Medieval fortress Tower of London. tower of london, england tower of london what

The residence of kings, the most terrible prison in England, a fortress built to defend the city, a mint, a royal arsenal and even a royal menagerie - all this is the Tower of London. The castle, which played an exceptional role in the history of the English capital.

Initially, the Tower was built as a defensive fortress to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxon population of the island under William the First. In the future, the Tower was rebuilt more than once, received new towers and extensions, and in 1190 the first prisoner "settled" in it.

The fortress served as a prison primarily for representatives of the aristocracy, that is, enough noble prisoners. There have been times in history when members of the royal family themselves were kept in the Tower. The Tower gained its reputation as a dark place of execution and torture during the reign of Henry the Eighth. It was in this prison that his two wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, spent the last days before execution.

The Tower of London has retained its historical appearance to this day. Of course, now the fortress is not used as a prison, but has become a repository of royal treasures, a museum and an armory. There are also several residential apartments in the complex of buildings of the Tower, which housed the families of the staff serving the museum and the treasury, and also high-ranking guests can stay. Officially, the Tower is still considered the residence of the family of Elizabeth II, but has not been used by the royals for a long time.

The most unusual inhabitants of the castle now are ravens, bearing the title of "official residents" and standing on the official royal allowance.

Every year, the Tower of London is visited by millions of tourists who are attracted by the history of this place, the treasures stored here and the museum's old exhibits.

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The Tower of London is the oldest building in Great Britain and its main fortress. During its almost thousand years of existence, he has experienced a lot and keeps a lot of interesting stories. About what treasures the Tower is rich in and what legends envelop the fortress - read in our material

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Photo: commons.wikimedia.org 3

The fortress is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Beefeaters are guarding the Tower of London - the guards of the fortress have been called that since the middle of the 15th century, although officially they are called Yeoman guards. The nickname stuck during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the fortress guards received rations of beef meat. Formally, the beefeaters are responsible for protecting the royal regalia, but in fact they simply conduct excursions and are themselves an attraction. Each uniform is valued at 7 thousand pounds, as they include a golden thread.

Photo: attractiontix.co.uk 5

The Tower is still the official residence of the monarch. On its territory there is The Queen's House, in which Elizabeth II could live if she wanted to.

The fortress houses the jewels of the British Empire, the total value of which is estimated at 20 billion pounds. The most expensive stone is the Cullinan, it costs 250 million pounds and is the world's largest cut diamond.

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Every evening, at exactly 9:53 pm, the Key Ceremony takes place in the Tower. The soldiers of the royal guard make their rounds throughout the territory in order to lock the gates. Then the watchman asks the convoy: “Who is coming?” - to which he receives the answer: "Keys." "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys," the convoy replies. This procedure has been going on for hundreds of years and is the oldest military ceremony in the world.

Six ravens live in the Tower of London, whose names are given in honor of the Scandinavian and Celtic gods, as well as mythical characters: Hugin, Munin, Thor, Branwen, Gwillum and Baldrick. According to legend, when the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress, and with it the entire British monarchy, will collapse. To avoid this, crows regularly clip their wings.

All travelers who are on their way to the Country of Foggy Albion are waiting for the sights of Great Britain. And I must say, there are a lot of them. The Tower of London enjoys a special respect among tourists, and among the indigenous people, due to its rich historical past. Literally from English "Tower of London" - "tower". If we talk about a real building, then it is a majestic fortress, which is located on the northern birch of the Thames.

Mysterious and alluring place

Although England is rich in sights, this building is one of the oldest in the whole country. The Tower of London is rightfully considered the historical center of the capital of Great Britain. If you ask about the history of this mysterious (and even gloomy) place, you can learn a lot of interesting things. Thousands of tourists flock to this place in order to touch the oldest building in England and get acquainted with its inexplicable facts of the past.

Rich historical past

Even at the time of the Norman Conquest, this fortress towered over the Thames. Throughout the long history of existence, the residence of the king and his court was located here, there was once a treasury here, the mint produced money for the whole country. However, not so serious “duties” were assigned to the fortress at different times. So, there was also an observatory and a zoo. But many have heard that it was in this place that the noble prisoners of the Kingdom were waiting for their sentence and believed in the best in those days when the Tower was a prison. Truly, no other attractions in London can "boast" of such a rich past.

