"Castle tower" redirects here. For the American cell tower corporation, see Crown Castle.
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fulfil different functions.
The Tour des Pénitents in Mende, France, a horseshoe-shaped tower remaining from the former medieval city walls
Rectangular towersedit
Square or rectangular towers are easy to construct and give a good amount of usable internal space. Their disadvantage is that the corners are vulnerable to mining. Despite this vulnerability, rectangular towers continued to be used, and Muslim military architecture generally favoured them.[1]
Round towers, also called drum towers, are more resistant to siege technology such as sappers and projectiles than square towers. The round front is more resistant than the straight side of a square tower, just as a load-bearing arch. This principle was already understood in antiquity.[1]
Horseshoe-shaped towersedit
The horseshoe-shaped (or D-shaped) tower is a compromise that gives the best of a round and a square tower. The semicircular side (the one facing the attacker) could resist siege engines, while the rectangular part at the back gives internal space and a large fighting platform on top.[1] The large towers at Krak des Chevaliers and the gate towers at Harlech are good examples. Armenian castles such as Lampron also favoured this style.
There are also hybrid shapes. For instance, the keep at Château Gaillard is slightly bent forward, but also has a triangular beak to deflect projectiles.
Towers with specific functionsedit
Wall towers, also known as mural towers, provide flanking fire (from crossbows or other projectile weapons) to a straight part of the curtain wall. Corner towersenfilade the two adjoining wall faces. If corner towers are far apart, additional flanking towers may be added between them. Towers in an outer curtain wall are often open at the back.
Particularly large towers are often the strongest point of the castle: the keep or the bergfried. As the gate is always a vulnerable point of a castle, towers may be built near it to strengthen the defences at this point. In crusader castles, there is often a gate tower, with the gate passage leading through the base of the tower itself. In European castles, it is more common to have flanking towers on either side of the gatehouse.
fortified, tower, castle, tower, redirects, here, american, cell, tower, corporation, crown, castle, fortified, tower, also, defensive, tower, castle, tower, context, just, tower, defensive, structures, used, fortifications, such, castles, along, with, curtain. Castle tower redirects here For the American cell tower corporation see Crown Castle A fortified tower also defensive tower or castle tower or in context just tower is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications such as castles along with curtain walls Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fulfil different functions Gate towers at Harlech Castle Contents 1 Shape of towers 1 1 Rectangular towers 1 2 Round towers 1 3 Horseshoe shaped towers 1 4 Polygonal towers 2 Towers with specific functions 3 See also 4 References 5 SourcesShape of towers edit nbsp The Tour des Penitents in Mende France a horseshoe shaped tower remaining from the former medieval city wallsRectangular towers edit Square or rectangular towers are easy to construct and give a good amount of usable internal space Their disadvantage is that the corners are vulnerable to mining Despite this vulnerability rectangular towers continued to be used and Muslim military architecture generally favoured them 1 Round towers edit Round tower redirects here For other uses see Round tower disambiguation Round towers also called drum towers are more resistant to siege technology such as sappers and projectiles than square towers The round front is more resistant than the straight side of a square tower just as a load bearing arch This principle was already understood in antiquity 1 Horseshoe shaped towers edit The horseshoe shaped or D shaped tower is a compromise that gives the best of a round and a square tower The semicircular side the one facing the attacker could resist siege engines while the rectangular part at the back gives internal space and a large fighting platform on top 1 The large towers at Krak des Chevaliers and the gate towers at Harlech are good examples Armenian castles such as Lampron also favoured this style Polygonal towers edit A common form is an octagonal tower used in some bergfrieds and at Castel del Monte in Italy There are also hybrid shapes For instance the keep at Chateau Gaillard is slightly bent forward but also has a triangular beak to deflect projectiles Towers with specific functions editWall towers also known as mural towers provide flanking fire from crossbows or other projectile weapons to a straight part of the curtain wall Corner towers enfilade the two adjoining wall faces If corner towers are far apart additional flanking towers may be added between them Towers in an outer curtain wall are often open at the back Particularly large towers are often the strongest point of the castle the keep or the bergfried As the gate is always a vulnerable point of a castle towers may be built near it to strengthen the defences at this point In crusader castles there is often a gate tower with the gate passage leading through the base of the tower itself In European castles it is more common to have flanking towers on either side of the gatehouse nbsp Hrelja s fortified tower in the Rila Monastery Bulgaria nbsp A rectangular and a round tower projecting from the wall at Krak des Chevaliers nbsp Octagonal corner towers at Castel del Monte Apulia nbsp Towers of the Topkapi Palace s gate nbsp Wall towers and square gate tower at the Citadel of Aleppo nbsp Rectangular keep and round tower at Chateau de Falaise nbsp Twin towers at the German s Gate bridge castle in Metz nbsp Albarrana tower in Castle of Paderne Portugal nbsp Guedelon Castle experimental archaeology building medieval tower 2015 nbsp Tower of Bagh e Dolat Abad Yazd Iran nbsp Towers of Miandasht caravanserai Iran Many caravanserais featured towers nbsp Fortified tower of the medieval castle in Szprotawa Poland 2020 See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Defense towers Flanking tower Gate tower Half tower Martello tower Scottish Broch Tower house Witch tower Shell keepReferences edit a b c Kennedy 2000 Sources editKennedy Hugh 2000 Crusader Castles Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 79913 9 Toy Sidney Castles Their Construction and History ISBN 978 0 486 24898 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fortified tower amp oldid 1191663062 Round towers, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
