Who built the Tower of London. Tower of London Castle - English Fortress, White Tower, Ravens

In 1066, the Duke of Normandy William began the conquest of England. Towards the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London became the dominant city in England, with a rich port located next to the royal palace and main cathedral. Ensuring the safety of the city was the main goal of William during his coronation, so he gives the order to begin the construction of a fortress around the city. So in 1100 the construction of the White Tower ends. The tower is protected by huge walls on the north, west and south sides. In 1377, all buildings in the Tower were completed.

Tower of London. Tower ("tower"), Tower of London (Eng. Her Majesty "s Royal Palace and Fortress, Tower of London) - a fortress erected on the north bank of the River Thames, the historical center of the city of London. One of the oldest historical buildings in the UK, which has long served the residence of the English monarchs, prison, menagerie.Now the museum.

  The Tower of London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It has not changed much since the past. The symbol of the sinister past of the Tower is the place where the scaffold of Tower Hill used to be. Now there is a small plaque 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 stored; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. There are also a number of private apartments in the Tower, which are mainly staff and distinguished guests.

  Throughout its history, the Tower of London was a fortress, a palace, a repository of royal jewels, an arsenal, a mint, a prison, an observatory, and even a zoo. This is one of the most popular monuments in London.

The tower began its history in 1066. Norman Wilhelm I (Conqueror) captured Anglo-Saxon England and began to build fortresses everywhere for his defense. One of the first was the Tower of London in 1097. It was a donjon tower. According to some reports, William I built it stone at once. According to others - wooden, which was later replaced with stone - the Great Tower, which is a quadrangular structure, 32 x 36 meters in size, about 30 meters high. When later the new king of England ordered the building to be whitewashed, it was given the name White Tower, or White Tower.
  There are four turrets in the corners - buttresses.

  Subsequently, under Emperor Richard the Lionheart, several more towers of various heights and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected.

  A deep moat was dug around the fortress, making it one of the most impregnable fortresses in Europe.

  Bayward Tower with a bridge across the moat.

  The middle tower between the nonexistent Lion Tower and the Bayward Tower. According to rumors, there was a zoo here.

  In 1669, elegant weathercocks crowned with a royal crown were installed on the towers of the White Tower.

  Edward I (1272-1307) built the external defensive walls, the Treytors Gate, during which the construction of a moat (water was drained from it in 1843) and the Middle Tower were also completed. Ledges Mount and Brass Mount, two bastions of the defensive wall, were erected during the reign of Henry VIII.

  It’s really cozy in the Tower

  Beefeaters are guardians of the Tower. Former professional military with great experience. And a wonderful commanding voice. They like to give lectures, for which they are often rewarded with applause.

  The inner wall from the side of the river. At the end of the bell tower. At her bell, the lights were extinguished in the Tower. Left - The gates of the traitors.
  The inner defensive wall and its 13 towers were added during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272).

  On the right is the outer wall by the river. Very comfortable. Like a medieval green street))

  Patio, on the left is the White Tower.

  Waterloo Barracks. Royal jewels and regalia are kept here.
  Cullinan-I - 530.2 carats. Transparent, colorless. It has 74 faces. Teardrop-shaped (pannels). The scepter of the English king Edward VII adorns.
  Cullinan II - inserted into the crown of the British Empire.
  Kohinur - “Mountain of Light” - a diamond, which is currently located in the crown of Queen Elizabeth (Great Britain), one of the most famous diamonds in history.
  And so forth and so forth

Henry III built the Water Gate, which was renamed the Gate of Traitors when the Tower became a prison. Through these gates, Thames were brought in boats of convicts to the Tower from the Thames.

  Stone and glass across the river. Past and future.

  Thames Entrance

Near the Gate of the Traitors, somewhere between 1275 and 1279. the Tower of St. Thomas was built in order to provide Edward I with new chambers.

  View of the tower bridge from the chambers of the king of the tower of St. Thomas

  There is a small chapel in the small tower that once overlooked the Thames, and now faces the Quay and Tower Bridge.

  Wakefield Towers is the second largest tower of the Tower of London. It was built in the period from 1220 to 1240.
  The interior of the current tower was recreated in the style of the times of Edward I according to existing descriptions and taking into account the preserved interiors of that time.

  Throne Replica of the Coronation Throne at Westminster Abbey

Chapel for prayer. The inscription that King Henry VI died here. He was imprisoned here and according to one version he was killed with a dagger in the back during a prayer.

  Stained glass window of the chapel from the inside.

  Stained glass window of the chapel outside.

  Chinese bronze trophy gun. Captured in the Second Chinese War of 1856-1861

  Salt tower

  Lantern tower.

  Tower Guard and Gin. Recruited from the military with 20 years of experience.
  Beefeater - Beef-eater - Carnivore. Special guard. Tried food in front of the king.
  If not a joke))

  Cannon of the Knights of Malta

  Behind the cannon of the Knights of Malta are raven cages. Seven black ravens (one - spare) live in excellent conditions in a fortress - in spacious open-air cages. Every year the state allocates a solid budget for the maintenance of ravens. Thanks to the excellent nutrition, the "guardians of the Tower" are very well-fed. Their daily diet includes about 200 grams of fresh meat and blood biscuits, in addition, once a week, birds rely on eggs, fresh rabbit meat and fried croutons.
  Each raven has its own name and character - three males Gwillum, Bran and Cedric, and three females - Hugin, Munin and Branven.

  Traditionally to this day, ministers of the Tower live here.
  Tower Meadow is the venue for many of the traditional Tower ceremonies, including state parades, the oath ceremony by the new Yeomeni guards, and the inauguration ceremony of the new Constable, which is held every five years by the appointment of the new Constable Tower.

  The Church of St. Peter was rebuilt during the time of the son of Henry III - Edward I. It received its present form during the reconstruction of 1519-20. at the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII.

The church is famous for its tower prisoners buried here, including three queens (Anna Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Jane Gray) and many other representatives of the "blue" English blood.
  Decapitated bodies were buried in a hurry under the nave or altar, and the graves did not have tombstones. During the restoration of 1876, the found remains were transferred to the crypt.

