When was the tower built? The Tower is an ancient fortress and museum in the center of London. Tower of London - a prison for royalty

The Tower of London is one of the most famous and most interesting places in the city. The Tower was once a palace, a fortress, a prison and even a Zoo. Today it is known as a historical museum.

Despite being called “The Tower of London”, the place consists of 20 towers. The White Tower is the oldest of them. It was built at the time of William the Conqueror. The Tower of London used to be a place where many famous people lived their last days before execution. Anne Boleyn was beheaded there and future Queen Elizabeth was kept in the prison but later she was released and became Queen.

The guardians of the Tower still tell tourists many thrilling stories about things happened there when the place was a prison. Even a more interesting story is considered to be the one about the start of the Zoo. It is said that King Henry III was given an elephant, a polar bear and several leopards as gifts and he had no place to keep them in except for the Tower of London.

Nowadays the Tower of London is a place of great interest for millions of people. Tourists come there to visit the museum of Royal Armories, the Fusilier museum and a new Jewel Tower where Crown Jewels are exhibited. Tourists can also speak with the guardians who wear special uniform which was assigned to them during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Translation:

The Tower of London is one of the most famous and interesting places in the city. The Tower was once a palace, a fortress, a prison and even a zoo. Today it is known as a historical museum.

Despite its name, the Tower consists of 20 towers. The White Tower is the oldest of them. It was built during the time of William the Conqueror. The Tower of London was previously the place where many famous people lived out their last days before execution. Anne Boleyn was beheaded there and the future Queen Elizabeth was imprisoned before being released to become queen.

To this day, Tower guards tell tourists fascinating stories about the events that took place during the time when the site was designated as a prison. Even more interesting is the history of the zoo. It is said that King Henry III received an elephant, a polar bear and several leopards as gifts. The king had nowhere to keep animals except in the Tower.

Today, the Tower of London is of great interest to millions of people. Tourists come there to visit the Royal Arms Museum, the Historical Museum and the new Jewel Tower, where the royal jewels are displayed. Tourists can also interact with the guards, who wear special uniforms assigned during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Useful phrases and words:

Fortress - fortress

Conqueror - conqueror

Execution - execution

To behead - behead, cut off head

To release - let go, release

Except for - except

Of great interest - be of great interest

To assign - assign, determine

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Britain is one of the most significant and great powers in world history. She always amazed me with her canonicity and tolerance, confidence and greatness. Its towers, castles, cathedrals and bridges are favorite places for tourists on a tour of Europe. And, of course, you can’t come to London without visiting the legendary Tower of London.

Situated on the north bank of the Thames, this truly large complex rises against the gray, often overcast sky of London. In size, reaching 32 meters in length and 36 meters in width, it consists of a number of different buildings. There are 20 towers 30 meters high, 2 bastions, casemates, the Church of St. Peter, the Fusiliers' Museum, a hospital, the queen's house, armories, and barracks. As well as a beautiful green meadow and a pier on the banks of the Thames.

This makeshift tourist town has eventually become home to cafeterias and souvenir shops, which visitors often use as shelter from the constant British rains.

Prison or defensive fortress?

The construction of the Tower is credited to William I, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who reigned from 1066. He, as the organizer of the Norman conquest of England, built defensive fortresses throughout the kingdom. It was in this context that the now standing Tower appeared.

At the beginning it was a simple wooden fort, which was later rebuilt into a stone mass with the possibility of defensive actions. The follower of William I, King Henry III, continued the construction and strengthening of the Tower, erecting 9 new towers (7 of them have survived at the moment), a courtyard and adapting the Tower to public life. Thus, in the Archery Tower, bows and arrows were made for the knights of the royal army, and one of the towers was used as a lighthouse. By order of Henry III, the walls were whitewashed, which is why the fort began to be called White tower - white tower. Subsequently, the building simply began to be called the Tower.

There is another idea - that in 1077, Bishop Gandalf of Rochester erected the first white tower, which marked the beginning of historical construction. But this version is less popular and does not agree in dates with the historical data of world history.

