The Pentagonal Tower of Ljubljana Castle in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia. The tower was added in the 1400s at a time when the castle was being comprehensively rebuilt and fortified to withstand Turkish invasions.
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Pentagonal Tower (Peterokotni Stolp) of Ljubljana Castle. The Pentagonal Tower was added to the castle in the 1400s, connecting the castle to the world outside by a drawbridge over the castle moat. It was originally designed with three floors, but these were removed when the tower was renovated in 1990 to allow a view of the roof structure. Today, the Pentagonal Tower is used as a small exhibition space. A castle or stronghold on Ljubljana’s Castle Hill is believed to have been built in the 1000s. However, it was comprehensively fortified in the 1400s in response to Turkish invasions - the Turks first knocked at the City Gates in 1415. At that time, the old fortress was almost completely destroyed and a new castle built. The new castle’s ground plan was irregular, in the style of medieval fortresses, and represented a traditional non-Italian trend. Ljubljana is the capital city and economic, political and cultural centre of Slovenia. With a population of 293,000, it is one of the smallest European capitals. It is located halfway between Vienna and Venice, at the intersection of major European transport routes, and is a blend of German, Mediterranean and Slovenian culture. A walled Roman encampment was built on the site of the present city in the 1st century BCE and developed into a settlement, destroyed by Attila in the mid-400s CE. It was rebuilt in the 1100s by Slovene Slavic tribes and gained city rights in 1220. In the late 1200s, rule passed to the Habsburgs and in 1335 it became the capital of the Habsburg-Austrian province of Carniola. Foreign rule ended in 1918 when Ljubljana and Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). In 1991, when Slovenia gained independence, Ljubljana became the national capital.
Size: 2795px × 4193px
Location: Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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