What is a curtain wall (fortification)?
A curtain wall (also called a courtine) is the straight, continuous wall section that connects two towers or bastions of a fortification. The curtain wall forms the main element of a defensive wall and is its most vulnerable part, because it is harder to defend than the projecting towers.
Characteristics
- Straight alignment — unlike towers and bastions, the curtain wall runs in a straight line
- Parapet — the top of the wall has a parapet with crenellations (merlons and embrasures)
- Wall walk — a continuous walkway behind the parapet for patrolling soldiers
- Thickness — curtain walls are thick enough to withstand projectiles (typically 2–4 metres)
Applications
- Medieval castles — the high walls between round or square towers
- City walls — the ramparts surrounding medieval towns
- Bastioned fortifications — in the post-1500 bastioned trace, the curtain wall links two bastions
- Crusader castles — massive curtain walls with wall walks and arrow slits
Defending the curtain wall
Because the curtain wall is a flat, straight target, towers and bastions were built to project outward so that defenders could fire along the face of the wall from the flanks. This principle is called flanking.
Related terms
- Parapet
- Buttress
- Bastion
- Fortification
- Battlement
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