The walls of this fortress were also reconstructed more than once, and the building itself was repeatedly completed and refurbished. This led to the fact that over the many centuries of existence, the fortress has significantly changed its original appearance.

Tower of London today

The fortress is known for its guards, who are called beefeaters. They officially appeared in 1485, but they zealously keep the fortress walls to this day. There is another interesting position here - ravenmaster - keeper of the ravens. From century to century, these birds are the legitimate inhabitants of the fortress. And so that the birds do not fly away, their wings are constantly clipped. This is due to a legend that says: when the ravens leave the tower, the entire English monarchy will fall. So the caretakers are taking such drastic measures.

Next to the Tower of London, as if in the continuation of the complex, is the equally famous

In 1066 Duke William of Normandy began the conquest of England. By the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London becomes the dominant city in England, with a rich port, located near the royal palace and the main cathedral. Ensuring the safety of the city was the main goal of Wilhelm during his coronation, so he gives the order to start building a fortress around the city. So in 1100 the construction of the White Tower ends. The tower is protected by huge walls from the north, west and south sides. In 1377, all buildings in the Tower were completed.

Tower of London. Tower ("tower"), Tower of London (Eng. Her Majesty "s Royal Palace and Fortress, Tower of London) - a fortress built on the north bank of the River Thames, historical Center city of London. One of the oldest historical buildings in Great Britain, which for a long time served as the residence of the English monarchs, a prison, a menagerie. Now a museum.

The Tower of London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It hasn't changed much since the past. The symbol of the ominous past of the Tower is the place where the scaffold of Tower Hill used to be. Now a small memorial plaque has been installed there in memory of "the tragic fate and sometimes martyrdom of those who risked their lives and accepted death in the name of faith, homeland and ideals." At present, the main buildings of the Tower are a museum and an armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. The Tower also has a number of private apartments, which are mainly inhabited by service personnel and distinguished guests.

Throughout its history, the Tower of London has been a fortress, a palace, a repository of royal jewels, an arsenal, a mint, a prison, an observatory and even a zoo. This is one of the most popular monuments in London.

The Tower began its history in 1066. The Norman Wilhelm I (the Conqueror) captured Anglo-Saxon England and began to build fortresses everywhere for his protection. One of the first was the Tower of London in 1097. It was a donjon tower. According to one source, Wilhelm I built it in stone immediately. According to others - a wooden one, which was later replaced by a stone one - the Great Tower, which is a quadrangular structure, 32 x 36 meters in size, about 30 meters high. When later the new king of England ordered the building to be whitewashed, it was called the White Tower, or the White Tower.
In the corners there are four turrets - buttresses.

Subsequently, under the emperor Richard the Lionheart, several more towers of various heights and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected.

A deep moat was dug around the fortress, making it one of the most impregnable fortresses in Europe.

Bayward tower with a bridge over the moat.

Middle tower between the defunct Lion Tower and Byward Tower. According to rumors, there was a zoo here.

In 1669, graceful weathercocks topped with a royal crown were installed on the turrets of the White Tower.

Edward I (1272-1307) built the outer defensive walls, Trators Gate, and completed the moat (drained in 1843) and the Middle Tower. Ledges Mount and Brass Mount, two bastions of the defensive wall, were erected during the reign of Henry VIII.

The Tower is really cozy

The Beefeaters are the guards of the Tower. Former professional military with great experience. And a wonderful commanding voice. They like to give lectures, for which they are often rewarded with applause.

The inner wall from the side of the river. At the end of the Bell Tower. At her ring, they put out the light in the Tower. On the left is the Gate of Traitors.
The inner defensive wall and its 13 towers were added during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272).

To the right is the outer wall by the river. Very cozy. Like on a medieval green street))

Inner courtyard, on the left is the White Tower.

Waterloo barracks. Royal jewels and regalia are kept here.
Cullinan-I - 530.2 carats. Transparent, colorless. Has 74 faces. Drop-shaped (pandelok). Decorates the scepter of the English King Edward VII.
Cullinan II - inserted into the crown of the British Empire.
Kohinoor - "Mountain of Light" - a diamond and a diamond, which is currently in the crown of Queen Elizabeth (Great Britain), one of the most famous diamonds in history.
And so on and so forth.

