The Tower of London is a fortress built on the north bank of the River Thames in the historic center of London. The Tower is one of the oldest historical buildings in Great Britain, which for a long time 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 the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The foundation of the Tower fortress is attributed to William I. 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 named the White Tower, or the White Tower. Subsequently, under the 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.

The first prisoner was imprisoned in the Tower in 1190. 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 murders: Henry VI, 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, were killed in the Tower. Elizabeth I spent several anxious weeks within the walls of the Tower. However, having become queen, she dealt with those who dared to oppose her rule.

In the 17th century, England and the Tower for some time fell into the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but after Charles II was re-erected to the throne, the Tower prison was not particularly replenished. In 1747, the last beheading took place on Tower Hill. During World War I, 11 German spies were imprisoned and shot in the Tower. During the Second World War, prisoners of war were temporarily kept there. The last victim executed within the walls of the fortress was Josef Jacobs, accused of espionage and shot in August 1941.

For more than 500 years, the Tower housed the main branch of the royal mint. One of its most tumultuous periods came under the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from ruined monasteries. In addition, important state and legal records were kept in the Tower, as well as the manufacture and storage of weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army.

The treasury of the Tower has been open to visitors since the 17th century. Among the gems that adorn crowns, orbs and scepters—which are still used by members of the royal family during solemn ceremonies—can be seen the world's largest high-quality faceted diamond, the Cullinan I.

Today, the Tower of London is one of the main attractions of the UK. It hasn't changed much since the past. Currently, the main buildings of the Tower are a museum and an armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences.

Pevnitsky Dmitry. Gymnasium No. 4, Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russia
Essay in English with translation. Nomination Great Britain and its people.

The Crows of Tower

All know about the crows of Tower. People say if crows leave the Tower, monarchy will disappear.

The legend tells about one astronomer: John Flamsted,who lived in Charle`s II court. Once he saw a flock of crows in the Tower. John wanted to exterminate them, but somebody prevented him from doing this. This very case could lead to British Collapse. In order to solve this problem Charles II ordered to leave six crows and destroy the others.

Nowadays six crows still live in the Tower. There are three males(Bran, Sadrik, Gvillum) and three females(Hugin, Munin and Branven). These crows live like realkings. They eat raw meat, special biscuits, eggs and rabbits. Englishmen consider these crows to be an important part of the British Empire.

Everyone knows about the ravens of the Tower. It is believed that if the ravens leave the tower, then the monarchy will fall apart.

The legend tells of the astronomer John Flamstead, who lived at the court of Charles II. One day he saw a flock of ravens in the Tower and decided to get rid of all the birds. But someone stopped him, warning that this would lead to the collapse of the monarchy. The problem was solved by Charles II himself, ordering to leave only six ravens, and to exterminate the rest.

Today, six ravens still live in the tower. Among them are three males (Bran, Cedric, Gwillum) and three females (Hugin, Munin, Branvin). These crows live like real kings. They eat raw meat, special biscuits, eggs and rabbits. The British consider the raven an integral part of the British Empire.

The Tower of London is the oldest building in Great Britain and its main fortress. During its almost thousand years of existence, he has experienced a lot and keeps a lot of interesting stories. About what treasures 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 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Beefeaters are guarding the Tower of London - the guards of the fortress have been called that since the middle of the 15th century, although officially they are called Yeoman guards. The nickname stuck during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the fortress guards received rations of 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 valued at 7 thousand pounds, as they include a golden 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 houses the 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 world's largest cut diamond.

Every evening, at exactly 9:53 pm, the Key Ceremony takes place in the Tower. The soldiers of the royal guard make their rounds throughout the territory in order to lock the gates. Then the watchman asks the convoy: “Who is coming?” - to which he receives the answer: "Keys." "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys," the convoy replies. This procedure has been going on for hundreds of years and is the oldest military ceremony in the world.

Six ravens live 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, Branwen, Gwillum and Baldrick. According to legend, when the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress, and with it the entire British monarchy, will collapse. To avoid this, crows regularly clip their wings.