In 1190, the Tower began to be used as an official prison - the first prisoner appeared here. It is noteworthy that only monarchs or representatives of the highest nobility were prisoners in the tower cells.

Video - History of the Tower of London and its prisoners

King Edward I built a second line of walls in the Tower and equipped the main entrance. And only since the reign of Henry VIII the prison began to fully justify its purpose. Real and imaginary traitors to the king, rebels and conspirators served their sentences here. Two of Henry VIII's wives were executed in the Tower itself: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were accused of treason. Also, in subsequent years, several more people were executed here, including: Jane Gray, Henry XI and Edward V.

Sometimes people were tortured within the prison walls. Thus, the legendary Guy Fawkes, under severe torture, betrayed his accomplices in the coup attempt.

In the 13th century, a water ditch was dug on the borders of the Tower, and three centuries later two bastions were built - Ledges Mount and Brass Mount.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the tower-bastion complex was used as a nursery where lions, leopards, elephants and even polar bears were kept. Anyone who wanted to visit the makeshift zoo had to pay admission or bring a cat or dog as a “treat” for the inhabitants of the enclosures.

In 1843, the Tower underwent its first full reconstruction and landscaping. About ten years later, entrance to the territory became subject to a fee, since tourist excursions to the mint and the tower with the royal regalia were already in full swing. In 1894, the Tower Bridge itself was built.

During World War II, prisoners of war were kept here. In 1940, after being hit by a bomb, the architectural heritage was reconstructed for several years.

The last prisoners to serve their sentences in a London prison were the Kray brothers, leaders of a criminal group in London's East End, in 1952.

Now the Tower is only a tourist and historically important site in London, within its walls there are museums and several apartments for staff.

London Walls Hoaxes

Like most castles in England, the Tower is the stuff of legends. A favorite theme of locals and tourists is the ghosts of the towers. There are dozens of them, but only the most famous and popular stories are worth mentioning.

The most talked about ghost of the Tower is the spirit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. He was a close associate of King Henry II, but after a conflict with the ruler he was captured and brutally executed in Canterbury Cathedral. It is said that his spirit still haunts the castle to this day and frightens visitors.

Margaret Paul is considered the most terrible ghost. She was the Countess of Salisbury and became disliked by the ruling dynasty because of her family tree. Fearing that the countess might interfere with the royal family, the decision was made to execute her. And so, in 1541, the 70-year-old countess was brought to the chopping block, but, for unknown reasons, they could not be beheaded right away. She died only after the third blow from the executioner. The keepers of the castle gossip that Margaret's spirit returns to the walls of the Tower every anniversary of her death with a desire for revenge.

How to get there and what to see?

More than two million tourists visit the Tower every year. If you want to join them, take care of your visa.

You will need: both passports, one photo, a questionnaire, a document on solvency, a certificate from your place of work or university, a document on movable/immovable property, a marriage/divorce certificate, confirmation of place of residence or a booked tour.

For a mandatory visit to the Tower, you will have to pay, for example, about $340 for 3 days.

If you go to the foggy capital on your own, then you will visit the Tower at a time convenient for you. Getting around London on foot is not always convenient, as frequent rain and fog cause discomfort. Therefore, you can use a taxi (50-100 pounds) or the metro (0.7-4 pounds).

In summer, the complex is open from 10 to 17, in winter - from 10 to 16.30. For those who like pre-New Year trips, please note that on December 24-26 and January 1, the entrance to the fortress is closed.

Admission costs £24.5 for adults, £11 for children and £18.7 for students and pensioners. You can take group excursions, but more often tourists use an audio guide, which even tells fascinating stories about the Tower in Russian. The cost of such a guide is 4 pounds.

Walking through the fortress, you can’t help but look at various exhibitions and museums. The most popular exhibitions are two of them - “Row of Kings” and “Kings and Coins”.

The Row of Kings represents 10 equestrian statues in full uniform, collected back in 1688 as an attempt to raise the status of the Stuart dynasty.

Kings and Coins tells the history of coinage and shows rare coins that were created during the work of the mint in the years 1279-1812.

