The most impregnable fortress in the world for most people is associated with Troy, which, besieged by a huge army, was taken only in the 10th year of the siege and only with the help of cunning - the Trojan horse.
The higher the safer
What should be an impregnable stronghold? What are the requirements for it? It can be easily assumed that it should be on a hill, because from its walls in this case it is easier to survey the surrounding area and notice the approach of the enemy.
And to climb the steepness of the enemy is both more difficult and more dangerous. Unapproachability, obviously, implies not only strong and high walls, but also possible
fortifications on the way to them.
The main requirement is inaccessibility
In the old days, almost every impregnable fortress was surrounded if not by a river (preferably from two sides, like the Moscow Kremlin or Notre Dame), then necessarily by a moat filled with water. Sometimes, inventive owners of castles allowed animals dangerous to human life, for example, crocodiles, or a “wolf hole” made of pointed stakes was arranged at the bottom of the moat. Where a ditch was dug, there was usually always an earthen rampart, which, as a rule, poured in front of a water barrier. The place in front of the castle should be deserted, and the vegetation should be low.
Fortification Tricks
The fortress was built in order to protect the owners from attack. In order to be truly impregnable and withstand many months of siege, such as Mortan Castle (6 months), it had to have its own source of water and, of course, food supplies. An impregnable fortress was created taking into account the many tricks and subtleties of fortification art. So, the crest of the shaft was often supplied with a palisade - a picket fence made of pointed stakes. The road leading to the castle was laid in such a way that the attackers had their right side open with no shield.
Even the bottom of the moat had a certain shape - V- or U-shaped. The moat could be both transverse and sickle-shaped - it always went along the wall of the fortress. The tricks used by the builders made digging impossible. For this, most often fortresses were erected on rocky or stone soil.
Only the citadel could provide a quiet life
Each impregnable fortress was created for any specific purpose. They all belong to the Middle Ages, to the era when there was still no artillery, and powerful walls could protect the owner. In those days, the states were weak and could not protect individual feudal lords who were subjected to raids not only by foreign enemies, but also by envious neighbors.
Each era is characterized by its own methods of warfare, methods of attack and defense. And during the construction of castles, the owner, who could afford such a construction, naturally applied the latest achievements of fortification art.
Basis Basics - Bridge and Walls
A major role in protecting the castle was played by the bridge connecting the inhabitants of the fortress with the outside world. As a rule, it was either retractable or lifting. The impregnable fortress had walls that were difficult to overcome, which, as a rule, were erected on an inclined basement with a deep foundation. They are one of the most important reasons for the impregnability of a fortress or castle. And it's not only the height, width and material of which the walls are made. Their design played a huge role. Indeed, inside every meter of the fortress was built taking into account the conduct of the battle with the invading invaders. Everything was calculated so that the defenders were invulnerable for as long as possible, and the attackers - all the time in sight.
San leo
An interesting fact is that the impregnable fortresses of the world that arise on different continents were built according to the same rules - an open area in front of a castle standing at a considerable height, a rampart, a moat, walls with loopholes, containers with resin, and so on. The personification of impregnability in full can serve the fortress of San Leo (Holy Leo, Italy). It stands on a steep high cliff located at the confluence of two rivers - San Marino and Marecchia. The only narrow road cut into the rock leads to it. This citadel mentioned by Dante in the “Divine Comedy” was also known as one of the Vatican’s most terrible prisons. Count Cagliostro spent the last years of his life in it . In the cellars of the fortress, he died.
Valletta
Most often, such fortifications cannot be taken by storm, but only by cunning. The most impregnable citadel is the fortress of Valletta, the capital of Malta. It began to be built as a symbol of the invincibility of the Order of the Knights, after the troops of Suleiman the Great could not take Malta (in 1566) and retreated. Erected in accordance with all the rules, the fortress is recognized as the most impregnable in the world, primarily due to the shape and location of its bastions, which give the highest defensive effect.
Indian stronghold
The list of “The most impregnable fortresses of the world” includes a unique fort of Janjira, standing directly in the sea off the coast of India. It was built over 20 years. Twelve-meter walls, standing on 22 arches extending inland, made the fortress impregnable for enemies for 200 years. The fort itself is about 5 hundred years old.
Powerful artillery also made it unapproachable, some fragments of which still exist today. The impossibility of undermining, the existence in the center of the island of a unique freshwater well - all this contributed to the fact that the defenders could hold positions for a long time.
"Rather, the sky will fall to the earth ..."
The impregnable Turkish fortress Izmail fell thanks to the commander-in-chief genius A.V. Suvorov. This brilliant victory of Russian weapons, when in violation of all the laws of the attackers died an order of magnitude less than the besieged, was dedicated to the anthem "Thunder of victory, give out!". The fortress, surrounded by a high rampart, followed by a wide and deep (10.5 m) moat, having 11 bastions with 260 guns placed in them, with a garrison of 35 thousand people, could not be taken by N. V. Repin or I. V Gudovich, nor P. S. Potemkin. A.V. Suvorov spent 6 days preparing for the assault, then sent an ultimatum to the commandant of the fortress demanding to surrender voluntarily within 24 hours, to which he received a hasty reply.
For two days, artillery bombardment was carried out for the assault, which ended 2 hours before it began. After 8 hours, the fortress fell. The victory was so brilliant and unbelievable that Russophobes are still found who call the assault a "performance." Despite everything, the
capture of Ishmael will remain in history as one of the glorious pages of Russian history.
Once impregnable, but now actively visited
As noted above, impregnable castles and fortresses are scattered around the world. The most famous is Pingyao (China), built in 827-782. BC and existing to this day, and in good condition. The visual embodiment of impregnability is the fortress of Arg-e Bam (Iran), built in 500 AD, and the Pena Palace in Portugal, standing on a steep rock.
Castles of the White Heron in Japan, Frontenac in Canada, Chenonceau in France, Hohenverfen in Austria and some others are among the twenty most impregnable fortresses in the world. The history of each of them is incredibly interesting, and each of them is unusually beautiful and unique.