A courtyard or open space located in front of a main building or palace entrance.
From Latin 'ante' (before) + 'court' (from Latin 'cohors', an enclosed yard). The term combines the prefix meaning 'before' with the architectural space to denote a forecourt or outer court.
Medieval castles and Renaissance palaces deliberately designed antecourts as defensive spaces—visitors had to pass through multiple courtyards before reaching the lord's inner sanctum, making it harder for attackers to penetrate deeper into the fortress.
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