Experienced tourists are advised to take a closer look at the ravenmasters - the caretakers who take care of the eight ravens living on the territory of the Tower. The British believe that if the ravens leave the Tower, England will fall. The birds are watched and cared for with special diligence. About 100 pounds are allocated for each bird per month. Every day the raven receives 200 grams of meat, and once a week raw eggs and rabbit meat. Even the pets of the most loving owners will envy such content.

Tourists travel to London with interest to see with their own eyes the subject of legends and controversy. To wander the towers and feel like a part of British history. To take a few photos with the guards in colorful uniforms or witness the occasional cannon fire. And the British themselves say: “if you haven’t seen the Tower, then you don’t know anything about Great Britain.”

Tower of London

Tower, Tower of London(English) the Tower, Tower of London, “Tower”) is a fortress built on the north bank of the River Thames, the historical center of London. One of the oldest historical buildings in Great Britain, which for a long time served as the residence of English monarchs. Today the Tower is both a historical monument and a museum included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Base

The founding of the Tower fortress is attributed to the Roman Emperor Claudius. It was then a wooden fort built in the southeast corner of the old Roman wall. After the Norman conquest of England, William I began to build defensive castles to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxons. One of the largest was the Tower. The wooden fort was replaced by a huge stone building - the Great Tower, which is a quadrangular structure measuring 32 x 36 meters and about 30 meters high. When the new king of England later ordered the building to be whitewashed, it was named the White Tower, or White Tower. Subsequently, several more towers of varying heights and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected. A deep ditch was dug around the fortress, making it one of the most impregnable fortresses in Europe.

State prison

The first prisoner was imprisoned in the Tower in 1100. At that time, Tower Prison was intended for people of noble birth and high rank. Among the most honorable and high-ranking prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland and France and members of their families (James I of Scotland, prisoners of the Hundred Years' War John II (King of France) and Charles of Orleans), as well as representatives of the aristocracy and priests who fell into disgrace on charges of treason. The walls of the Tower also remember many executions and murders: Henry VI, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, were killed in the Tower.

The prisoners were kept in those premises that were not occupied at that time. The terms of imprisonment varied widely. Thus, William Penn, the founder of the English colony in North America, called Pennsylvania, was imprisoned in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after defeat in battle, spent a total of 25 years within the walls of the castle until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Courtier Walter Raleigh, navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment by working on the multi-volume work “History of the World”. After his temporary release, he was again imprisoned in the Tower and then executed.

The Tower gained its reputation as a sinister place of torture during the Reformation. Henry VIII, obsessed with the desire to have a son-heir, broke off all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and began to persecute all who refused to recognize him as the head of the Church of England. After Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, failed to bear him a son, the king accused her of treason and adultery. As a result, Anna, her brother and four other persons were beheaded in the Tower. The same fate befell Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife. Many royals who posed a threat to the English throne were taken to the Tower and then executed.

Henry's young son, the Protestant Edward VI, who ascended the throne, continued the series of brutal executions begun by his father. When Edward died six years later, the English crown went to Henry's daughter Mary, a devout Catholic. Wasting no time, the new queen ordered the beheading of 16-year-old Lady Jane Gray and her young husband, who found themselves pawns in a bitter power struggle. Now is the time for the Protestants to lay down their heads. Elizabeth, Mary's half-sister, spent several anxious weeks within the walls of the Tower. However, having become queen, she dealt with those who refused to betray the Catholic faith and dared to oppose her rule.

Dry moat in front of the Middle Tower.

Although thousands of prisoners were thrown into the Tower, only five women and two men were beheaded within the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens - Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, who lasted only nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mainly beheadings - took place on nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was placed on a stake and displayed on London Bridge as a warning to others. The headless body was taken to the Tower and buried in the cellars of the chapel. A total of more than 1,500 bodies were buried in these cellars.

In some cases, usually only with official permission, prisoners were tortured into admitting their guilt. In 1605, Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King during the Gunpowder Plot, was strung up on the Tower rack before being executed, forcing him to reveal the names of his accomplices.