Henry III built the Water Gate, which was renamed Traitor's Gate when the Tower became a prison. Through this gate, from the Thames, convicts were brought in boats to the Tower.

Stone and glass across the river. Past and future.

Entrance from the Thames

Near Traitor's Gate sometime between 1275 and 1279. the Tower of St. Thomas was built in order to provide Edward I with new chambers.

View of the Tower Bridge from the chambers of the king of St Thomas' tower

In a small turret, which once overlooked the Thames, and now faces the Quay and Tower Bridge, there is a small chapel.

Wakefield Towers is the second largest tower in the Tower of London. It was built in the period from 1220 to 1240.
The interior of the current tower was recreated in the style of the times of Edward I according to existing descriptions and taking into account the surviving interiors of that time.

Throne replica of the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey

Chapel for prayer. An inscription stating that King Henry VI died here. He was imprisoned here and, according to one version, was killed with a dagger in the back during a prayer service.

Stained glass window from the inside.

Stained glass window outside.

Chinese bronze trophy cannon. Captured in the Second Chinese War 1856-1861

salt tower

Lantern tower.

Tower guard and genie. Recruited from the military with 20 years of experience.
Beefeater - Beef-eater - meat eater. Close guard. Tried the food in front of the king.
If not a joke))

Cannon of the Knights of Malta

Behind the cannon of the Knights of Malta are cages of ravens. Seven black crows (one is spare) live in excellent conditions in the fortress - in spacious enclosures. The state allocates a solid budget for the maintenance of ravens every year. Thanks to excellent nutrition, the “keepers of the Tower” are very well-fed. Their daily diet includes about 200 grams of fresh meat and blood biscuits, in addition, once a week, birds rely on eggs, fresh rabbit meat and fried croutons.
Each raven has its own name and disposition - three males Gwillum, Bran and Cedric, and three females - Hugin, Munin and Branwen.

The servants of the Tower traditionally live here to this day.
Tower Meadow is the site of many of the Tower's traditional ceremonies, including state parades, the oath ceremony for new yeoman guards, and the inauguration ceremony for a new Constable, which is held every five years to appoint a new Tower Constable.

St. Peter's Church was rebuilt during the time of the son of Henry III - Edward I. It received its present appearance during the reconstruction of 1519-20. early in the reign of Henry VIII.

The church is known for the tower prisoners buried here, incl. three queens (Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Jane Grey) and many other representatives of the "blue" English blood.
Headless bodies were hastily buried under the nave or altar, and the graves had no tombstones. During the restoration of 1876, the found remains were transferred to the crypt.

Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I. Heads from the place of her execution to the Waterloo barracks.
And how well it all started. Greensleeves, the separation of England from the Pope, marriage to the king...

Place of execution. "Hold a little, oh noble visitor, where you stand, death shortened many days of life, here the fates of the most famous people were cut off. May they rest in peace while we dance through generations, fighting and showing courage under these troubled skies." In front of the chapel of St. Peter in chains, a scaffold was erected for the execution of seven famous prisoners: William, Lord of Hastings (1483), . Anne Boleyn (1536) and Catherine Howard (1542) (the second and fifth wives of Henry VIII) were convicted of adultery, as well as helping the last lady-in-waiting Jane, then Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541), a similar fate befell Lady Jane Gray . The last was Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, a young favorite of Elizabeth I.

It was believed that the "solitary" executions on Tower Meadow were less embarrassing for both the victim and the monarch, since thousands of spectators gathered to cut off heads outside the fortress on Tower Hill (usually ordinary convicts).

The executioner's ax was not a gift. No better than a butcher shop. As well as the executioner himself. Therefore, for the execution of Anne Boleyn, an executioner with a sword was discharged from France. Everything went more smoothly.

Royal Guard.

The Life Guardsman of the Tower leads the Royal Guards to change the guard.

Museum of the Royal Archers.

Martin Tower. Previously, the tower was called the Treasury, as the royal regalia were stored here (before they were transferred to the Waterloo barracks) and the Keeper himself lived. Today, there is an exhibition here that reveals the history of English royal crowns and the most famous stones set in them.

From the Tower, Tower Bridge looks like the towers of the Tower.