  Anna Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I. Heading from the place of her execution to the Waterloo barracks.
  But how it all began well. Green Sleeves, separation of England from the pope, marriage to the king ...

  Place of execution. "Hold for a short time, oh noble visitor, where you are standing, death has shortened many days of life, the fates of famous people have broken off here. Let them rest in peace while we dance around the generations, waging a struggle and showing courage under these turbulent skies." In front of St. Peter's Chapel, a scaffold was erected in fetters to execute seven famous prisoners: William, Lord of Hastings (1483),. Anna Boleyn (1536) and Catherine Howard (1542) (the second and fifth wives of Henry VIII) were found guilty of adultery, as well as helping the last maid of honor Jane, then Margarita Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541), a similar fate befell Lady Jane Gray . The last was Robert Devereaux, Count of Essex, a young favorite of Elizabeth I.

It was believed that the “solitary” executions in the Tower Meadow were less shy for both the victim and the monarch, since thousands of spectators gathered to cut off their heads outside the fortress on Tower Hill (usually ordinary convicts).

  The executioner's ax was not a gift. No better than a butcher’s shop. As well, the executioner himself. Therefore, for execution of Anna Boleyn, an executioner with a sword was discharged from France. Everything went more smoothly.

  Royal Guardsman.

  The Tower Life Guards lead the Royal Guards to replace the guard.

  Museum of the Royal Riflemen.

  Martin Tower. The tower used to be called the Treasury, since royal regalia were kept here (before they were transferred to the Waterloo barracks) and the Guardian himself lived. Today there is an exhibition that reveals the history of the English royal crowns and the most famous stones made in them.

  From the Tower, the Tower Bridge seems to be the towers of the Tower.

  Tower at night from Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge. 1894. The bridge was designed by Horace Jones, it is a drawbridge with a length of 244 m with two towers 65 m high. The central span between the towers, 61 m long, is divided into two lifting wings, which can be raised at an angle of 83 to pass the ships °. Each of more than a thousand-ton wings is equipped with a counterweight, minimizing the necessary effort and allowing the bridge to be drawn in one minute.

  The Tower Bridge, being a symbol of not only London, but also the whole state, fits very harmoniously into the architecture of the central part of the city.
  The bridge used to be chocolate in color, but by the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth 2, the bridge was repainted in blue, white, and red, in the color of the flag of the Royal State. But there is a little red color there, so it seems to everyone that the bridge is painted in blue and white.

  The name of the bridge was given due to the nearby famous Tower Tower, so now when mentioning one of the neighboring objects, tourists must see both sights, since they are located from each other at a distance of several hundred meters.

Foundation of the Tower of London

After the successful battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, began to assert his authority. To do this, he founded 36 castles throughout the country, which became the administrative centers of royal influence and strongholds in the event of hostilities. Since London was already the largest city in England, it was decided to establish a castle here. The location was chosen as the southeast corner of the old Roman city walls on the banks of the Thames (some fragments of the Roman walls and a statue of the emperor Hadrian can still be seen on the territory of the complex).

The history of the Tower of London begins with the building White tower   (No. 34 on) - a huge structure that combines the functions of a royal residence and a Norman dungeon. The exact start date for the construction is not known, but it is traditionally believed that it was laid in 1077 under the leadership of Gandalf, Bishop of Rochester. Subsequently, the White Tower (White Tower) and gave the castle the name Tower.

The Norman dungeons had especially powerful walls, since initially the Normans did not enclose their castles with other defensive structures. The impressive belts of fortifications with bastions that we see today in the Tower began to be built around the White Tower only in the 13th century, obviously, after the Crusades, the British became acquainted with the practice of building castles in the East and in continental Europe. That is why the thickness of the walls of the White Tower reaches almost 4 meters. Its dimensions are also unusual: 32.5 × 36 meters, with a height of 27 meters. It is second only to the donjon of the Headingham Castle and is one of the largest donjons in the medieval architecture of Western Europe. In its configuration and layout of the premises, the White Tower belongs to a very rare group of donjons, which is characteristic of England, and, moreover, only for the 11th-12th centuries.

In 1097, King William II the Red ordered the construction of stone walls around the White Tower, the construction of which was completely completed at the beginning of the XII century (the reign of Henry I). The White Tower became the heart of the Tower, its core and the most impregnable part; here were located living quarters for the king, his family and close associates. The building is considered one of the largest dungeons in Europe (36 × 32 × 27 meters), as well as one of the oldest surviving in England.

The White Tower immediately began to fulfill, in addition to defensive, a prison function. Her first prisoner was Bishop Ranulf Flambard, and he became the first fugitive - the clergyman managed to escape using a rope handed over to him by accomplices in a bottle of wine. The escape was so unexpected and impudent that one of the chroniclers of that time accused the fugitive bishop of having links with evil spirits.

According to the Norman tradition, the entrance to the White Tower is much higher than the ground level, so a wooden ladder was used, which could be easily removed in case of danger. As in most other donjons, at the base of the White Tower there is a large basement and a well was functioning. In the southeastern part of the building is located. Since its apse was attached to the already existing walls at that time, we can conclude that the chapel was not part of the original construction plan. It is believed that the chapel in the Romanesque style is built of stone, delivered from France.

The first floor of the White Tower was obviously intended for the needs of the constable (the royal governor of the Tower in London) and the lieutenant (deputy constable). On the second floor was a large hall and living quarters for the king and his family. Unfortunately, very little has survived from the original interiors. Perhaps only the modest decoration of the Chapel of St. John corresponds to the original setting.

The death of King Henry I in 1135 plunged England into the abyss of dynastic conflict, in which the Tower played a very important role. His constable Joffrey de Mandeville, leaning on the impregnable walls of a strategically important castle, skillfully maneuvered between two claimants to the throne (Princess Matilda and Stephen Bloisch), thanks to which he temporarily increased his personal power and wealth. However, soon he had to pay dearly for political unprincipledness - Stefan Bloisky, becoming king, arrested him and deprived him of all castles and possessions. Since then, the king personally appointed a loyal person to the post of Constable Tower, which was originally hereditary. At first, the constables, in addition to managing the castle, also had a certain civil power in the city - they ensured public order and tax collection, but after the introduction of the post of Lord Mayor of London in 1191, they ceased to perform these functions.