There are many monuments in the world, the name of which alone breathes medieval history. In Paris, this is the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Moscow is proud of its Kremlin. Can tell a lot about the past Tower, or Tower of London(English) HerMajesty'sRoyalPalaceandFortress,TowerofLondon) is a fortress located in the historical center of London on the north bank of the River Thames. Over the long centuries of its existence, the Tower Castle managed to visit the role of a palace, a mint, a fortress, a prison, a treasury for royal regalia and jewelry, a zoo, an arsenal, an observatory. Now the Tower is a historical monument and a symbol of London, attracting numerous tourists from all over the world. Since 1988, the Tower has been under the protection of UNESCO.

What is the Tower of London famous for? More on this below.

History of the Tower.

The appearance of the fortress dates back to the time of the conquest of England by the troops of William I, Duke of Normandy. To intimidate the inhabitants of London in 1078, a temporary wooden fort was erected on the ruins of ancient Roman fortifications. Subsequently, its walls were replaced with stone ones, and by 1097 the construction of the Tower of London was completed.

The new fortress was rectangular in shape with walls 32 and 36 meters long, which rose to a height of almost 30 meters. A little later, following the order of one of the rulers of England, the building was whitewashed, and the fortress acquired a second name - the White Tower. The construction was continued by King Richard the Lionheart, who ordered to complete the construction of additional defensive towers of the Tower, erect two rows of walls and dig a deep moat. Thanks to this, the Tower of London became one of the impregnable fortresses of the Old World.

Prisoners of the Tower.

Information about the first prisoner contained in the Tower dates back to 1190. From that moment on, it became a place of detention for people with a high position, belonging to noble families, as well as for royalty. During the troubled times of the Reformation, the fortress acquired an ominous reputation. Within its walls, many persons of the royal family were imprisoned, subjected to severe torture and subsequently executed, who could pose a threat to the tranquility of the English throne. This cup did not pass Anne Boleyn and her brothers, Mary Stuart, Walter Raleigh and other famous personalities.

Despite the fact that thousands of people were prisoners of the Tower, only five people were executed on its territory, in whose veins royal blood flowed. The rest parted with their heads on Tower Hill, with a large crowd of onlookers. The bodies were buried in the cellars of the fortress chapel. The last beheading took place in 1747. After the Cray brothers gangsters left the fortress in 1952, it ceased to function as a prison.

Zoo.

For several centuries there was a zoo in the fortress, the beginning of which was laid by animals donated by Emperor Frederick II. The menagerie is constantly replenished with new animals. During the reign of Elizabeth I, any city dweller could visit it for a nominal fee on any day except Sunday. In the 30s of the XIX century, the zoo moved to a new place of residence.

Mint.

For almost five centuries, the mint operated in the fortress, where silver coins were minted. Trusting the strong and impregnable walls of the Tower, weapons were made and stored in it, and very important documents of state importance were in its vaults.

Tower guards.

The prisoners of the Tower and the valuables stored in the fortress needed good protection. Almost until the end of the 15th century, ordinary soldiers were engaged in this, and only from 1485 these functions were transferred to specially trained palace guards. The position of the guard of the Tower of London exists today. Dressed in the uniforms of guardsmen from the reign of Queen Victoria, they not only guard the castle, but also conduct tours of the castle grounds for visitors.

Tower Ravens are a legend.

Since ancient times, there has been a legend according to which England is safe as long as black crows live in the fortress - tower symbol. As soon as they leave it, misfortunes will fall upon the country. To prevent this, the ravens of the Tower of London have their wings clipped on purpose, and there is a special position of bird keeper to care for them. All birds have their own "personal file" and are officially employees of Her Majesty the Queen. In total, 6 ravens live in the Tower, plus 2 in reserve. Each bird has its own name. Like any worker, a bird can be fired from its position, for example, for bad behavior that is not consistent with the status of "royal crow".

Tower of London at present.

Time has no power over this symbol of Great Britain. The Tower Fortress has not changed much over the past centuries. Today, like many years ago, it belongs neither to the residential areas of the city, nor to the working outskirts, but is the property of the crown, as one of the royal residences.

Tower Castle - excursions.

To the attention of tourists visiting the Tower Fortress, various options for excursions are offered. You can take a walk along the fortress walls and listen to a guide talking about the history of the construction of buildings and how they were used since the 13th century. Looking into the White Tower, the first tower of the complex, which served to protect members of the royal family, you can get acquainted with a unique collection of medieval armor and tools that were used to torture the prisoners of the Tower.

