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THE FORTRESS YESTERDAY
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Zamość Fortress, one of the largest fortresses in the First Republic of Poland and then in the Duchy of Warsaw and in the Congress Kingdom of Poland was built in 1579-1618 to defend a town founded by Hetman Jan Zamoyski in 1580. Started in 1586 and completed in 1618, the construction of bastioned fortifications was based on Bernardo Morando’s design.
The fortifications were modernized several times by the following outstanding military engineers:
One version of the expansion plan of the Fortress of Zamość of 1817
  • Andrea dell’Aqua in 1618-23
  • Jan Michał Link in 1687-93
  • Colonel Jean-Baptiste Mallet (later during his service in the Congress Kingdom of Poland known as General Jan Mallet-Malletski) in 1809-13 and 1817-26
Modernization works lasted till 1856.
In 1866 -1868, on the order of Tsar Alexander II, the fortress was closed down and most of its fortifications were demolished. Their preserved remains have been maintained (with some elements being supplemented) since the 1930s till the present day.
If you have reached the reconstructed ravelin – a protruding fortification work defending the curtain wall between Bastion V and VI and the New Lubelska Gate, you are welcome to find out more about how the fortress expanded with time. Grading the defence was a basic feature of a well-developed fortification system. As a result, fortifications were not limited to the main circle of bastions, curtain walls which joined them and the moat only. In the 16th century on the outside of the moat there was the so-called “covered way*” shielded with glacis, on the edge of which there were firing positions. At the end, to facilitate concentration of defenders, the covered way expanded, becoming a triangular place of arms*. Soon additional defensive works appeared, such as ravelins* - in front of curtain walls in the moat and counterguards* (crescents) - in front of bastions. Farther in the foreground there were hornworks* or crownworks* and farther still - lunettes* which were prototypes of independent redoubts* and forts* built later. Before the enemy could reach the main defensive circle, he had to deal with the successive protruding fortification works.

  • Profile of 17th-century bastion fortification. It shows deepening of defense i.e. expanding the belt of fortifications. .

  • Profile, plan and view of the fortifications of Zamość at the beginning of the 18th century.. Bastions have a peculiar brick counterguard with the underground corridor, perhaps of the importance of the sidewalk facilitating digging mine corridors. Despite the use of the fire-bridge and indoor road behind the moat.

    Bastions have a peculiar brick counterguard with the underground corridor, perhaps of the importance of the sidewalk facilitating digging mine corridors. Despite the use of the fire-bridge and indoor road behind the moat.

  • One version of the expansion plan of the Fortress of Zamość of 1817. . It takes into account the actual expansion made in the years 1809-1813. It was the most important and most revolutionary development of fortification of Zamość.

    It takes into account the actual expansion made in the years 1809-1813. It was the most important and most revolutionary development of fortification of Zamość.

  • The project by J. Mallet-Malletski of 1825, version of the three great caponiers on the western front of the fortress. . The project has never been fully realized. It systematized and schematized previous projects of the early 19th century, but it also was a cancellation of trends of developing the fortress on the outside.

    The project has never been fully realized. It systematized and schematized previous projects of the early 19th century, but it also was a cancellation of trends of developing the fortress on the outside.

  • View of Zamość from the north. . One can see exterior works in front of the main circuit of the fortress - especially ravelin in front of the New Lublin Gate.

    One can see exterior works in front of the main circuit of the fortress - especially ravelin in front of the New Lublin Gate.