fortification bastioned of badajoz

THE BASTIONED FORTIFICATION OF BADAJOZ
Version française		Versão Portugues
The modern fortification of the city of Badajoz dates back to the late 17th century. By those times the city had expanded outside the alcazaba, descending radially in the direction of Carros, Palmas and Trinidad, occupying the Campo de San Juan and forming an urban fabric that today is preserved in its entirety. At that time the square was weak and incompletely protected, at the mercy of situations arising from an unstable border. The old fence of Arab origin, was almost in ruins and because of its characteristics could not withstand a siege with modern artillery. The city needed modern walls, adapted to the new siege and defense issues.



	The modern fortification of Badajoz (17th-XVIII centuries) replaced the so-called "Near Vieja", to accommodate the old walls to the new techniques of defense and siege, marked by the destructive action of the new artillery. It consists of eight pentagonal bastions and several semi-baluartes, joined by walls or straight stone curtains, filled with pressed earth. The complex attached to the northern and southern ends of the alcazaba (its areas facing the Rivilllas and the Guadiana), was defended from the outside by a series of forts and revellines. These were those of San Cristobal, Picuriña, Pardaleras, San Roque and the Head of the Bridge. Almost all curtains had a window, a species of wedge in most cases of masonry, which safeguarded them from direct artillery fire. The wall with a geometric layout, perfectly calculated, in such a way that the only steps between its elements were impeccably and deadly beaten by the batteries and riflemen of the different strongholds. Puerta de Palmas, Puerta Trinidad and Puerta Pilar were, along with the Fort of the Head of the Bridge, the only accesses or exits that the square had, if the poternas were excluded, small doors through which hardly a person could fit. It was therefore a very important stronghold, whose conquest was attempted by the prestigious marshals and generals of the most important European armies.


TO ACCESS THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF FORTIFICATION, CLICK BELOWO
DOORS	BASTIONS	CURTAINS AND OTHER ELEMENTS	EXTERIOR FORTS


These two images show the difference between the bastion of San José (National Police Barracks) today and its original environment during the War of Indepension, an aspect that remained virtually the same until the first third of the twentieth century. It is intended to express graphically the serious deterioration suffered by the fortification allated by being occupied its structures (baluartes, pits, glacis, etc.) by new elements outside it.

These two images show the difference between the bastion of San José (National Police Barracks) today and its original environment during the War of Indepension, an aspect that remained virtually the same until the first third of the twentieth century. It is intended to express graphically the serious deterioration suffered by the fortification allated by being occupied its structures (baluartes, pits, glacis, etc.) by new elements outside it.



fotografias propiedad del autor

Version française

Versão Portugues

Antonio García Candelas

Suggestions and impressions

MONUMENTS

BADAJOZ

THE FORTIFICATIONS BASTIONED

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TO ACCESS THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF FORTIFICATION, CLICK BELOWO