Treasures of the Tower.

An obligatory part of all excursions is a visit to the treasure trove belonging to the British Crown. Having examined the collection, you can get acquainted with the regalia and jewelry of the royal family, which they still use today.

An interesting fact: in the Martin Tower, visitors will find an exposition of diamonds that are used to make royal jewelry, among which the Cullinan is the largest faceted diamond in the world.

You can see the living conditions of the English rulers of the 13th century in a medieval palace. There is also an exposition telling about the stages of restoration of the royal premises. Having made a walk along the Water Lane and the Western Entrance, visitors will learn about the methods of protecting the fortress during an enemy attack. They can also walk along the path of the prisoners who entered the Tower Fortress.

All tours include a visit to Tower Meadow. This is an ominous place where more than one thousand inhabitants of England lost their lives. Nearby is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, in which services are held for those executed on this site.

And to visit the Fusiliers Museum, you will have to pay an additional fee. In it, visitors will be introduced to the history of the Royal Regiment.

The order in the Tower is monitored by the Constable, to whom the guards hand over the keys to the fortress every evening. To watch this ceremony, you need to book a few months in advance.

After visiting the Tower of London, you can buy souvenirs in a shop located nearby.

Have you been to the Tower? Tell us about it in your comments!

Foundation of the Tower of London

After the successful Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, set about asserting his power. 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 as well. The southeast corner of the old Roman city walls on the banks of the Thames was chosen as the location (separate fragments of the Roman walls and the statue of Emperor Hadrian can still be seen on the territory of the complex).

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

The Norman donjons had especially powerful walls, since initially the Normans did not enclose their castles with other defensive structures. The imposing 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, apparently after the Crusades made the English familiar 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 keep of Hedingham Castle and is one of the largest keep in the medieval architecture of Western Europe. In terms of its configuration and layout of the premises, the White Tower belongs to a very rare group of donjons, characteristic of England, and, moreover, only of 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 12th century (the reign of Henry I). The White Tower became the heart of the Tower, its core and the most impregnable part; living quarters for the king, his family and associates were located here. The structure is considered to be one of the largest donjons in Europe (36 × 32 × 27 meters), and also one of the oldest surviving in England.

The White Tower immediately began to perform, in addition to defensive, also a prison function. Its first prisoner was Bishop Ranulf Flambard, and he also became the first fugitive - the clergyman managed to escape with the help of a rope given to him by accomplices in a bottle of wine. The escape turned out to be so unexpected and daring 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 located 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 functioning well. In the southeastern part of the building is located. Since its apse was attached to the walls already existing at that time, it can be concluded that the chapel was not included in the original construction plan. It is believed that the Romanesque chapel was built from stone brought from France.

The first floor of the White Tower was apparently intended for the needs of the constable (the royal manager of the Tower in London) and the lieutenant (deputy constable). On the second floor there 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 a dynastic conflict in which the Tower played a very important role. His constable Joffrey de Mandeville, relying on the impregnable walls of a strategically important castle, skillfully maneuvered between two contenders for the throne (Princess Matilda and Stephen of Blois), thereby temporarily increasing personal power and wealth. However, soon he had to pay dearly for political unprincipledness - Stephen of Blois, becoming king, arrested him and deprived him of all castles and possessions. Since then, the post of constable of the Tower, which was originally hereditary, the king personally appointed a faithful person. At first, constables, in addition to managing the castle, also had a certain civil authority in the city - they ensured public order and tax collection, but after the introduction of the position of Lord Mayor of London in 1191, they ceased to perform these functions.

In the second half of the 12th century (the reign of Henry II), defensively non-functional royal apartments and a castle square were built in the Tower 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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Expansion of the Tower under King Richard I the Lionheart

The Tower appears to have survived unchanged until King Richard I the Lionheart (r. 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 Richard's brother John, the territory of the castle 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, since Longchamp decided that it was more profitable for him to surrender than to continue resistance.

