While the clockwise spiral of medieval staircases disadvantaged those launching assaults, it greatly aideda castle’s defenders. As they descended, the design favored their right-handedness. Not only could they easily draw their sword, but their swing matched the curvature of the tower’s outer wall. As such, defenders were able to launch full, power...

In combination with the clockwise spiral of the staircases, the stairs in these medieval towers also served as a means to disadvantage attackers. During the medieval period, individual stairs weren’t builtto the same specifications. Each was constructed separately and with different dimensions, resulting in serious irregularities in the overall sta...