Barbican

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This article is about the type of building. For other uses, see Barbican (disambiguation).
Barbican in Kraków
Barbican in Kraków

A barbican (from mediæval Latin barbecana) is a fortified outpost or gateway, such as an outer defence to a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Usually barbicans were situated outside the main line of defences and connected to the city walls with a walled road called the neck.

In the 15th century, with the improvement in siege tactics and artillery, barbicans lost their significance. However, several barbicans were built even in the 16th century.

[edit] Barbicans remaining today

There are barbicans still preserved in:

[edit] See also

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