The fortification of Arad dates back in the Medieval Ages as it was first built by the Turks in 1550. Later, however, by order of Maria Theresa of Habsburg the fortress was rebuilt in the Vauban style with battlements and bastions. Additionally, the fortress incorporates a number of baroque buildings within its walls. The construction work took more that 20 years to complete, from 1762 to 1783. Continue Reading »
The Vauban fortification of Alba Iulia, Romania, is impressive; however it was not the most impressive of its kind – another Vauban type fortification was established in Timisoara, with remarkable sizes that surpass the one at Alba Iulia.
Anyway, the fortress was built upon the site of two previous fortifications: the Roman fort that hosted the 13th Gemina Legion and a medieval rectangular castle. It was built following the designs sketched by the Italian architect Giovanni Morando Visconti and it incorporates a number of defensive trenches, remarkably high walls that have over 20 meters in elevation and superbly ornamented gates. Forged by a team led by the famous artist Johann Koenig, the gates were decorated with sculptures and statues inspired from Roman antiquity.
As you can see from the image above, the fortress follows quite loyally the prescriptions of Seigneur de Vauban who designed this type of fortification (on this I will probably return with a more detailed article).
The fortress itself was built at the beginning of the 18th century, between 1715 and 1738 to be more accurate.
