Potters Tower, Medieval defensive tower in Sibiu, Romania.
Potters Tower is a fourteenth-century defense tower in the Romanian city of Sibiu, built from stone and brick and rising between two neighboring fortifications on Cetatii Street. The rectangular construction narrows at its middle level and reaches a total height of about six meters, a structural solution that increases the stability of the building.
Construction took place during the thirteen hundreds when the city built its first major fortification system. Two centuries later the tower was renovated as part of the expansion of the third defense ring around the settlement.
The potters guild took charge of maintaining this fortification, showing a system where craft associations defended assigned sections of the city wall. Visitors today see the stone reminder of this communal organization that shaped urban life for centuries and reflected how guilds worked together in everyday defense duties.
The tower stands on Cetatii Street between two other fortifications and can be visited from Tuesday through Sunday during regular opening hours. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as access involves uneven historic cobblestones and stairs may be steep.
Five specialized gun ports accommodate harquebus firearms, while stepped parapets allowed multiple defenders to operate simultaneously from different elevations during sieges. This technical solution increased firepower in a small space and made the tower a compact but effective defense point.
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