In the second half of the XII century (the reign of Henry II) the Tower built defensively non-functional royal apartments and a castle square from the south side of the White Tower to the Thames. The territory that included the Tower of that time is called Central courtyard.

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  The expansion of the Tower under King Richard I the Lionheart

Apparently, the Tower lasted unchanged until King Richard I the Lionheart (reign: from 1189 to 1199). Almost all of his reign Richard I spent in constant wars outside of England, and the real power in the kingdom was exercised by his Lord Chancellor William Longchamp. On the initiative of the latter, given the threat of war with his brother Richard John, the castle territory was doubled and surrounded by a moat. The new defensive fortifications of the Tower of London were tested in 1191, when the castle was besieged for the first time in its history. The siege, however, lasted only 3 days, as Longchamp decided that it was more profitable for him to surrender than to continue the resistance.

John still managed to become king of England after the death of Richard in 1199, but he was extremely unpopular among barons and people, which led to the war. In 1214, when John was in Windsor Castle, one of the rebellious barons besieged the Tower. The garrison defended itself courageously, and the siege was lifted only after the signing between the king and the barons of the Magna Carta - a document in which the rights and obligations of the monarch and his subjects-barons were determined. John, however, was in no hurry to fulfill these promises, which led to the First Baronial War, during which the garrison of the Tower went over to the side of the rebels.

  The expansion of the Tower under King Henry III

Henry III (reign: 1216–1272) spent quite a lot of time in the Tower of London, and gathered parliament several times (1236 and 1261). Under him, almost all the fortifications on the territory were built, which were added to the castle by two of his predecessors (Richard I the Lionheart and John Landless). Henry III built stone walls and nine towers (seven of them have remained unchanged to this day). This territory is called today Courtyard.

All towers of the Tower, except for defensive functions, served as the location of residential and administrative premises, as their names indicate in some cases: in the Bell Tower (No. 2 on) a watch bell hung, in the Tower of the Archer (No. 4) there were workshops where they were made bows, crossbows and siege weapons, and in the Lanthorn tower (No. 20) - a large lighthouse (from the Old English lanthorn - “lamp, lantern”), showing the way for ships passing along the Thames.

The main entrance to the castle under Henry III was located in the western wall. It is believed that the towers on the south side - Wakefield (No. 36) and Lanthorn (No. 20) - served as the private chambers of the king and queen, respectively. Between the towers was built a large hall for special occasions.

Near the Wakefield Tower (No. 36), the Bloody Tower (No. 3) was built in order to provide access to the castle from the river. It acquired its name after in 1483 it became the site of the murder of 12-year-old Edward V and his 10-year-old brother Richard of York, popularly called the princes of the Tower, on the orders of their uncle King Richard III. At the time of death, the boys had already been declared illegitimate by Parliament, which deprived them of legal grounds for the English throne, but this seemed insufficient for the usurper.

In 1258, barons led by Simon de Montfort again rebelled against royal power, demanding regular convocations of parliament and the withdrawal of royal troops from the Tower. Henry III first made such an oath, but after asking the permission of the Pope, violated it and regained control of the castle in 1261 with the help of mercenaries. In 1265, after the victory at Evesham, Henry III regained power in the country and called Cardinal Ottobuon to England to excommunicate the rebel barons. This caused a new explosion of discontent, and in 1267 the baronial army, led by Gilbert de Claire, besieged the Tower, where the residence of the cardinal was temporarily located. Despite the large army and siege weapons, the rebels failed to take the castle. The remainder of the reign of King Henry III passed peacefully for the Tower of London.

  Extension of the Tower under King Edward I

Edward I (reign: 1272–1307), although he rarely visited London, still continued the expensive work of expanding the Tower. The king was a great connoisseur of fortification, and the experience he gained during numerous military campaigns was used to strengthen the castle in London. A second line of walls was built, including two bastions (in the northwestern and northeastern corners) and a new deep ditch 50 meters wide was dug.

A new main entrance was also created (in the southwestern part of the castle), which included internal (No. 8 on) and external gates (No. 25), as well as a barbican (a fortification designed to further protect the main entrance), called the Lion Tower ( No. 23), because they contained lions here. The Barbican has not survived to this day.

Edward I also expanded the Tower of London south towards the Thames. On the river bank a tower of St. Thomas (No. 32) was erected with the Gate of traitors (No. 35), named so because new prisoners were delivered through boats on them. Edward also moved the mint to the Tower.

In the middle of the 14th century, the Lullaby Tower (No. 13), built as residential premises, became the second water gate.

Under Edward I, loopholes for archers appeared in the walls of the Tower. In place of the old castle gates, the Beauchamp Tower (No. 1) was erected, which is the first in England, from the time of the Roman Empire, the use of bricks as the main building material. In order to make the castle a self-sufficient complex, two water mills were built.

In 1278, the Tower became the place of detention for 600 London Jews accused of spoiling coins (in the Middle Ages, when there were no exact weights, this practice was very common - small pieces were chopped off or sawed off). The persecution of the Jewish population of England began in 1276, and their culmination was 1290, when the Edict was issued on the expulsion of all Jews from England.

The area built up during the reign of King Edward I (reign: 1272–1307) is now called Outer courtyard. By the beginning of the XIV century, the Tower had acquired a modern look.

  Late Middle Ages

Under Edward II (reign: 1307–1321), little happens in the walls of the Tower. The Secret Chancellery, which is located on the territory of the castle, was founded. For the first time, the woman - Baroness Margaret de Claire became a prisoner of the Tower. She refused to let Queen Isabella into her castle, moreover, she ordered archers to shoot, which led to the death of six people in the royal escort.