In the 17th century, England and the Tower were for some time in the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but after Charles II was re-enthroned, the Tower prison was not particularly replenished. The last beheading took place on Tower Hill in 1747. However, this was not the end of the Tower's history as a state prison. During the First World War, 11 German spies were imprisoned and executed in the Tower. During World War II, prisoners of war were temporarily held there, among whom Rudolf Hess spent several days. The last victim executed within the walls of the fortress was Josef Jacobs, accused of espionage and executed in August 1941.

Zoo, mint and royal armory

For more than 500 years, the main department of the royal mint was located in the Tower. One of its most turbulent periods came during the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from ruined monasteries. In addition, important government and legal records were kept in the Tower, and weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were also manufactured and stored.

Palace guards and royal regalia

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings were carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days prisoners were often brought down the river and brought into the Tower through the "Traitor's Gate". As the accused was led away from the trial, observers watched to see where the prison guard's ax was pointed. The blade pointed at the prisoner foreshadowed another execution.

Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their responsibilities also include conducting excursions for numerous visitors. On especially special occasions, they dress in luxurious costumes from the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and topped with snow-white frilled collars. On ordinary days, they wear dark blue and red Victorian uniforms. English guards are often called beefeaters (from the English word “beef” - beef), or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely arose during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the palace guards received regular rations of beef. In this way, the English crown provided itself with reliable protection.

The palace "Ravenmaster", or Raven Keeper, cares for a flock of black ravens. There is a belief that if the birds leave the Tower, misfortune will befall England, so their wings were clipped as a precaution.

Keepers of the Royal Treasury guard the famous jewels of the British Empire. The treasury has been open to visitors since the 17th century. Among the gems adorning the crowns, orbs and sceptres - still used by members of the royal family during ceremonies - can be seen the world's largest high-quality cut diamond, the Cullinan I.

Modern look

Today the Tower of London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It has hardly changed since the past. A symbol of the Tower's sinister past is the site where the Tower Hill scaffold formerly stood. Now there is a small memorial plaque installed there in memory of “the tragic fate and sometimes martyrdom of those who, in the name of faith, homeland and ideals, risked their lives and accepted death.” Currently, the main buildings of the Tower are the museum and the armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. The Tower also has a number of private apartments, where mainly service personnel and distinguished guests live.

Links

Tower of London - Guide - Information about the city of London

Coordinates: 51°30′30.32″ n. w. 0°04′38.01″ W d. / 51.508422° N. w. 0.077225° W d.(G)51.508422 , -0.077225

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See what "Tower of London" is in other dictionaries:

Tower- Tower. London. TOWER (English tower), castle fortress in London, on the banks of the Thames River. The oldest part of the Tower is the Romanesque “White Tower” (circa 1078 85). Until the 17th century one of the royal residences and at the same time (officially until 1820)… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

When Henry VIII died, his son Edward was just a child. He did not live very long due to the frail characteristics of his body. A certain Sir Dudley was appointed as the child's guardian. Nobody bet on Edward: it was immediately clear that he would not last long. After his death, by all rights, power should have passed to his older sister Mary. But she was a Catholic, Spanish by maternal blood - such a strange turn, and Dudley was a zealous Protestant. Using his influence with King Edward, Dudley engineered a child king's decree shortly before his death and removed both princesses - Mary and Elizabeth - from the line for the crown. In fact, it was a forgery. It was a cunning combination. If it were successful, the throne would pass to distant relatives of Henry VIII, and a very young girl of sixteen years old, whose name would be Lady Jane Grey, would become queen. Cunning Dudley, just in case, married his son to Lady Jane. When the young King Edward did die, Lady Jane was indeed proclaimed queen. She didn't quite understand what was going on. This was a rather naive and illiterate provincial girl. There was no way she could retain the crown even under more successful circumstances, and Dudley was also not loved like any regent. Besides, apparently, he was a terrible scoundrel and a rogue. Princess Mary played this card successfully. She managed to escape London and rebel against the new queen. Literally a day later the government changed. Dudley didn't even have time to escape. Lady Jane came to the Tower for the coronation, and stayed there. She was arrested right before the scheduled ceremony and nine days later she was beheaded in the castle courtyard. Dudley, his son and another lord who initiated the frame-up were executed a few months later. They sat in the rather spacious Beuchamp Tower and amused themselves by picking at the wall with knives. By the way, this is what all those sentenced to death did. Therefore, the entire inside of the tower is covered with coats of arms and inscriptions. The coat of arms of the Dudley family and the inscription "Lady Jane", which was apparently carved by the young Dudley, are the main attraction of this tower.

