|
The main contribution that the first Knights to arrive made to the fortification of the town, were the repairs to the old Byzantine walls. These major works which gave the walls their final form were carried out by the Grand Master d' Aubusson, particularly after the failure of the Turkish siege of 1480. During this period the round towers appeared and became dominant because they were able to deflect cannon balls, unlike the square towers which were more vulnerable. The thickness of the walls was raised to 12 meters and the moat made more than 21 meters wide. The walls (approximately four kilometers long) were divided into sections and each section was guarded by one of the Order's Langues. The walls of the Castle constitute even today an interesting example of the military architecture of the medieval period.
|
Eastern Europe
