Great Barbican

Barbican, a tower or other fortification on the approach to a castle or town, especially one at a gate or drawbridge.

Kraków's main city gate, Brama Florianska, was made insurmountable in the beginning of the l6th century thanks to Europe's mightiest barbican. The circular marvel of martial architecture is 24m in diameter. Its high walls are three meters thick. The awesome structure, topped with seven turrets, has 130 loopholes in four rows: the lower to be used by artillery, the upper for archers and riflemen. In the past, Kraków's Barbican (Barbakan in Polish) was surrounded by a 30-meter-wide, deep moat. However, if the enemy had forced their way in, they would have found themselves entrapped inside and shot at from all sides. The barbican was connected with the Florianska Gate by a drawbridge and a walled passage.

Photo 807, May 2007

Great Barbican

Photo 802, May 2007