John did manage to become king of England after Richard's death in 1199, but he was extremely unpopular with the barons and the people, which led to war. In 1214, while John was at Windsor Castle, one of the rebellious barons laid siege to the Tower. The garrison defended courageously, and the siege was lifted only after the signing between the king and the barons of the Magna Carta (Magna Carta) - a document that defined the rights and obligations of the monarch and his subjects, the barons. John, however, was in no hurry to fulfill these promises, which led to the First Barons' War, during which the Tower garrison went over to the side of the rebels.

Expansion of the Tower under King Henry III

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

All towers of the Tower, except for defensive functions, served as the location of residential and administrative premises, as evidenced in some cases by their names: a watch bell hung in the Bell Tower (No. 2 on), in the Archery Master's Tower (No. 4) there were workshops where bows, crossbows and siege weapons, and in Lanthorn Tower (No. 20) - a large lighthouse (from the Old English lanthorn - "lamp, lantern"), showing the way to 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 quarters of the king and queen, respectively. Between the towers was built a large hall for solemn occasions.

Next to 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 it became the site of the murder of 12-year-old Edward V and his 10-year-old brother Richard of York in 1483, popularly called the Princes of the Tower, on the orders of their uncle King Richard III. At the time of their death, the boys had already been declared illegitimate by Parliament, which deprived them of legal grounds for the English throne, but this did not seem enough for the usurper.

In 1258, the barons, led by Simon de Montfort, again rebelled against the royal power, demanding regular convocations of parliament and the withdrawal of royal troops from the Tower. Henry III first took such an oath, but after asking permission from the Pope, he broke it and regained his control over the castle in 1261 with the help of mercenaries. In 1265, after the victory at Evesham, Henry III restored power in the country and called Cardinal Ottobuon to England to excommunicate the rebellious barons. This caused a new outburst of discontent, and in 1267 the baronial army, led by Gilbert de Claire, laid siege to the Tower, where the residence of the cardinal was temporarily located. Despite a 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.

Expansion of the Tower under King Edward I

Edward I (r. 1272-1307), although he rarely visited London, nevertheless continued the costly work to expand the Tower. The king was a great expert on fortification, and the experience he gained during numerous military campaigns was used to strengthen the castle of 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 additionally protect the main entrance), called the Lion Tower ( No. 23), since lions were kept here. The barbican has not survived to this day.

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

In the middle of the XIV century, the Lullaby Tower (No. 13), built as living quarters, became the second water gate.

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

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

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

Late Middle Ages

Under Edward II (r. 1307–1321) little happens within the walls of the Tower. The Privy Office was founded, which is located on the territory of the castle. For the first time, a woman became a prisoner of the Tower - Baroness Margaret de Clare. 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. Escapes were not uncommon. For example, in 1322, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, was able to get out of captivity by bribing the guards. After fleeing to France, he began an affair with the wife of the king, and together they made a plan to seize power. Having landed with an army in England and captured London, Mortimer first of all 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 away from the usurper - Mortimer was captured, imprisoned again in the Tower, and then hanged in Tyburn Square.

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

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

During Wat Tyler's peasant uprising in 1381, a rebel army besieged the king at the castle. When the monarch went to negotiate with the leader of the rebels, the crowd broke into the Tower without meeting resistance. The rebels plundered the royal treasury and beheaded the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury, who was trying to hide in St. John's Chapel 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 a side branch of the ruling Plantangenet dynasty. Bollingbroke, who ruled under the name Henry IV, found protection behind the walls of the Tower of London more than once during uprisings and riots.

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

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

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

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

• William Wallace(1270–1305) - Scottish aristocrat and military leader, leader of the movement for Scottish independence, was held in the Tower before a painful execution in 1305. About William Wallace, the famous film "Braveheart" was shot;
• Thomas More(1478-1535) - lawyer, philosopher, writer, author of the novel Utopia. Refused to accept the supremacy of King Henry VIII over the church. Executed in 1535, buried in the Chapel of St. Peter in Chains of the White Tower. Recognized as a saint by 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 of Elizabeth I. He spent 13 years in prison, but he was allowed to live in the castle with his family and engage in writing. Raleigh is considered the pioneer of tobacco smoking in Europe; he even tried to grow tobacco on the lawn of 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 on a rope stretched over the castle moat. Left 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 aim of overthrowing royal power;
• William Penn(1644-1718) - religious dissident, founder of the Pennsylvania colony and the city of Philadelphia in North America. Spent seven months in the Tower writing pamphlets;
• Simon Fraser(1667-1747) - leader of the uprising of the Scots against the Hanoverian dynasty. His death was the last public execution in Britain and the last execution by beheading.