Note that the Tower as a prison was intended primarily for important prisoners and was the main prison in the country, but far from the most reliable. Escape cases were not uncommon. For example, in 1322, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, was able to escape from captivity by bribing the guards. Having fled to France, he started an affair with the king’s wife, and together they made a plan for seizing power. Having landed with an army in England and capturing London, Mortimer first freed all the prisoners of the Tower. For three years (1327–1330) he ruled England while King Edward III was still too young. However, fortune soon turned its back on the usurper - Mortimer was seized, again imprisoned in the Tower, and then hanged on Tyburn Square.

During the Hundred Years War of England and France (1337–1453), the Tower of London became a place of confinement for many noble prisoners, for example, King of France John II captured in the Battle of Poitiers, King of Scotland David II captured in the Battle of Neville Cross, and captured by British pirates James I, the Scottish prince, who became king of his country after liberation in 1424. However, since Edward II launched the castle, at the time of his heirs the Tower was not particularly comfortable for noble prisoners: for example, it was impossible to hunt here, which was allowed to prisoners of blue blood in other royal castles.

In 1377, on the day of the coronation, Richard II establishes a magnificent procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey. This is how the tradition that survives until 1660 is born.

During the peasant uprising of Wat Tyler in 1381, a rebel army besieged the king in the castle. When the monarch went on negotiations with the leader of the rebels, the crowd broke into the Tower, not meeting resistance. The rebels looted the royal treasury and beheaded the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury, who was trying to take refuge in the Chapel of St. John in the White Tower. After 6 years, during the next unrest, the king was again forced to hide from the rebels in the Tower.

In 1399, King Richard II was removed from power and imprisoned in the White Tower of the Tower by Heinrich Bollingbroke, a representative of the side branch of the ruling Plantangenet dynasty. Bollingbroke, who ruled under the name of Henry IV, more than once found protection outside the walls of the Tower of London during rebellions and rebellions.

Most of the second half of the 15th century took place in dynastic conflicts between the two branches of the Plantangenet dynasty - York and Lancaster. Their armed feud was called the Wars of the Scarlet and White Rose (1455-1485), since these flowers were depicted on the arms of the warring clans. In 1460, the Tower was besieged by the troops of the Yorkists. The castle was badly damaged by artillery fire, but surrendered only after the capture of King Henry VI of Lancaster at the Battle of Northampton. He, however, managed to regain his throne for a short while in 1470, but Edward IV York soon took the crown from him and imprisoned him in the Tower in London, where, apparently, Henry was killed. During the war, the castle was modernized to withstand firearms, and cannons and arquebuses were made in the walls.

Executions were usually carried out not in the castle itself, but nearby - on the Tower Hill (in 400 years 112 people were put to death at this place). In the castle itself, up to the 20th century, only 7 people were executed - usually these were individuals whose public execution could cause unrest among Londoners. Today, at the place where the scaffold was located, a special memorial has been erected. In particular, among the persons executed at the Tower were:

• Ann Bolein   (1507-1536) - the second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I. Accused of treason and adultery;
• Katherine Howard   (1520-1542) - the fifth wife of Henry VIII and cousin of Anna Boleyn. Accused of adultery;
• Jane gray   (1537-1554) - great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, the uncrowned queen, who ruled for 9 days in 1553. After the deposition, she was imprisoned in the castle and executed with her husband Guildford Dudley.

Among the well-known figures of the XIV-XVIII centuries, who were prisoners of the Tower, but executed in other places or released, the following persons should be mentioned:

• William Wallace   (1270–1305) - Scottish aristocrat and military leader, leader of the Scottish independence movement, was detained in the Tower before a painful execution in 1305. The famous film “Braveheart” was shot about William Wallace;
• Thomas More   (1478-1535) - lawyer, philosopher, writer, author of the novel "Utopia". He refused to accept the supremacy of King Henry VIII over the church. He was executed in 1535, buried in the "Chapel of St. Peter in Chains" of the White Tower. Recognized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church;
• Elizabeth Tudor   (1533–1603), future Queen Elizabeth I, spent two months in the Tower prison on charges of organizing a rebellion against Queen Mary I;
• Walter Raleigh   (1554-1618) - statesman, adventurer, poet and favorite Elizabeth I. He spent 13 years in prison, but he was allowed to live in the castle with his family and write. Raleigh is considered the pioneer of smoking in Europe; he tried to grow tobacco even on the lawn in the Tower;
• John gerard   (1564-1637) - Jesuit priest who secretly preached Catholicism in England. He was thrown into prison, where he was tortured. In 1597, he managed to escape from the castle by a rope stretched over the castle moat. He left his memoirs describing the use of torture;
• Guy fawkes   (1570-1606) - one of the leaders of the Gunpowder plot, organized by a group of nobles with the goal of overthrowing the royal power;
• William Penn   (1644-1718) - religious dissident, founder of the penal colony of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia in North America. Spent seven months in the Tower for writing pamphlets;
• Simon Fraser   (1667-1747) - leader of the Scottish rebellion against the Hanover dynasty. His death was the last public execution in the UK and the last execution through chopping off the head.

During political conflicts between King Charles I and Parliament in the second quarter of the 17th century, the Tower regained strategic importance. The king tried to subjugate the garrison of the fortress, but after an unsuccessful attempt to arrest several MPs, they fled from London, and the Tower garrison became a stronghold of parliamentary forces during the Civil War (1642–1651).

The last king to conduct the ceremonial procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey before the coronation was Charles II in 1660. By that time, the old palace premises of the castle were in such decline that Karl could not even spend the night on the eve of the ceremony.

The Hanoverian dynasty, which came to power in 1714, in view of the possible uprising of the recently annexed Scots, tried to fortify the castle, but their efforts were sporadic and ineffective. According to one of his contemporaries, "the castle would not have lasted 24 hours against any besieging army." In 1774, a new gate was added connecting the marina with the outer courtyard. The moat surrounding the castle was flooded and shallowed; therefore, in 1830, the Duke of Wellington, who, among others, held the post of Constable Tower, ordered that the moat be cleaned. However, this did not solve the problems with sanitation, and in 1841 an epidemic broke out among the garrison (obviously cholera). In order to prevent this from happening in the future, it was decided to drain the moat and fill it with earth, which was done in 1845. At the same time, construction began on the Waterloo barracks, which could accommodate up to 1000 soldiers, and several separate rooms for officers. Today they house the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The democratic Chartist movement (1828–1858) was the reason for the last major program to strengthen the castle’s defenses. Most of the surviving structures for conducting artillery and rifle fire date from this period.

