Do you know why spiral staircases in a medieval castle were always twisted clockwise? Even now, almost all spiral staircases twist clockwise when ascending and counterclockwise when descending. And it turns out that this decision has a fairly logical explanation.
To understand the logic, you need to go back to the Middle Ages, when spiral staircases were designed for castles and fortresses. The main problem of those times was enemy attacks. And this staircase design is a great way for occupants to protect themselves. Spiral staircases were deliberately made narrow and twisted clockwise to put attacking forces at a disadvantage.
Medieval architects knew that most people are right-handed. This meant that the attacking people (climbing the stairs) held their swords from the side of the central support pillar. The pillar minimized the space for swinging bladed weapons. At the same time, the defenders of the castle had their swords on the opposite side, which gave them a great advantage. After all, they had much more space to use weapons. On the one hand, the defenders were free to swing their swords in arcs that matched the curve of the outer wall. On the other hand, they could use the support pillar as a shield.
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Staircases in medieval castles had another original and very important protective feature. The stairs had uneven steps (that is, some steps were higher than others). The people living in the castle were aware of the unevenness, making it easier for them to move up and down the stairs, while attackers could fall, especially when the stairs were poorly lit.
I hope you received a comprehensive answer to the question of why the stairs were twisted clockwise.
Additionally, through this link, you can find a wealth of fascinating information about the Middle Ages and medieval castles.