Pictured is Beauchamp Tower, the Tower's most famous tower. It held the most famous prisoners, starting with Sir Thomas Beauchamp, who was imprisoned in the tower from 1397 to 1399. Through the windows of the tower, Katherine Howard watched as her lover and maid were led to execution, knowing that the next day she herself would go the same way. Inside the tower there are preserved initials attributed to the brother of the unlucky king-for-an-hour Guildford Dudley (and then the whole family, father and five brothers were imprisoned in the tower, just in case), and the word “JANE”, most likely carved by Guildford himself. Here is a nomogram with the letter “A”, which apparently belongs to the confessor of Catherine of Aragon. He was fanatically devoted to his queen, for which he eventually paid with his head in 1540. In total, various prisoners left about 60 scratches in this tower.

Near the tower on the right you see a platform around which people are standing. This was the supposed place of execution of seven Tower prisoners.

This is a modern monument on the site of the scaffold; it appeared in 2007. Along the blue circle are the names of those executed, and in black there is an epitaph that reads
“You will detain us for a short while, O noble visitor;
Where you stand, death has shortened many days of life;
The fates of the most famous people ended here;
May they rest in peace as we dance through the generations, fighting and showing courage under these troubled skies."

The story of Lady Jane Gray had an artistic continuation. In France they followed English politics terribly jealously. There it was the other way around - Protestants were slaughtered and Catholics were elevated. And Paris had its own renegade king, Henry IV, who loosened the religious stranglehold a little, and he, too, did not live long. That is, in France everything was the same, only in the sense of religion it was mirrored. In the process of rivalry between the two countries, a terribly heartbreaking large painting by the artist Paul Delaroche, dedicated to the execution of Lady Jane, appeared. It was actually very far from historical reality, but it evoked strong emotions. The very fact of the execution of the young queen was also easily used for political purposes. The British did everything possible to buy the painting and thus remove it from the public eye into storage. They succeeded, it seems, during the French Revolution. Here she is.

Times change, and now this painting hangs in London's National Gallery. That's where I saw her.

Queen Mary did not reign for long. After two and a half years of reign, she died, apparently from cancer. She was generally a very unhappy woman and a very unlucky ruler. Henry's heirs were unlucky. Mary tried to return the country to Catholicism, but she ran out of time. The country supported her in the fight against Dudley, but categorically did not want a return to pre-perestroika times. The first thing Mary did when she became queen was arrest her sister Elizabeth and bring her to the Tower through Traitor's Gate. A brilliant invention, I tell you. This gate opens directly into the Thames and the pier is located inside the castle. Prisoners were transported to the castle by water. There were no high-speed motor boats yet, riflemen were on duty on the towers, and his potential friends had no chance of recapturing the prisoner.

Well, of course, what traitors, you understand. All ours, kings, queens and lords. The intrigue with Elizabeth was that in order to transfer the throne to Lady Jane, King Edward removed both sisters from the line at once - both Mary and Elizabeth. If Mary restored the queue, then Elizabeth was automatically in it. And Elizabeth was a Protestant. Mary would like to transfer power to her descendant, if she had one. Therefore, she had to eliminate Elizabeth just in case. But this trick failed; the sisters were worth each other. According to legend, Elizabeth sat in the rain on the stairs leading from the Traitors' Gate for the whole day. She categorically refused to climb into the tower prepared for her. Elizabeth took the fight and behaved so fiercely that Mary failed to execute her. She couldn't find a reason. There was one intercepted note written to Elizabeth by the leader of the next uprising, but there was no evidence that Elizabeth responded to this note in any way. The most biased court could not find fault with anything. Mary had no heirs - it didn’t work out, and before her death she signed a paper opening the way for Elizabeth to the throne. This is how the great Queen Elizabeth the First appeared. Her exploits are also well known: for example, she captured her cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, kept her prisoner for nineteen years and finally, after very long hesitation, cut off her head. Mary Stuart was a Catholic, and she was the last of the Tudor line. Elizabeth had no children, and with her death the Tudor line was interrupted. You can read about this whole story from Zweig.

