A fortification that arises when two curtains of wall come together is called a bastion.
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Its development took place during the last half of the 15th century and it was included in the so-called Italian trace , a type of fortification that was created at that time to confront the French army in its attempt to invade its territory. Since the French had modern cannons that could destroy medieval fortifications with great ease, architectural innovation was necessary to reduce their chances of victory.
The bastion reached all parts of the European continent at the beginning of the 16th century precisely to leave behind the ineffectiveness of the old fortifications against cannon attacks, given the thinness of its high walls .
The bastion is also known as a bastion.
Bastion types
Let's see below some of the best-known types of bastion:
- A pincer : it is also known simply as a pincer bastion and is one that has an indentation formed by its flanked angle.
- Cutaway : This type of bastion has one or two recessed angles instead of the flanked one.
- Of orejones : the orejón, the name given to one of its faces, covers its convex angles and withdrawn towards the center with its end.
- Featured : This is a fortress built in the style of a bastion.
- Double : its construction takes place in combination with that of more bastions, for which it is necessary to have sufficient space .
- Irregular : characterized by not being symmetrical.
- Full : it has an embankment inside.
- Medium : has a flank and a face.
- Pastel : This type of bastion is also known as flat and its main feature is its half-gorgets, which form a straight line.
- Real : its construction takes place at the ends of large polygons, those that measure between 150 and 200 meters. Very numerous troops can be housed inside and its solidity gives it great resistance to the most violent attacks .
- Regular : presents an equivalence between its angles and their corresponding lines.
- Blunt : it was built at an incoming angle.
- Simple : its embankment has a space in the middle for the construction of buildings such as magazines.
- Empty : it is the bastion that has not been completely filled.
Main features
It can be said that the bastion is a fortified enclosure whose projection is carried out out of the central sector of the fortress in question. Typically, they are installed in the corners, a location that improves defense conditions.
In general, the bastions have a pentagonal shape (the two faces, the two flanks and the throat), a design that makes it possible to cover the walls and the other bastions through crossfire.
In ancient times, bastions meant that when a troop attempted to storm a fortress, they had to place their artillery batteries at a great distance. That's why attacks were difficult.
Other uses of the term bastion
The idea of bastion can also be used in a symbolic sense to name the most important precept of a theory or doctrine. Bastion, in this framework, is that on which a system is built or a certain scaffolding is supported: "The abolition of private property is the bastion of communism" , "Our political movement has honesty as its main bastion" , " The Uruguayan midfielder is the bastion of the local team .
Bastion , finally, is the name of a villain created by Marvel Comics who faces the X-Men . This character first appeared in a 1996 publication.