breaks Down Assassin's Creed Buildings Details

[@thaisgregorio2734]

I know is not a popular movie, but I really wanted an analysis of the castle from The Sword in The Stone