Concentric castle

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Krak des Chevaliers (Syria), the best preserved of the concentric crusader castles
Belvoir Castle
(Israel)

A concentric castle is a

Belvoir and Beaumaris) where the terrain permitted, or an irregular polygon (at Krak and Margat) where curtain walls of a spur castle
followed the contours of a hill.

Concentric castles resemble one castle nested inside the other, thus creating an

donjon), such as at Krak or Margat, it projects from the inner enceinte
.

Development

Star-shaped plan of the citadel of Lille (France), designed by Vauban
Plan of Beaumaris Castle (Wales)

Surrounding fortresses or towns with a series of

fortifications, famously seen in the Ishtar Gate. However, the relationship of the concentric castle to other forms of fortification is complex. An example of an early concentric castle is the Byzantine castle of Korykos in Turkey, built in the early 11th century AD.[2]

Historians (in particular

crenellation and, in more advanced cases, machicolations, all aimed at an active style of defence.[1] The Krak des Chevaliers in Syria is the best-preserved of the concentric crusader castles. By contrast, Château Pèlerin
was not a concentric castle, as the side facing the sea did not require defensive walls. However, the two walls facing the land are built on the same defensive principles as other crusader castles in the same period, rivalling the defences at Krak.

While a concentric castle has double walls and towers on all sides, the defences need not be uniform in all directions. There can still be a concentration of defences at a vulnerable point. At Krak des Chevaliers, this is the case at the southern side, where the terrain permits an attacker to deploy siege engines. Also, the gate and posterns are typically strengthened using a bent entrance or flanking towers.

Concentric castles were expensive to build, so that only the powerful military orders, the

crusader states.[3]

Concentric castles appeared in Europe in the 13th century, with the castles built in Wales by Edward I providing some outstanding examples, in particular Beaumaris Castle, a "perfect concentric castle",[4] albeit unfinished. As Beaumaris was built on flat terrain rather than a spur, it was both necessary and possible to build walls and towers facing in all directions, giving a very regular, almost square, floor plan to the castle. Some influence from crusader fortification has been conjectured, but the amount of technology transfer from the East and much earlier Byzantine examples remains controversial among historians.[1]

Similar structures

In the German-speaking states of the Holy Roman Empire, many castles had double curtain walls with a narrow ward between them, referred to as a Zwinger. These were added at vulnerable points like the gate but were rarely as fully developed as in the concentric castles in Wales or the Crusader castles.

The principle of an outer and inner wall was also used in fortified cities, such as the

Theodosian Walls of Constantinople and the city wall of Carcassonne
.

The concept of mutually reinforcing lines of defence with flanking fire was continued in later periods, such as the early modern fortifications of

Vauban, where outer defence works were protected and overlooked by others and their capture did not destroy the integrity of the inner Citadel
.

Citadels from before and during the Reconquista in Spain and Portugal also have fortifications similar to concentric castles found elsewhere in Europe.

Saint George Castle in Lisbon
Portugal.

Examples of concentric castles

See also

  • Buhen (ancient Egyptian stronghold)

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-521-79913-9
    .
  2. OCLC 254999395
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1846033490
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-521-32932-3
    .
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