What is a fortified city?

The Netherlands has a good number of fortified towns and fortified towns. Bee
a fortified city it is mainly about defense, that's where the city is
well furnished. In the event of an attack on a fortified city, the city is
arranged so that the enemy can be defeated as easily as possible. An
fortified town is usually decorated in a star shape, with excellent
bastions (the points) so that the enemy can be easily seen. The
star shape is made visible with moats, with ramparts behind them (hills
around), walls and gates. A fortress has the same layout, only is
a fortress meant for soldiers and a fortified city also has civilians.
A fortified city is fully equipped, the civilians and soldiers
in the fortress can save themselves in the city. There is a well
available and food is grown so that food and drink
available to residents.

A fortified city has a number of standard parts. A fortified city
may be surrounded with ramparts with gates or with walls and gates, stone
was only discussed later, because of this the oldest fortified towns have no
wall. It is also possible that a wall was built in the later on
fortified city. Important parts that almost every fortified city has
are the ramparts/walls with moats and bastions, gates, towers,
cannons, an Arsenal and water pump(s). Each part is sold individually
described on this page.

city ​​walls The city walls surround the city, these are embankments around the to stop enemies. Later, in some cases, stones were added walls on top of the ramparts. Furthermore, the ramparts are equipped with places to shoot at an opponent, toilets and gates to clear the keep opponents out.

Strongholds A bastion is part of the city walls, these are the points that visible around the city. Parts of a bastion are; flank, face, salient, throat and the curtain.

Canals The canals have been dug again outside the ramparts, again around the counter opponents. The canal is near the city gates pass with usually a drawbridge.

The gates are part of the ramparts/walls. Of course also
intended to keep the opponent out of the door. In the wall is
the gate usually simply hidden in the walls and finished with doors
Close. Later at the stone walls, the gates often became beautiful
buildings, with doors that can be closed and usually a portcullis
in the gate. There is also a stone city gate with embrasures. er
are water gates and land gates, a water gate was often used
for the passage to a harbor and a land gate for a passage on
the path.

The towers are often already incorporated in a stone city gate, but also
towers were built into the wall for extra defense. The Towers
are often beautiful buildings with embrasures to give the opponent no chance
to give. Often there is a gunpowder tower present to store gunpowder.

The arsenal was the main storage place for the fortress. In the
Arsenal's weapons were stored, in case of an attack the
weapon quickly ready.

A pump with a large crank to pump up groundwater for
drinking water. Deep wells were used for this and with a
bucket of groundwater raised.