Tower at night from Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge. 1894. The bridge was designed by Horace Jones, it is a 244 m long drawbridge with two 65 m high towers placed on the abutments. The central span between the towers, 61 m long, is divided into two lifting wings, which can be raised to an angle of 83 °. Each of the more than 1,000 tonne wings is equipped with a counterweight to minimize the required force and allow the bridge to be opened in one minute.

Tower Bridge, being a symbol not only of London, but of the whole state, fits very harmoniously into the architecture of the central part of the city.
Previously, the bridge had a chocolate color, but for the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth 2, the bridge was repainted in blue, white and red, the color of the flag of the Royal State. But there is not much red there, so it seems to everyone that the bridge is painted blue and white.

The name of the bridge was given due to the nearby famous Tower Tower, so now, when one of the neighboring objects is mentioned, tourists should definitely see both sights, since they are located several hundred meters apart from each other.

The Tower of London is one of the most famous sights of London and the place where the symbols of the British crown are kept. Over its centuries-old history, the Tower of London has served as a royal residence, prison, mint and treasury. Currently, the fortress is a museum of history and an excellent example of English Gothic architecture, with strict lines characteristic of this direction and restrained decoration of facades.

The Tower of London is one of the largest and most famous castles in England, with a history of almost 900 years.

Construction history

The Tower Fortress was founded almost 10 centuries ago by William I the Conqueror. The construction of the fort, which became one of the first royal residences, began in 1078. The large-scale stone structure was called the Great Tower of London, which is a walled fortress with a central tower - the White Tower. This donjon got its name because of the white paint, which was ordered to paint the building in favor of the then fashion. Over the next few centuries, the Norman fortress was supplemented by several towers, made in the style of "perpendicular" or "vertical" Gothic, with emphasized straight, strict lines and simple facade decoration. Later, the castle became a state prison, and in the 18th century the royal mint was located here. Today, the Tower of London is a museum of history and an armory, where the treasures of the British crown are located. It also hosts government guests.

Facade design features

The fortress and the former royal residence, the Tower, is a large-scale architectural complex, having the shape of an irregular rectangle in plan, consisting of six towers, two main buildings and two rows of walls with interior spaces. The oldest part of the castle is the White Tower, one of the brightest examples of Norman architecture. The building has the shape of a quadrangle in plan and is complemented by four corner turrets crowned with sloping rounded spiers. The walls of the White Tower are complemented by shallow arched niches with arched windows.

The facade of the White Tower is decorated with protruding stone panels, buttresses, which later became the main decor motif in Gothic architecture.

All towers of the Tower of London have a clear architectural silhouette and are complemented by laconic exterior decoration. The main goal of the architects was to emphasize the protective function of the fort, so the massive walls were supplemented with windows with narrow openings and stepped-deep portals, which contributed to defensive purposes. In the southeastern tower of the castle is the Chapel of St. John, which has a rounded plan. St. John's Chapel, among other things, is one of the most striking examples of Norman architecture, combining emphasized strength and surprising simplicity of forms.

Treasury of the Tower, complemented by faceted apses and a portal designed in the style of early English architecture: a small arched entrance and narrow rectangular windows with modest frame decoration.

The windows of the towers and buildings of the Tower of London, in general, have a characteristic arched shape with a pointed top, characteristic of Norman architecture. And only some towers of the fort are complemented by rectangular windows, typical of English Gothic. All castle towers are crowned with flat battlements, which served as a point of view during sieges, the only exception are round towers, which were intended not for defensive, but for domestic needs.

The round towers of the Tower, which are part of the inner fortress wall, are complemented by arched windows and thin, simple cornices.

The entrance to the castle is located on the side of the river Thames (Thames), where the Traitors gate is located, which got its name from the state criminals passing through it. Near the entrance to the fort is the Tower of St. Thomas with the king's private quarters, built in the 13th century. in the style of English Gothic. The Bloody Tower, located near the White Tower, was built in a similar style. The facades of both towers are supplemented with stepped loopholes. One of the main motives for the decoration of the towers and walls of the Tower of London are rectangular stone panels arranged vertically, as well as narrow oblong cornices. These elements, traditional for English Gothic architecture, emphasize the severity of the entire ensemble of the castle.

View of the eastern part of the fortress, the towers and portals of which are decorated with stepped arches, loopholes and narrow stone cornices - strict elements of the exterior decoration of Norman and English Gothic architecture.