Citadel
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Ireland-Citadel.jpg Image:Fort San Felipe del Morro.aerial view.jpg A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes with a castle in its middle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen.
Citadels are most often used to protect a garrison or political power from the inhabitants of the town it is defending. They were designed to ensure loyalty from the town which they defended. For example Barcelona had a great citadel built in 1714 to intimidate the Catalans against repeating their mid 17th and early 18th century rebellions against the Spanish central government. In the 19th century, as soon as the political climate had liberalised enough to permit it, the people of Barcelona had the citadel torn down, and replaced it with the city's main central park, the Parc de la Ciutadella. In ancient Greece, the citadel, placed on a commanding eminence, was important in the life of the people, serving as a refuge and stronghold in peril and containing military and food supplies, the shrine of the god and a royal palace. In the Middle Ages the citadel was the last defense of a besieged army, often held after the town had been conquered, and affording retreat to the country around the town.
In a fortification with bastions, the citadel is the strongest part of the system, sometimes well inside of the outer walls and bastions, but often forming part of the outer wall for the sake of economy. It is positioned to be the last line of defense should the enemy breach the other components of the fortification system.
See also
- Alcazaba a term for Moorish citadels in Spainde:Zitadelle
es:Ciudadela eo:Citadelo fr:Citadelle it:Cittadella nl:Citadel pl:Cytadela ru:Цитадель