Tower in London. History of the Tower in London

The Tower of London in London is one of the main attractions of the UK. It is not just a magnificent architectural monument, but a symbol that occupies an important place in the history of the English monarchy.

Location

There is a fortress Tower in London, on the coast of the river Thames. This is one of the oldest buildings in England. During its long history, the Tower managed to visit the palace, fortress, prison, observatory, zoo, mint, arsenal, treasures of the English crown, and also a place attractive for tourists coming from all over the world.

Building

Tower in London was erected in several stages. The foundation of this construction history is attributed to King William I, who immediately after the conquest of the English lands began to build defensive castles in order to frighten the locals. In the framework of this large-scale event, in 1078 the Tower was erected on the site of the old wooden fort. It was a large quadrangular fortress 32х36 m in height, 30 m high. After the death of William I the next king of England ordered to paint the structure white, after which the structure was nicknamed the "White Tower". King Richard the Lionheart had built other towers of different heights and powerful fortress walls, two rows encircling the monumental structure. A deep ditch was dug around the Tower, making it one of the most impregnable defensive structures in Europe.

Famous prisoners

The Tower in London received the first prisoner in 1100. They became bishop Ralph Flambard, who, incidentally, in his time took an active part in the construction of the fortress. The life of the prelate under the castle was very pleasant - he occupied magnificent suites, used a private study, enjoyed delicious drinks and meals. However, the prisoner escaped from the Tower at the first opportunity, using a rope, which he was given in a pitcher of wine. The next prisoner, Griffin, Duke of Wales, was imprisoned in the fortress in 150 years and died (crashed) when attempting to escape. After that, the fallen blue-blooded people regularly became prisoners in the Tower. Here visited the kings of France and Scotland (John II, Orleans Charles and Jacob I of Scotland), as well as priests and aristocrats of various degrees and titles. The famous fortress became the site of bloody murders and executions. Here were destroyed the young princes - twelve-year-old Edward V and his brother Richard, killing King Henry VI.

The prisoners were accommodated in free premises, the terms of the restriction of freedom could be any. The founder of Pennsylvania in North America, Penn William, was in the Tower for religious convictions and spent eight months there. The Duke of Orleans, Karl, was imprisoned in the fortress for a long 25 years and left after paying a huge ransom for him. Raleigh Walter - courtier, scientist and navigator - three times got into a privileged prison and stayed in it for a total of thirteen years. He grew tobacco in the fortress garden and brightened up the painful loneliness by writing a multivolume "History of the World".

Matrimonial Plans and Religious Disagreements

The sinister place of torture of the Tower of London was after the accession on the throne of Henry VIII, whose keen desire to have a legitimate heir made him one of the greatest villains in the history of England. Heinrich broke off relations with the Greco-Roman church, which refused to recognize his divorce with his first wife, beheaded the second - Anne Boleyn, who could not give birth to his son, got rid of the fifth way - Howard Catherine, also did not meet all his requests. At the same time, many of the high-ranking officials folded their heads in the Tower.

Edward VI, the next king of England, became a worthy successor to his father and did not stint on death sentences. The daughter of Henry VIII - Mary - was a zealous Catholic and fiercely fought for the purity of faith, which also could not do without bloody sacrifices. In addition, the cruel person, being on the throne, immediately beheaded her main rival in the struggle for the throne - the sixteen-year-old Lady Jane Gray. Many Protestants died during the reign of Mary, but the next Queen of England - Elizabeth - equalized the account and brutally dealt with the previously vexed Catholics. The history of the Tower in London is full of cruel reprisals against high-ranking individuals who fell into disgrace on religious grounds.

Executions and torture

Several thousand prisoners visited the Tower. However, only two men and five women were honored to be decapitated on the territory of the famous fortress. Three of these high-ranking officials were queens: Jane Gray (held on the throne for nine days), Katherine Howard and Anna Boleyn. Less noble prisoners were executed nearby, on Tower Hill, where many fans of bloody massacres gathered. The body of the executed criminal was to be buried in the fortress. The Tower of London in London stores in its cellars the remains of 1500 prisoners.

Torture of prisoners in the Tower was carried out only with the permission of official authorities. So, Guy Fox, a criminal who tried to blow up the parliament building, in 1605 was on the tower of a tower. This forced him before the execution to name the inspirers of the Powder plot.

The Tower is a place of confinement in modern history

After Charles II ascended the English throne, the Tower Fortress in London was almost not replenished by prisoners. The last execution on Tower Hill took place in 1747, but the famous tower was a place of imprisonment and in modern times. In the First World War, eleven German spies were imprisoned here and then shot. During the Second World War, prisoners of war were held in the fortress, among them Rudolf Hess. The last person to be executed on the territory of the fortress was Yakov Josef, accused of espionage and shot in 1941. The last prisoners of the Tower were in 1952, brothers-gangsters Cray.

Other use of the tower

Tower Tower in London was a success as a zoo, populated by exotic animals. The tradition was founded in the 17th century by Henry III, who received a few beasts as a gift and arranged a residence in the famous fortress. During the reign of Elizabeth I the zoo was opened for visitors. Only in the 1830s the menagerie in the Tower was abolished.

For about 500 years, the Royal Mint department operated in the fortress. In addition, the Tower kept important legal and government papers, as well as military equipment of the royal army and the king himself.

Protection of the fortress and treasures of the British Empire

Special protection in the Tower arose in 1485. The palace guards were called bifitters (from English "beef", which means "beef") for the fact that even in the most difficult years for the country the diet of brave guardians of the Tower included a solid portion of meat. Thus the English monarchy provided itself with reliable defenders.

In the Tower serves as a palace "Ravensmaster" (the watchman of crows), whose duties include taking care of a flock of crows inhabiting the fortress. An ancient legend says: if these black birds leave the Tower, then Great Britain will suffer misfortune. In order for the crows not to fly away, they cut their wings.

In the fortress are the treasures of the British Empire. They are guarded by special caretakers. Visitors had the opportunity to admire the royal jewels from the XVII century. Among the famous ornaments is the world's largest processed diamond, Cullian I.

Tower Bridge

Another glorious landmark of England is the famous Tower Bridge in London. It got its name because of its close location to the famous fortress. The dilapidated bridge across the Thames was erected in 1886-1894. Its length is 244 meters. The structure is located between two towers, whose height is 65 meters. The central span has a length of 61 meters, it is divided into two wings, which, if necessary, can be raised by an angle of 83 °. Each wing weighs about one thousand tons, however, thanks to special counterweights, it is bred in about one minute. Initially, the flight was set in motion by means of a water hydraulic system. In 1974, the mechanism of the bridge was equipped with an electric drive.

Pedestrians can cross the bridge even in the diluted state - for this purpose, in the middle part of the structure, there are connecting towers at an altitude of 44 m of the gallery. You can climb them by the stairs inside the towers. In 1982, galleries began to function as a viewing platform and a museum. Tower Bridge (Tower Bridge) in London is no less popular than the most famous fortress.