Warsaw Barbican, Medieval fortification in Old Town, Poland
The Warsaw Barbican is a semicircular Renaissance fortification in the Old Town of Warsaw, Poland. This brick structure extends from the old city walls and forms a massive gate tower with four round corner turrets through which the main road once led into the city center.
The fortification was erected in 1540 following designs by Venetian architect Jan Baptist as part of the northern city defenses. Swedish troops damaged the structure during their invasion in the 17th century, and after complete destruction in World War II it was reconstructed between 1952 and 1954.
The name comes from the Italian word for an outer post and describes exactly how this structure worked at the northern city entrance. Visitors today see the typical arrow slits and thick brick walls that show how soldiers once controlled the drawbridge and passage.
The structure is best viewed from the surrounding moat, where you can see the full height and width of the walls. Inside, narrow stairs lead to upper chambers that host exhibitions about the reconstruction of the Old Town.
Dark lines at the base of the structure mark the exact outline of the 1945 rubble edge and make the wartime destruction visible. During reconstruction, craftsmen partly used original bricks from the ruins that can be recognized by their weathered surface.
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