I believe that the Queen in Carroll's tale, who constantly shouted "Off with his head!", was based on these reigning persons. By the way, the last, seventh person executed on the Tower block was Elizabeth’s favorite Earl of Essex. Zweig supports the legend that Elizabeth was a virgin, and for this she especially hated Mary Stuart, who became famous for her good attitude towards men. Just don’t imagine Mary Stuart as white and fluffy. She also shed rivers of blood. She also killed her second husband with dynamite. Moreover, when she was executed, she was 44 years old, and she was captured at the age of 24. In those days, people lived short lives and grew up quickly.

A large two-story sarcophagus is fenced off in Westminster Abbey. Both sisters rest in two almost identical coffins in the shape of a human figure: Mary below, on the first tier, and Elizabeth on the second. I saw this sarcophagus. It was installed by King James I, the son of Mary Stuart, who was raised under the supervision of Elizabeth and inherited the throne after her. Not far from them he buried his mother.

With the execution of Mary Stuart, Catholicism left England forever. But the Catholics remained. England was already a completely democratic country, and in principle Catholics could exist there, but they were all given an offer that they could not refuse - to cross themselves. Many agreed, but some persisted. Special hopes were placed on King James. Still, he had to make some concessions, at least in memory of his mother. At first he really behaved like a liberal, stopped the religious war with Spain and even released some from prison. But on the issue of faith he was quite firm. True Catholics were not allowed to move and were treated as rotten as possible, although Catholic converts felt more confident. A group of young people led by a man named Catesby did not come up with anything better than to kill the king, and at the same time destroy the entire composition of Parliament. The technical side of the issue was taken on by a certain Guy Fawkes. He managed to bring 38 barrels of gunpowder into the cellars of Parliament, which he intended to explode on the opening day of the 1605 session. This failed assassination attempt was called the Gunpowder Plot. I heard an English children's rhyme like our "enike-benike", which very funnyly tells about this event in four lines. The conspiracy was organized brilliantly, but it was ruined by chance. One of the conspirators wrote an anonymous note to his cousin, a member of Parliament, warning him not to attend the first meeting. Cousin, don’t be a fool, showed the note to whoever needed it, and they drew the necessary conclusions. Guy Fawkes' comrades were captured right in the basement. Catesby and his most active comrades tried to escape, but were killed in battle. And Guy Fawkes was taken to the Tower and terribly tortured in a cheerful half-timbered house.

Here it was, in a house next to the watchtower on the second floor. The power of torture can be judged by Fox's signature on the protocols, which deteriorates over time. His head was cut off behind the fortress wall.

And with this, the active role of the Tower in English history gradually began to end. After James, Charles the First appeared on the throne, but this is a topic for another chapter.

The last execution in the Tower occurred in 1941. On the very lawn where Walter Raleigh grew tobacco, a captured German pilot was shot. The last prisoner of the Tower was Rudolf Hess. He sat in two rooms in one of these half-timbered houses and looked at Beauchamp Tower, probably rejoicing at his fate. In 1946, Hess was transferred to Spandau prison.

The last shots for today are the majestic and unique Tower Bridge and London City Hall, located opposite the Tower - the calling cards of London. Of course, everyone has seen them at least on postcards.

Throughout its nine-hundred-year history, the Tower of London was a fortress that served as the residence of kings, an armory and treasury, as well as a prison and place of execution.