During the First World War, 11 people were shot at the Tower, convicted as German spies. And during World War II, the castle again became a prison. One of the prisoners was a high-ranking member of the Nazi party, Rudolf Hess, who flew to England on his own initiative in 1941. He became the last state criminal held in the Tower. In the same 1941, the last death penalty was carried out in the castle - a German spy Joseph Jacobs was shot. Also during the war years, the Tower last performed defensive functions: in the event of the German landing in England, the castle was to become one of the long-term defense points of London.

  Recovery and tourism

Today, the Tower of London is one of England's most popular historical sites. Interest in the castle as a tourist attraction appeared back in the time of Elizabeth I (1533-1603) thanks to the unique menagerie and the exhibition of weapons and armor. Since 1669, royal regalia began to be shown at the Tower. Already in the 19th century there were so many visitors that the entrance became paid and orderly.

In many ways, the reason for the public interest in the Tower was awakened by literary works, in particular, the historical novel “The Tower of London” by William Ainsworth, in which the author created a gloomy atmosphere of torture and torment that conquered readers. He suggested making the Beauchamp Tower (No. 1 on) open to visitors so that everyone could see the inscriptions scratched on the walls made by prisoners.

By the end of the XIX century, the Tower was visited annually by more than 500 thousand people. And this despite the fact that over the past two centuries, palace buildings have fallen into complete decline. Many institutions located in the Tower relocated, and the vacated buildings were either abandoned or destroyed. The only positive moment of the 19th century in the history of the castle was the construction of stables in 1825 and the Waterloo barracks in 1845. Both buildings are made in the Gothic Revival architectural style, which appeared back in the 18th century as a result of an awakened interest in the country's medieval past.

During the First World War, the castle was not damaged, although one German bomb fell into the moat (fortunately, it did not explode). But the Second World War left more serious traces - on September 23, 1940, during the “Battle for England”, German bombs destroyed several buildings, only miraculously without damaging the White Tower. After the war, it took several years to completely restore the destroyed buildings.

In the 21st century, tourism has become the main function of the Tower. Almost all military institutions once housed in the castle moved, although the ceremonial headquarters of the Royal Fusiliers Regiment and the museum of this regiment are still located here. Also, one of the units of the Royal Guard, guarding the Buckingham Palace, is still on guard of the Tower and, together with the beefeaters, takes part in the evening Key Ceremony. Several times a year, the cannons of the Tower also remind of themselves - they give 62 volleys on the occasion of events related to the royal family, and 41 volleys in all other cases.

Administratively, the Tower of London is managed by the independent organization Royal Historic Palaces, which does not receive funding from the state budget. In 1988, the castle was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as an object of special historical importance. According to the “Historical Royal Palaces”, about 2.5 million tourists from different countries visit the castle every year.

  Tower layout

Tower (photo gallery)

  Treasures and coronation regalia in the Tower

The tradition of keeping the royal treasures in the Tower dates back, apparently, to the reign of Henry III (1216–1272), when the House of Jewels was built in the castle with the purpose of storing gold, valuables and royal regalia used in the coronation ceremony. In case of urgent need, the monarchs took loans from usurers on the security of these jewels, that is, the treasures gave the kings a certain financial independence from the barons and parliament, and therefore they were carefully guarded. Already in the XIV century, a very prestigious and highly paid position of treasure keeper appeared, whose duties, in addition to protecting jewelry, included the acquisition of new values \u200b\u200band the hiring of jewelers.

In 1649, by order of Oliver Cromwell, all the treasures, including royal regalia, were put into remelting, symbolizing the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the English Republic (existed from 1649 to 1660). When the monarchy was restored, it turned out that of all the treasures only a spoon of the 13th century and three swords survived. Therefore, all coronation regalia had to be re-created.

  Exposition "The row of kings" in the Tower

Row of kings   (Line of Kings) - a unique exposition of 10 equestrian statues in full size in full knightly vestments. It is believed that this is the oldest permanent exhibition in the whole world. The exposition was created in 1688 in order to enhance the prestige of the unpopular Stuart dynasty in the country. Several statues from the Tudor dynasty (16th century) were delivered to the Tower from the castle in Greenwich, the rest were made by the best sculptors and carvers in England, including Greenling Gibbons, who worked on the carvings in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Since the “Series of Kings” performed a propaganda function, there were “good kings”, such as Edward III and Henry VIII, and no “bad” ones — Edward II and Richard III. Later, sculptures of William III, George I and George II were added.

Today, the Row of Kings exposition is located in The Royal Armouries of the White Tower (No. 34 on) and additionally includes a large collection of medieval armor and weapons. The best exhibits are the magnificent armor of Henry VIII (three sets: 1515, 1520 and 1540), the gold-plated armor of Charles I (1612), the children's armor of Prince Henry Stuart (1608) and the Japanese armor of the late 16th century, donated to King James I in 1613 year. Pay attention to the dimensions of the late armor of Henry VIII in comparison with the armor of his youth.

  - trace the long way of the castle prison, get acquainted with its symbols and admire the royal regalia - 2 hours, 45 pounds

  - where, how and what tea in modern London true connoisseurs drink - 3 hours, 30 pounds

  - open the most picturesque, musical and cult area of \u200b\u200bthe city - 2 hours, 30 pounds

  Armor and weapon exposition

  Royal menagerie

One of the exhibitions of the Tower devoted to the history of the castle is the Royal Animals exhibition. It is located in the Brick Tower (No. 6 on) and talks about the royal menagerie, the first mention of which dates back to the reign of Henry III (1216–1272). In addition, in memory of some animals in separate corners of the Tower are located their modern life-size sculptural figures.

