Bastions in Zamosc

In Zamosc, there are three Bastions. First is casemates Bastion No. 1. In 1596-1600 Bernardo Morando built the original military structure whose aim was to prevent access to the fortress from south-east. It was modernised by a military engineer in 1618-1623. He built casemates in the flanks of the bastion with shooting ranges situated along the curtain-wall. Despite considerable damage, the buttresses of the bastion and earth embankments over the casemates have survived till the present day.

Second Bastion is Retrenchment of Bastion No. 6. The building is also referred to as ‘a bachelor’ and was built in the late 1820. It constitutes one of the rare examples of military architecture of the Napoleonic times in Poland. Located at the neck of the bastion it was an effective component of the defence system of Zamosc Fortress. It is 105 m long, 36 m wide and 13 high. It was also used as military barracks. The last Bastion is Bastion No. 7. It is a military structure located at the bend of the town’s fortifications. Its aim was to reinforce the already existing defensive structures. It has a shape of a pentagon surrounded with a wall embankment. The front parts of the bastions are 71 and 77 m long. In the first half of the 19th century casemates were built. Inside there are shooting galleries. The bastion was destroyed in 1866 when the fortress was being closed down. In 1977-1984 it was reconstructed in its original shape. The tip of the bastion used to be decorated with Tomasz Zamoyski’s cartouche, which is now placed on town hall stairs.