An expert in medieval architecture analyzes the cartoon masterpieces' palaces.

You may be aware that several Disney movies draw inspiration from classic tales. The Brothers Grimm's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty inspired their respective movies. No princess is complete without her castle; yet, have you ever pondered the inspiration behind Disney's fantastical creations?

The newest AD YouTube video has medieval architectural scholar Meredith Cohen dissecting the palaces in six Disney princess films, from classics like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to more recent flicks like Brave, Tangled, and Frozen. Explore these beautiful buildings below and watch the video for more advice from Cohen.

Duke Alcazar of Segovia

The medieval lcazar of Segovia, Spain, served as inspiration for the queen's castle in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Cohen thinks the cartoon version strikes a nice balance between reality and Disney enchantment. She cites the drawing's small windows and stone exterior as examples of realism, noting that such features were standard in historic castles to prevent intruders from gaining access. Cohen says that these structures serve as defenses. The actual castle, however, has much fewer turrets. She explains that Disney accentuated the castle's spires and turrets to make it seem more fantastical.

Castello di Neuschwanstein

King Stefan's castle in Sleeping Beauty was inspired by Neuschwanstein, a Bavarian structure commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Disney, however, added a few touches to make it feel more mysterious, much like the queen's castle in Snow White.

As explained by Cohen, many elements of King Stefan's palace may be attributed to various time periods: It has pointed Gothic arches and turrets inspired by the Renaissance and Gothic styles and Scandinavian tradition. In terms of historical accuracy, King Stefan's castle is a mixed bag, although it did serve as a model for subsequent Disney castles. Not only does the Disney logo take cues from the king's castle, but also Cinderella's.

Mont-Saint-Michel

Cohen adds that Tangled's Corona Castle is "a great example of how to work a building into a tale." Inspired by the real Mont-Saint-Michel, a small island off the coast of Normandy, France, that was once home to a Benedictine abbey, Disney created a computer-animated film. The church was converted into a jail, and in reality, you may only visit Mont-Saint-Michel twice a day, at times of the low tide. The prison represents Rapunzel's early existence locked in a tower, and the ebbing and flowing of the tides represent her hair, the restricted means she had to communicate with the outside world.

Scotland's Eilean Donan Castle. 

Islands of Eilean Donan and Dunnottar and Their Castle

Brave's DunBroch was modeled by two real-life Scottish castles: Eilean Donan and Dunnottar. Certain inconsistencies between the animation and the actual buildings may be seen, even though it is easily distinguished from the latter by its stone facade and horizontal profile. For one thing, Cohen points out; stone castles didn't appear until the 11th century, even though the narrative takes place in the 10th. The palace is also in disrepair, which is odd given that people are presumably still living there, but as Cohen points out, this may have been on purpose to represent the rivalry between the clans.

This picture shows the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

The Taj Mahal

According to Cohen, the Aladdin palace, owned by the Sultan, is the first actual castle he has ever seen. A massive onion dome rests atop a central tower in this stately residence, and a spiral staircase with an arched doorway serves as a fitting grand entrance. The Indian palace, the Taj Mahal, served as inspiration for the castle's design, but it also has design aspects from other civilizations. Cohen says the domes are reminiscent of Russian orthodox cathedrals like Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, and the turquoise entrance is reminiscent of India's vibrant architecture. Cohen claims, "They took liberties in the civilizations they borrowed from," and that a new opening credit acknowledges the film's wrongdoing in reducing so many cultures to one.

Norway's Akershus Castle.       

See the Borgund Stave Church and the Akershus Castle.

It's no surprise that the castle in the film's made-up kingdom of Arendelle takes design cues from Scandinavian architecture, given that Frozen was inspired by Scandinavian mythology. Drawings of the palace show it to have several gables and a tower with a spire at its peak. The castle's defenses were inspired by the historic Akershus Fort, a military outpost close to Oslo. But the house itself was motivated by an entirely another source. The timber trusses outside the animated palace reveal its wooden construction. Cohen says this feature resembles a Norwegian stave church more closely than a fortress. To illustrate his thesis, Cohen notes that the animation looks like a stave church in Borgund and explains that this is because churches were among the most exciting buildings of the Middle Ages.

In its original form, this story appeared in Architectural Digest.