For example, in 1251, London sheriffs (royal officials) were required to pay 4 pence daily for keeping a polar bear donated by the King of Norway Hakon. The bear attracted the general attention of citizens when it was occasionally released on a long leash to swim and fish in the Thames. In 1254, the sheriffs were ordered to deposit money for the construction of an aviary for the elephant in the Tower of London - a gift from the French king Louis XI.

As a rule, the collection of animals was replenished by gifts from foreign rulers. For example, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III gave the English king three lions. The exact location of the menagerie is unknown, but it is established that it was the lions that were kept in the barbican (bridgehead), which was later called the Lion Tower (No. 23 on).

In the XVIII century, the menagerie was opened to the general public: the visitor had to pay one and a half pence for the entrance or bring a dog or cat to feed the predators. Here, for the first time in Europe, a grizzly bear was presented to King George III by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1811. In 1828, the menagerie included 280 animals of 60 different species, but a few years later, in 1835, they were all transferred to the zoo in Regents Park after a lion wounded one of the soldiers.

Fusiliers in the XVII-XVIII centuries were arrows armed with flintlock guns (fusils), which were called fuseys, unlike musketeers armed with muskets. Initially, fusiliers were used to cover artillery and as light infantry.

Museum of Fusiliers (The Fusiliers "Museum, No. 17 on) and a number of residential premises of lesser importance. The interior space of all defensive towers, as a rule, was also functionally used. For example, in the tower of St. Thomas (No. 32), Edward I received guests in front of a huge a fireplace (now you can see the king’s huge sleeping bed, carefully restored according to records from the 13th century), and in the basement of the Wakefield tower under Henry III was the Chamber for Meetings (today you can see the reconstruction of the royal throne in it).

Note that at the beginning of the XVI century the Tower ceased to fulfill the functions of a royal residence, which in practice meant the lack of need for high-quality residential premises (for the monarch and his family).

  Chapel of St. Peter in fetters

The Chapel of St. Peter in fetters (St. Peter ad vincula, No. 10 on), built in the XII century and significantly rebuilt in 1520, went down in history as the burial place of some prisoners of the Tower. Here, in front of the chapel, in rare cases, closed executions took place, for which a temporary scaffold was installed. In total, 7 people were executed before the chapel (these were individuals whose public execution could cause unrest among the townspeople). Nowadays, on the site of the scaffold, there is a memorial made of glass, the central element of which is a crystal pillow for executions, symbolizing the high status of those sentenced to death.

  Mint

From 1279 to 1812, the Royal Mint was located in the Tower. In the exhibition “Kings and Coins” you can get acquainted with the history of coinage and see the rarest and most valuable coins ever issued by the Mint of the Tower of London.

  Yeomen (Beefeater)

Beefeaters - The popular nickname of Yeomen (ceremonial guards) of the Tower of London. The name (English beefeater - literally “beef eaters”) came about either because yeomen, as privileged servants, could eat an unlimited amount of meat from the royal table, or because they received a large amount of beef in their ration.

In principle, the historical function of the bifiter is to protect prisoners and royal regalia in the castle, but nowadays they all act as guides for tourists. Their official name is Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Members of the Sovereign’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of Her Royal Majesty and Members of the Extraordinary Yeomen Guard as part of the bodyguard of the monarch Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary).

The Yeomen division was created by Henry VII Tudor in 1485, and was conceived as the personal guard of the king during his stay in the Tower. Since 1509, the castle ceased to be an official residence, but the bifiter remained his guardians. Over time, when the Tower began to be actively used as a state prison, supervision of the prisoners of the castle was added to their duties.

Today, like five hundred years ago, 37 yomen are serving in the Tower. All of them are retired servicemen of the army and air force, who have served in the army for at least 22 years and have earned the Medal for long service and exemplary behavior. Until recently, retired naval officers were not accepted into the bifiter (since they take the oath not to the Crown, but to the Admiralty), but in 2011 the first yomen from the fleet, as well as the first yomen-woman, appeared.

On ordinary days, beefeaters wear a dark blue uniform with red embroidery. On the occasion of the arrival of the monarch in the castle or other ceremonial events, they put on solemn scarlet robes embroidered with gold. The uniform has not changed much since the Tudor dynasty; according to the beefeaters themselves, it is "extremely uncomfortable."

Every evening at exactly 9:53 p.m. the main guard-yeomen takes part in the traditional ceremony of handing over the keys to the Tower to the members of the Tower of London Guard, another unit guarding the castle. The Ceremony of the Keys is one of the oldest military rituals in the world. It has been invariably celebrated since 1340. The tradition has not been interrupted for almost 700 years.

  Castle Ravens

The Tower contains 8 crows surrounded by honor and care. According to legend, if they leave the fortress, the kingdom will fall apart. Therefore, just in case, they cut their wings. These large majestic birds are looked after by a special bifiter keeper, who personally buys meat for them at the nearest market every morning. A special allowance for the maintenance of birds is allocated from the royal budget - about 100 pounds per bird per month. Each tower raven receives 200 grams of fresh meat daily, and once a week additionally fresh eggs and part of the rabbit.

The earliest evidence of the contents of these birds in the castle dates back to 1883, but it seems that the tradition originated much earlier. In the castle moat there is even a monument to the dead ravens. It is strictly forbidden to feed birds to tourists, as well as stroke or pick them up.

  Ghosts

As befits any self-respecting English castle, the Tower is also inhabited by ghosts. The ghost of the wife of Henry VIII, Anna Boleyn, who was executed in 1536, is periodically seen in the "Chapel of St. Peter in the Shackles", where she is buried. Rumor has it that a ghost wanders around the White Tower, carrying its severed head under an armpit. Other otherworldly inhabitants of the castle are the ghosts of Lady Jane Gray, Margaret Pole, Arbella Stewart and

Tower of London

Tower, Tower of London   (eng. the Tower, Tower of London, “Tower”) - a fortress erected on the north bank of the River Thames, the historical center of the city of London. One of the oldest historical buildings in the UK, has long served as the residence of the English monarchs. Today, the Tower is both a historical monument and a museum, included in the list of objects belonging to UNESCO World Heritage.

