Hrad Lipnice, Lipnice nad Sazavou, Kraj Vysocina, Bohemia(CZ), 2007

Dating to the 13th Century, Hrad Lipnice was built by the Lords of Lichtenburg as their family residence, as was the custom for medieval lords. Indeed, few castles were built for kings or princes, as the vast majority built were residences for lords to protect themselves from peasant revolts. Machievelli wrote a whole chapter of THE PRINCE explaining this, that a professional army could lay seige to you, and the castle would be of little use except to buy time, but against a peasants revolt it would work, as castles could indeed keep enemies out, even if they couldn't get supplies in. After the Lichtenburgs, Hrad Lipnice passed through the hands of numerous other aristocratic families, but also was eventually used by at least two kings, including King John of Luxembourg, and the famous Bohemian king and Roman Emperor Charles IV (Karluv IV) of Luxembourg.