Defense walls, bastions and towers
The old fortified medieval town was relatively small. There was one defense wall running south- east at the foot of the Tampa hill. This wall is for the main part still visible with gunpowder-, furriers- and drapers towers. In the south corner along this wall is the Weavers bastion. Opposite is the Blacksmiths bastion in the southwest corner of the town. In the middle of the southern wall was the Ecaterina gate.
The Ecaterina's Gate, erected in 1559, has on its front a bas relief of the town's coat of arms. The gate has a main spire and four small spires in each corner showing foreigners that the town had its own justice system and could give death sentence for crimes that took place within the towns perimeter. The tailors protected this gate.
West - north is another wall, starting with the Blacksmiths bastion, again built down the slope. Along this wall is the Graft bastion and you find the black and white towers, built outside the wall.
In the north was a citadel built on a hilltop. In the early days in wood, later in stone (16th-17thc.) Blacksmiths Bastion. Built in 1529. In the beginning of the century the tower was turned into an archive. The archive hosts more than 100,000 old and rare documents among them 80 letters belonging to rulers Neagoe Basarab, Serban Cantacuzino, Mircea cel Batran and Nicolae Mavrocordat (14th-16th century), the oldest letter ever written in Romanian language (The letter of Neacsu, the merchant from Campulung -1521) and documents attesting the existence of Slatina and Braila districts.
Graft Bastion was erected in 1521. A rectangular structure, the bastion has four levels and is accessible through interior staircases. Upon completion of the rehabilitation, levels II, III and IV will display medieval objects, while level I will serve as rest area for visitors.
The White Tower is located 60m far outside the citadel's walls, near the Graft bastion. The construction was erected late half of 15th c. It has a horseshoe form and is 14 m high.
The Black Tower: was built in 1494 on a rock on Straja hill, near Blacksmiths' Bastion. It has a square form. In 1599 the tower was destroyed by lightning. It got its name from its walls being blackened by the fire
Citadel: In the 16th century there was a wooden fortification on this hill that gradually was being transformed (17th - 18th c.) in the stone building that you see now. There is a restaurant and a fine weapon collection There is an 80 m deep well, and you have beautiful views over the town.
The Drapers bastion: built from 1450 till 1455. Located on the East side of the old citadel, the bastion has three floors. Initially the tower belonged to the goldsmiths guild and was transferred to the drapers in 1640.
The Ropemakers tower, Tiberiu Breticeanu Alley. Built in 1416 and is one of the oldest towers. It has the form of a hexagon and is 10-12 m high. The fire from 1689 destroyed a big part of the tower.
Gunpowder tower and Furriers Tower: In restauration and they are part of the east-west wall
Weavers bastion (1421-36), houses the museum of the Birsa land fortifications, on Strada Cosbuc, has three levels of wooden galleries and storage rooms for meat and other provisions in case of siege. Museum Tues-Sun 10am-4pm, with splendid diorama of medieval Brasov, further pictures and weaponry
The Schei Gate just to the east of the Ecaterina Gate, was erected at the beginning of the 19th. c. The gate is built in baroque style has the form of a triumph arch.
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