Base

The base of the tower is attributed to the Roman emperor Claudius. Then it was 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, 32 x 36 meters in size, about 30 meters high. When later the new king of England ordered the building to be whitewashed, it was given the name White Tower, or White Tower. Subsequently, several more towers of various heights and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected. A deep moat 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, the Tower Prison was intended for people of noble birth and high rank. Among the most honored and high-ranking prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland and France and 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 killings: Henry VI, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, were killed in the Tower.

Prisoners were kept in those premises that at that time were not occupied. The terms of the conclusions were very different. So, William Penn, the founder of the English colony in North America, dubbed Pennsylvania, was landed in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Karl, the Duke of Orleans, the nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after losing the battle spent a total of 25 years in the castle walls until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Court Walter Raleigh, a navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment, 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 a reputation as a sinister place of torture during the Reformation. Henry VIII, obsessed with the desire to have an heir, broke off all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and began to persecute everyone who refused to recognize him as head of the Church of England. After the second wife of Henry, Anna Boleyn, could not give birth to a son, the king accused her of betrayal and adultery. In the end, Anna, her brother and four other persons were beheaded in the Tower. The same fate befell Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry. Many royal people who represented a threat to the English throne were escorted to the Tower and then executed.

The young son of Henry, the Protestant Edward VI, who ascended the throne, continued the series of cruel executions begun by his father. When Edward died six years later, the English crown went to Henry's daughter, Mary, a zealous Catholic. Losing no time, the new queen ordered the 16-year-old lady Jane Gray and her young husband to behead, who turned out to be pawns in a fierce power struggle. Now it is time for the Protestants to lay their heads. Elizabeth, Mary's half-sister, spent several troubling weeks in the Tower. However, becoming a queen, she dealt with those who refused to change 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 in the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens - this is Anna Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Gray, who lasted only nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mostly beheading - took place on nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was put on a stake and put on public display on the London Bridge as a warning to the rest. 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, as a rule, only with official permission, the prisoners were tortured, forcing them to plead guilty. In 1605, Fox, Guy Fox, who was trying to blow up the parliament and king during the Gunpowder plot, was pushed up before the execution on a tower rack, which forced him to give the names of his accomplices.

In the XVII century, England and the Tower for some time fell into the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but, after Charles II was re-elevated to the throne, the tower prison was not particularly replenished. In 1747, the last decapitation took place on Tower Hill. However, the story of the Tower as a state prison did not end there. During World War I, 11 German spies were imprisoned and shot at the Tower. During the Second World War, prisoners of war were temporarily held there, among whom Rudolf Hess spent several days. The last victim executed in the walls of the fortress was Joseph Jacobs, accused of espionage and executed in August 1941.

Zoo, mint and royal arsenal

For more than 500 years, the Tower has been the main branch of the Royal Mint. One of his most turbulent periods fell on the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from destroyed monasteries. In addition, important State and legal records were stored in the Tower, and the weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were manufactured and stored.

Palace Guardians and Royal Regalia

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings have been carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought along the river and brought into the Tower through the Traitor's Gate. When the accused was led from the trial, observers monitored where the prison guard's ax was turned. The blade aimed at the prisoner foreshadowed the next execution.

Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their duties also include conducting excursions for numerous visitors. In especially solemn occasions, they put on luxurious costumes from the time of the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and crowned with snow-white flat collars. On ordinary days, they are dressed in dark blue with red trim uniforms of the Victorian era. English guards are often called beefers (from the English word "beef" - beef), or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely appeared during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished, and the palace guards regularly received rations of beef meat. This English crown provided itself with reliable protection.

The palace "Ravensmaster," or Raven Watcher, takes care of a flock of black ravens. There is a belief that if the birds leave the Tower, misfortune will fall on England, therefore, as a precaution, their wings were cut.

Rangers of the royal treasury guard the famous jewels of the British Empire. For visitors, the treasury has been open since the 17th century. Among the gemstones adorning crowns, powers, and scepters - which are still used by members of the royal family during ceremonies - you can see the world's largest faceted diamond of the highest quality, Cullinan I.

Modern look

Today the Tower of London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It has not changed much since the past. The symbol of the sinister past of the Tower is the place where the scaffold of Tower Hill used to be. Now there is a small plaque 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 stored; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. There are also a number of private apartments in the Tower, which are mainly staff and distinguished guests.

References

• Tower of London - Travel Guide - London City Information

Coordinates: 51 ° 30′30.32 ″ s w. 0 ° 04′38.01 ″ s d. /  51.508422 ° c. w. 0.077225 ° C d.   (G)51.508422 , -0.077225

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what the Tower of London is in other dictionaries:

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

The Tower of London is the oldest building in Great Britain and its main fortress. Over its nearly millennial existence, he has experienced a lot and keeps a lot of interesting stories. About what jewels the Tower is rich in and what legends envelop the fortress - read in our material

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Photo: commons.wikimedia.org 3

The fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Beefiters guard the Tower of London - the guardians of the fortress have been called that since the mid-15th century, although officially they are called Yeomen-guards. The nickname stuck in times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished, and the fortress received ration from beef meat. Formally, the beefeaters are responsible for protecting the royal regalia, but in fact they simply conduct excursions and are themselves an attraction. Each uniform is estimated at 7 thousand pounds, as they include gold thread.

The tower is still the official residence of the monarch. On its territory there is The Queen’s House, in which Elizabeth II could live if she wanted to.

The fortress holds jewels of the British Empire, the total value of which is estimated at 20 billion pounds. The most expensive stone is the Cullinan, it costs 250 million pounds and is the largest faceted diamond in the world.

Every evening, at exactly 9:53 p.m., a key ceremony takes place in the Tower. The Royal Guard soldiers make a tour throughout the territory to lock the gates. Then the guard asks the convoy: “Who is going?” - to which she receives the answer: “Keys”. "Whose keys are?" “The keys of Queen Elizabeth,” the convoy replies. This procedure has been going on for hundreds of years and is the oldest military ceremony in the world.

