
Star Forts - spawarotti
http://www.castlesandmanorhouses.com/types_10_star.htm
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Hasknewbie
Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus (specifically, its city center) is essentially
a giant star fort. The fortification walls are visible from a satellite view:

[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Walled+Old+City,+Nicosia,+...](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Walled+Old+City,+Nicosia,+Cyprus/@35.1757458,33.3550179,3863m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x14de17443c2304b9:0x8ed6d4d80f21bce8!8m2!3d35.1745446!4d33.3626418)

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JoachimS
I think quite few cities in Europe either has some remnants of a star fort
solution in their city plan, or a regular star fort.

In Sweden the central part of the city of Gothenburg still has parts of the
star fort left:

[https://goo.gl/maps/hsn3fQWB61B2](https://goo.gl/maps/hsn3fQWB61B2)

And the castle of Landskrona has multiple layers of star fort shaped moats and
walls.

[https://goo.gl/maps/aAAb2fACJDt](https://goo.gl/maps/aAAb2fACJDt)

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iaw
Fun fact: the base of the Statue of Liberty is a star fort named "Fort Wood"
[1]

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Island#Fort_Wood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Island#Fort_Wood)

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benj111
I had noticed the design and had assumed it was an example of military fashion
leading civilian fashion. Thanks

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iaw
This quick video[1] is where I heard it, it has some other fun facts about the
development of liberty island.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgZ1f4ACZBQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgZ1f4ACZBQ)

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markbnj
Not an expert, but I think these are forts rather than castles. I would
describe a castle as the stronghold of a noble, with a form that evolved from
iron age hillforts and progressed to the great citadels and their massive
towers in the 13th and 14th centuries CE, just before the development of
effective artillery rendered them obsolete. Forts on the other hand are rather
more an expression of centralized state power and a professional standing
military. I didn't look at the dates on all of the depicted forts but I would
expect them to be 17th to early 19th century CE.

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boomboomsubban
From the intro

>Historians enjoy debating the scope of the word, but usually accept a castle
to be the private fortified residence of a monarch or nobleman. This
definition excludes fortresses, which were not homes, and also fortified
towns, which were public defences rather than private residences. Taking a
little licence we can extend the definition to buildings that might not
technically qualify under this definition

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yesenadam
Great page. Gee, I wish I'd read that before I read _Tristram Shandy_.
Ravelins, hornwork, glacis etc etc get a _lot_ of mentions from Tristram's
fortification-obsessed Uncle Toby. Somehow the joke never gets old, even not
knowing what they are.

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lkrubner
Did you read Tristram Shandy to the end? I read the first 400 pages and then I
gave up. And up till this moment, I'm the only person I knew who got that far.

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numbsafari
My wife and I spent about two months driving around europe living in a
"caravan/camping car/vonmobile" (small, class-B-ish RV) and had the
opportunity to stay in both Carcassonne and Neuf-Brisach.

Neuf-Brisach is an examplar star-fort, with a beautiful, calm, country feel to
it.

There is a lot to be said for the design of European towns compared to those
in the US.

If you are planning to go to the Yucatan over the winter, a quick trip to
Valladolid will give you an easy impression.

The closest I've seen in the US is downtown Charlottesville, VA.

Curious if anyone here has found anything else in the US with a similar, car-
free town center with mixed-use zoning.

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benj111
What was the effectiveness of these forts? They look quite beautiful, to the
point that I'm starting to wonder if it's a case of form over function. I get
that the 'legs' of the star are supposed to A. Cover the other 'legs' at close
quarters, and B. Create an angled surface for shot to bounce off.

~~~
Chris_Newton
_What was the effectiveness of these forts? They look quite beautiful, to the
point that I 'm starting to wonder if it's a case of form over function._

Fortified buildings of that era tended to be very functional, though I agree
they can also be quite beautiful in shape.

One advantage of the angular bastion shape is that the triangular point does
not allow for a dead zone created by circular bastions, where enemy troops can
hide at the base of the wall and undermine it while concealed from most
defensive fire by the bastion itself.

Normally the bastions are not just an outward triangular point, but angle back
inwards on the curtain wall side as well. This would allow defenders to bring
enfilading fire along the curtain wall should the attackers get that close,
without being subject to direct fire from attackers further out.

Combined with the presence of a wide ditch with a glacis to the outer side and
the thicker and sloped lower walls on the inner side, this made any approach
to the main curtain wall, either to undermine it or to scale it, extremely
difficult and dangerous for the attackers.

In addition to the angular bastions, star forts typically featured separate
ravelins. These also served a number of useful functions, not least providing
a relatively safe forward firing position that was protected from the front
but left exposed on the curtain wall side in the event that the position was
overrun and its defenders retreated. Even if they fell, their shape and
position would force enemy forces to divide before reaching the main wall, and
they also provided some additional protection against incoming cannon fire for
the curtain wall behind, helped by being set on a different angle as you
mentioned.

These tactical advantages remained relevant for quite a long period in
military history, from the first star forts in the 15th century until around
the 18th. They rapidly faded after that, however, as the introduction of
indirect fire weapons like mortars and high explosive shells rendered the
intricately shaped defensive fortifications obsolete.

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benj111
Interesting choice of words: "the triangular point does not allow for a dead
zone" In one sense you are right, in another you are precisely wrong. Blind
spot perhaps?

Thank you for your input though :)

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TallGuyShort
Fascinating! Castle of Good Hope is another example that I don't see listed
here:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_Good_Hope#/media/Fil...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_Good_Hope#/media/File:Kasteel_de_Goede_Hoop_circa_1680.jpg).
Thought of it as soon as I heard the title but never knew it was a trend or
such a practical design.

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frankharv
I notice they left off the most historic fort in my area.

Fort Monroe is a 7 pointed star fort at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe)

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frankharv
I don't know what kind of people run this place but everything in my post is
the same as all the others.

Some kind of inferiority complex at work. This place seems full of bullies.
Facts are inconvenient huh.

Could be racists here as Fort Monroe accepted any slaves who could make it
there.

It is also the largest stone fort in the US.

Maybe moderators should read a history book instead of thread bullying.

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TallGuyShort
What bullying are you talking about?

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Aardwolf
There's a whole belt of those around Antwerp (at least the moats usually
remain).

This zooms to just a few of them:

[https://www.google.com/maps/search/fort/@51.1701871,4.394239...](https://www.google.com/maps/search/fort/@51.1701871,4.3942394,14.5z)

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24gttghh
In case you're interested in their original placement:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Sea#/media/File:DE...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Sea#/media/File:DEFENCE_OF_ANTWERP.jpg)

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seanhunter
For people in the UK, Star Castle in the Scilly Isles is worth a visit
[http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/south_west/star_castle....](http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/south_west/star_castle.html)

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arethuza
Fort George as well:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_George,_Highland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_George,_Highland)

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twic
There's one in Tilbury, just outside London:

[https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tilbury-
for...](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tilbury-fort/)

But there's not much else in Tilbury, so i've never been.

