The first of them were built in the 9th century, but they were not very numerous. The dynamic construction of castles in Europe began between the 10th and 11th centuries. The first castles were often built of wood, but their defensive qualities were low and the cost of repair and maintenance was quite high, so their construction was abandoned in favor of stone buildings. The first stone castles were built in Europe in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