There are six ravens living in the Tower of London, whose names are given in honor of the Scandinavian and Celtic gods, as well as mythical characters: Hugin, Munin, Thor, Branven, Gwillum and Boldrick. According to legend, when the crows leave the Tower, the fortress, and with it the entire British monarchy, will collapse. To prevent this, the ravens regularly trim their wings.

The Tower of London for nine hundred years of history was a fortress, which was the residence of the kings, an armory and a treasury, as well as a prison and a place of execution.

Tower of London   - one of the symbols of the UK. It occupies a special place in the history of the English nation and is one of the most visited places in the world. Known to all the Tower Ravens, Yeomen-guards, royal jewels and tales of a gloomy prison fortress - these are just the very first associations with the name of the Tower of London. However, this is only a very small part of the history of this famous building.

In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William began the conquest of England. Towards the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London became the dominant city in England, with a rich port located next to the royal palace and main cathedral. Securing the city was the main goal of William during his coronation. He gives the order to begin the construction of a fortress around the city. So in 1100 the construction of the White Tower ends. 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, the 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 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 killings: Henry VI, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, were killed in the Tower.

Prisoners were kept in those premises that at that time were not occupied. The terms of the conclusions were very different. So, William Penn, the founder of the English colony in North America, dubbed Pennsylvania, was landed in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Karl, the Duke of Orleans, the nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after losing the battle spent a total of 25 years in the castle walls until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Court Walter Raleigh, a navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment, 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

The Tower gained a reputation as a sinister place of torture during the Reformation. Henry VIII, obsessed with the desire to have an heir, broke off all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and began to persecute everyone who refused to recognize him as head of the Church of England. After the second wife of Henry, Anna Boleyn, could not give birth to a son, the king accused her of betrayal and adultery. In the end, Anna, her brother and four other persons were beheaded in the Tower. The same fate befell Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry. Many royal people who represented a threat to the English throne were escorted to the Tower and then executed.

The young son of Henry, the Protestant Edward VI, who ascended the throne, continued the series of cruel executions begun by his father. When Edward died six years later, the English crown went to Henry's daughter, Mary, a zealous Catholic. Losing no time, the new queen ordered the 16-year-old lady Jane Gray and her young husband to behead, who turned out to be pawns in a fierce power struggle. Now it is time for the Protestants to lay their heads. Elizabeth, Mary's half-sister, spent several troubling weeks in the Tower. However, becoming a queen, she dealt with those who refused to change the Catholic faith and dared to oppose her rule.

Although thousands of prisoners were thrown into the Tower, only five women and two men were beheaded in the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens - this is Anna Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Gray, who lasted only nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mostly beheading - took place on nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was put on a stake and put on public display on the London Bridge as a warning to the rest. 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, as a rule, only with official permission, the prisoners were tortured, forcing them to plead guilty. In 1605, Fox, Guy Fox, who was trying to blow up the parliament and king during the Gunpowder plot, was pushed up before the execution on a tower rack, which forced him to give the names of his accomplices.

In the XVII century, England and the Tower for some time fell into the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but, after Charles II was re-elevated to the throne, the tower prison was not particularly replenished. In 1747, the last decapitation took place on Tower Hill. However, the story of the Tower as a state prison did not end there. During World War I, 11 German spies were imprisoned and shot at the Tower. During the Second World War, prisoners of war were temporarily held there, among whom Rudolf Hess spent several days. The last victim executed in the walls of the fortress was Joseph Jacobs, accused of espionage and executed in August 1941.

At the beginning of the XIII century, John the Landless contained lions in the Tower. However, the royal menagerie arose when the successor of John Henry III received three leopards, a polar bear and an elephant as a gift from European monarchs. Although the animals were kept at the mercy of the king and his retinue, once all of London witnessed a unique sight when a bear on a leash rushed into the Thames to catch a fish. Over time, the menagerie was replenished with an even greater number of exotic animals and during the time of Elizabeth I was open to visitors. In the 1830s, the Tower Zoo was abolished, and animals were moved to a new zoo, which opened in London's Regent's Park. Below in the photo - model Tower of London

For more than 500 years, the Tower has been the main branch of the Royal Mint. One of his most turbulent periods fell on the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from destroyed monasteries. In addition, important State and legal records were stored in the Tower, and the weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were manufactured and stored. In the photo below - weapons

Effectively, right?)

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings have been carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought along the river and brought into the Tower through the “Traitors Gate”. When the accused was led from the trial, observers monitored where the prison guard's ax was turned. The blade aimed at the prisoner foreshadowed the next execution.

Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their duties also include conducting excursions for numerous visitors. In especially solemn occasions, they put on luxurious costumes from the time of the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and crowned with snow-white flat collars. On ordinary days, they are dressed in dark blue with red trim uniforms of the Victorian era. English watchmen are often called beefeaters, or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely appeared during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished, and the palace guards regularly received rations of beef meat. This English crown provided itself with reliable protection.

Rangers of the royal treasury guard the famous jewels of the British Empire. For visitors, the treasury has been open since the 17th century. Among the gemstones adorning crowns, powers, and scepters - which are still used by members of the royal family during ceremonies - you can see the world's largest faceted diamond of the highest quality, Cullinan I.

The current Tower is already a little like that formidable fortress, which he went down in history. Back in 1843, a moat was filled up, and instead of water, a bright green lawn appeared here, shading the gray stone of the walls. During numerous restorations, 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 planted in large part with grass, and it is important for black tower crows to walk around it. When in 1831 the menagerie was transferred to Regent's Park, the ravens were left in the fortress. They are surrounded by special care - the state pays the garrison of the Tower two shillings four pence a week for feeding birds. The palace “ravensmaster,” or Raven Watcher, takes care of a flock of black ravens. The fact is that, according to legend, the foundations of Britain are unshakable until the crows leave the Tower. For a greater guarantee, however, the wings are cut to the birds.

Today Tower of London   - one of the main attractions of the UK. It has not changed much since the past. The symbol of the sinister past of the Tower is the place where the scaffold of Tower Hill used to be. Now there is a small plaque 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 stored; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. There are also a number of private apartments in the Tower, which are mainly staff and distinguished guests.