Traditional architecture of western castles

Castle is a kind of fortifications, its structure mainly includes:

city wall

The city wall has the function of fire prevention and resisting the attack of projectiles such as bows and arrows, which makes the enemy unable to climb the steep city wall without ladders, siege tower and other equipment. The defenders at the top of the city wall can shoot arrows or throw objects down to attack the attackers. Therefore, the attacker is completely exposed to the open space. Compared with the strong protection of the defender and the advantage of shooting down, the attacker is quite unfavorable when shooting up. If the city wall is built on a cliff or other steep places, its effectiveness and defensive value will be greatly improved. The gates and entrances on the city walls will be as small as possible to provide stronger defense.

Arrow tower

The arrow tower is built in the corner of the city or on the wall, and it is used as a strong fortress at regular intervals. The arrow tower will protrude from the flat wall, so that the defenders in the arrow tower can shoot in the direction facing the wall. Arrow training in the corner of the city allows defenders to expand their attacks and shoot from different angles. The arrow tower allows city guards to defend the city gate from all directions.

battlement

The city walls and arrow towers have been continuously strengthened, providing greater protection for the defenders. The platform behind the top of the city wall allows the defenders to stand and fight, and the pass above the city wall allows the defenders to get partial cover when shooting outside. Stone arches with similar functions, called portals, will be set above city gates or other important strongholds.

Trenches, Trenches and Suspension Bridges

In order to highlight the height of the city wall, a trench will be dug at the bottom of the city wall to surround the whole castle, and the trench will be filled with running water as much as possible to form a moat. Trenches and moats make it more difficult to attack the city walls directly. The existence of the moat also makes it more difficult for the enemy to dig tunnels under the castle, because if the tunnel collapses during the excavation, the digger is easily drowned by the river in the moat. Suspension bridge can cross moat or trench, which is convenient for castle residents to get in and out when needed. In case of emergency, the suspension bridge will be hoisted by the machinery in the castle to restore the function of the trench, seal the city wall and avoid the attack of the besieged city.

watergate

The gate of the castle is a porter with internal space (think of the gate of China), which is a strong stronghold to defend the castle. At the middle or both ends of the gate concierge, there will be one or more gates. The mechanical action of rolling can raise or lower the gate above the concierge to provide solid protection. The gate itself is usually a heavy wooden or iron fence, and defenders and siege fighters shoot or assassinate on both sides of the gate.

Waibao

A strong castle will have an outer door and an inner door, and the space between the two doors is called an outer castle. It is surrounded by a city wall and is designed to trap intruders who pass through the outer door. Once the siege fighters arrive at the outer gate castle, they can only retreat from the outer gate or continue to attack the inner gate; At this time, it often becomes the target of projection weapons such as bows and arrows.

fort

A fortress is a small castle, usually a complex of a big castle. The function of a fortress is mainly defense, which is usually carried out by people in the castle. If the outer city is captured by foreign enemies, the defenders can take refuge in the fortress and make a final defense.