During the political conflicts between King Charles I and Parliament in the second quarter of the 17th century, the Tower again acquired strategic importance. The king tried to subjugate the garrison of the fortress, but after an unsuccessful attempt to arrest several deputies of parliament fled from London, and the Tower garrison became a stronghold of parliamentary forces during the civil war (1642-1651).

The last king to lead a ceremonial procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey before his coronation was Charles II in 1660. By that time, the old palace premises of the castle had fallen into such disrepair that Charles could not even spend the night in it 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 strengthen 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, new gates were added to connect the wharf to the outer courtyard. The moat surrounding the castle flooded and became shallow, so in 1830 the Duke of Wellington, who, among others, also held the position of constable of the Tower, ordered work to be done to clean the moat. 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, the construction of the Waterloo barracks began, 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 cause of the last major program to strengthen the defenses of the castle. Most of the surviving structures for conducting artillery and rifle fire date from this period.

During the First World War, 11 people were shot in 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 in 1941 on his own initiative. He became the last state criminal held in the Tower. In the same year, 1941, the last death penalty was carried out in the castle - the German spy Josef Jacobs was shot. Also during the war years, the Tower performed defensive functions for the last time: in the event of a 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 the most popular historical sights in England. Interest in the castle, as a tourist attraction, appeared as early as the time of Elizabeth I (1533-1603) thanks to a unique menagerie and an exhibition of weapons and armor. From 1669, royal regalia began to be displayed in 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 awakening of public interest in the Tower was 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 captivated readers. He also proposed to make the Beauchamp Tower (No. 1 on) open to visitors so that everyone could familiarize themselves with the inscriptions carved on the walls made by the prisoners.

By the end of the 19th century, more than 500,000 people visited the Tower every year. And this despite the fact that over the past two centuries, palace buildings have fallen into complete decline. Many institutions located in the Tower moved, and the vacant buildings were either abandoned or destroyed. The only positive moment of the 19th century in the history of the castle was the construction of the stables in 1825 and the Waterloo barracks in 1845. Both buildings are made in the architectural style of the "Gothic revival", which appeared in the 18th century as a result of awakened interest in the medieval past of the country.

During the First World War, the castle was not damaged, although one German bomb fell into the moat (fortunately, it did not explode). But World War II left more serious traces - on September 23, 1940, during the "Battle for England", German bombs destroyed several buildings, only miraculously not damaging the White Tower. After the war, it took several years to fully restore the destroyed buildings.

In the 21st century, tourism has become the main function of the Tower. Almost all the military institutions once housed in the castle have moved, although the ceremonial headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the museum of this regiment are still located here. Also, one of the units of the Royal Guard, guarding Buckingham Palace, still stands guard over the Tower and, together with the beefeaters, takes part in the nightly Key Ceremony. Several times a year, the cannons of the Tower also remind of themselves - they fire 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 Historic Royal 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 "Historic Royal Palaces", the castle is visited annually by about 2.5 million tourists from different countries.

Tower plan

Tower (photo gallery)

Treasures and crown jewels in the Tower

The tradition of storing royal treasures in the Tower seems to date back to the reign of Henry III (1216-1272), when the House of Jewels was built in the castle specifically for 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 secured by these jewels, that is, the treasures gave the kings a certain financial independence from the barons and parliament, and therefore were carefully guarded. Already in the 14th century, a very prestigious and highly paid position of treasure keeper appeared, whose duties, in addition to protecting jewelry, also included the acquisition of new valuables and the hiring of jewelers.

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

Exposition "Row of Kings" in the Tower

Row of kings(Line of Kings) - a unique display of 10 life-sized equestrian statues in full knightly attire. It is believed to be the oldest permanent exhibition in the world. The exposition was created in 1688 to raise the prestige of the unpopular Stuart dynasty in the country. Several statues from the Tudor dynasty (XVI century) were brought to the Tower from Greenwich Castle, the rest were made by the best sculptors and carvers in England, including Grinling Gibbons, who also worked on carvings in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Since the "Row of Kings" performed a propaganda function, there were "good kings", such as Edward III and Henry VIII, and there were no "bad" ones - Edward II and Richard III. Later sculptures of Wilhelm III, George I and George II were added.

