Gates in Late Antiquity
In the Eastern Mediterranean....
Situated in the midst of otherwise flat and uneventful terrain, the confluence of the Haine and Escaut rivers
was what gave the town of Condé sur l'Escaut its strategic importance.
The Romans recognised this importance and successive owners of the town left their mark in terms of defences. By the end of the middle ages Condé was protected by a stone wall with numerous towers, fronted by a flooded ditch'and a strong castle on the south side of the town.
The first artillery fortifications came relatively late, probably because it was not as important as some of the other places in the region such as Valenciennes, Cambrai or Arras. Nevertheless, in the face of growing French aggression, the Spanish decided to fortify Condé in 1654.
This decision was made too late, since French troops under Turenne'took the town in 1655. When it was returned to Spain by the Treaty of the Pyrenees'in 1659, the Spanish carried out their plans to make Condé into a strong fortress.
Article and Image Source: fortified-place.com
Keywords: Condé sur l'Escaut,Fortifications,Vauban,France,Citadel
Date and Time to be
announced soon