Tower of London- one of the symbols of Great Britain. It holds a special place in the history of the English nation and is one of the most visited places in the world. The well-known ravens of the Tower, yeoman guards, royal jewels and stories about a gloomy fortress-prison - these are just the very first associations with the name Tower of London. However, this is just a very small part of the history of this famous building.

In 1066, Duke William of Normandy began his conquest of England. By the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London became the dominant city in England, having a rich port, a nearby royal palace and a main cathedral. Ensuring the safety of the city was William's main goal during his coronation. He gives the order to begin construction of a fortress around the city. Thus, in 1100, the construction of the White Tower was completed. The Tower is protected by huge walls on the north, west and south sides. In 1377, all buildings in the Tower were completed.

The first prisoner was imprisoned in the Tower in 1100. At that time, Tower Prison was intended for people of noble birth and high rank. Among the most honorable and high-ranking prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland and France and members of their families, as well as representatives of the aristocracy and priests who fell into disgrace on charges of treason. The walls of the Tower also remember many executions and murders: Henry VI, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, were killed in the Tower.

The prisoners were kept in those premises that were not occupied at that time. The terms of imprisonment varied widely. Thus, William Penn, the founder of the English colony in North America, called Pennsylvania, was imprisoned in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after defeat in battle, spent a total of 25 years within the walls of the castle until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Courtier Walter Raleigh, navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment by working on the multi-volume work “History of the World.” After his temporary release, he was again imprisoned in the Tower and then executed. In the photo - the main gate of the fortress

In some cases, usually only with official permission, prisoners were tortured into admitting their guilt. In 1605, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King during the Gunpowder Plot, was strung up on the Tower rack before being executed, forcing him to reveal the names of his accomplices.

At the beginning of the 13th century, John the Landless kept lions in the Tower. However, the royal menagerie arose when John's successor, Henry III, received three leopards, a polar bear and an elephant as a gift from European monarchs. Although the animals were kept for the amusement of the king and his retinue, one day all of London witnessed a unique spectacle when a tethered bear rushed into the Thames to catch a fish. Over time, the menagerie was replenished with an even larger number of exotic animals and during the time of Elizabeth I it was open to visitors. In the 1830s, the Tower Zoo was abolished and the animals were moved to a new zoo that opened in London's Regent's Park. Below in the photo is a model Tower of London

Effective, isn't it?)

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings were carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought down the river and brought into the Tower through the “Traitor's Gate.” As the accused was led away from the trial, observers watched to see where the prison guard's ax was pointed. The blade pointed at the prisoner foreshadowed another execution.

Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their responsibilities also include conducting excursions for numerous visitors. On especially special occasions, they dress in luxurious costumes from the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and topped with snow-white padded collars. On ordinary days, they wear dark blue and red Victorian uniforms. English guards are often called beefeaters, or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely arose during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the palace guards received regular rations of beef. In this way, the English crown provided itself with reliable protection.

The current Tower no longer bears much resemblance to the formidable fortress it entered into history. Back in 1843, the ditch was filled in, and instead of water, a bright green lawn appeared here, setting off the gray stone of the walls. During numerous restorations, the windows were enlarged, including in the White Tower. A large number of trees have been planted. In the past, such a harsh and literally blood-stained courtyard was largely seeded with grass, and black tower crows walked importantly along it. When the menagerie was moved to Regent's Park in 1831, the ravens were left in the fort. They are surrounded by special care - the state pays the Tower garrison two shillings and four pence a week to feed the birds. The palace “Ravenmaster,” or Raven Keeper, cares for a flock of black ravens. The fact is that, according to legend, the foundations of Britain are unshakable until the ravens leave the Tower. For greater security, however, the birds' wings are clipped.

Today Tower of London- one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It has hardly changed since the past. A symbol of the Tower's sinister past is the site where the Tower Hill scaffold formerly stood. Now there is a small memorial plaque installed there in memory of “the tragic fate and sometimes martyrdom of those who, in the name of faith, homeland and ideals, risked their lives and accepted death.” Currently, the main buildings of the Tower are the museum and the armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. The Tower also has a number of private apartments, where mainly service personnel and distinguished guests live.