Today, the "Row of Kings" exposition is located in the Royal Armory (The Royal Armories) 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 gilded armor of Charles I (1612), the children's armor of Prince Henry Stuart (1608) and Japanese armor of the late 16th century, presented to King James I in 1613 year. Pay attention to the dimensions of the late armor of Henry VIII compared to the armor of his youth.

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

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

- discover the most colorful, musical and iconic area of ​​the city - 2 hours, 30 pounds

Exhibition of armor and weapons

royal menagerie

One of the exhibitions of the Tower dedicated to the history of the castle is the exposition "Royal Animals". It is located in the Brick Tower (No. 6 on) and tells 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, their modern life-size sculptural figures are located in separate corners of the Tower.

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

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

In the 18th century, the menagerie was opened to the general public: the visitor had to pay an entrance fee of one and a half pence or bring a dog or cat to feed the predators. Here, for the first time in Europe, a grizzly bear was kept, presented to King George III by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1811. In 1828, the menagerie already included 280 animals of 60 different species, but a few years later, in 1835, they were all transferred to the zoo in Regent's Park after a lion injured one of the soldiers.

Fusiliers in the 17th-18th centuries were arrows armed with flintlock guns (fusils), which were called fusils, in contrast to musketeers armed with muskets. Initially, the Fusiliers were used to cover artillery and as light infantry.

Fusiliers Museum (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 the records of the 13th century), and in the basement of the Wakefield tower under Henry III there was a Conference Chamber (today you can see the reconstruction of the royal throne in it).

Note that at the beginning of the 16th century, the Tower ceased to function as a royal residence, which in practice meant that there was no need for high-status living quarters (for the monarch and his family).

Chapel of St. Peter in Chains

The Chapel of St. Peter in Chains (St. Peter ad vincula, No. 10 on), built in the 12th century and substantially 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 in front of the chapel (these were individuals whose public execution could cause unrest among the townspeople). Nowadays, on the site of the scaffold, there is a glass memorial, 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. At the Kings and Coins exhibition, you can learn about the history of the coinage and see some of the rarest and most valuable coins ever produced by the Tower of London Mint.

Yeomen (beefeaters)

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

In principle, the historical function of the beefeaters is to guard prisoners and royal regalia in the castle, but in our time they all act as guides for tourists. Their official title is Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign "s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary).

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

Today, like five hundred years ago, 37 yeomen serve in the Tower. They are all retired members of the Army and Air Force who have served in the Army for at least 22 years and have earned the Long Service and Exemplary Conduct Medal. Until recently, retired naval officers were not accepted into the Beefeaters (since they take an oath not to the Crown, but to the Admiralty), but in 2011 the first yeoman from the fleet appeared, as well as the first female yeoman.

On normal days, Beefeaters wear a dark blue uniform with red embroidery. On the occasions 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; in the words of the Beefeaters themselves, it is "extremely inconvenient."

Every evening at 21:53 sharp, the head yeoman guard takes part in the traditional ceremony of handing over the keys to the Tower of London to the members of the Tower of London Guard, the other unit that guards the castle. The Ceremony of the Keys is one of the oldest military rituals in the world. It has been performed invariably since 1340. The tradition has not been interrupted for almost 700 years.

castle ravens

The Tower contains 8 ravens 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 beefeater keeper who personally buys meat for them every morning at the nearest market. A special allowance for keeping 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 a rabbit.

The earliest evidence of keeping these birds in the castle dates back to 1883, but the tradition seems to have started much earlier. There is even a monument to the dead ravens in the castle moat. Feeding birds to tourists, as well as stroking or picking them up, is strictly prohibited.

ghosts

As befits any self-respecting English castle, the Tower is also haunted. The ghost of Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn, who was executed in 1536, is periodically seen in the Chapel of St. Peter in Chains, where she is buried. Rumor has it that a ghost wanders around the White Tower, carrying a severed head under its arm. Other otherworldly inhabitants of the castle are the ghosts of Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Pole, Arbella Stuart and