During construction work at Brno’s Špilberk Castle, a stone wall from the 13th century was discovered, suggesting that the castle had a massive advanced fortification from the time of its original construction. Photo Credit: Brno City Museum.
Brno, Apr 17 (BD) – During excavation operations for drainage on the western side of the Špilberk Castle, workers discovered a stone wall at a depth of approximately one meter below ground. The material and methods used to construct the wall led archaeologists to conclude that the wall was built at the same time as the medieval castle itself, after the middle of the 13th century. The wall is therefore one of the oldest discoveries at the site, but that is not the only reason why it is so remarkable.
The location of the discovery was also a big surprise, as it was not located on the castle grounds, but about 25 meters outside its perimeter wall. This indicates that Špilberk Castle already had a massive fortification at the time of its construction.
The original structure of the building, and the width of the wall which has now been discovered, is not yet known because parts of it have since been destroyed by further reconstructions.
“However, the preserved width measuring two meters leaves no doubt that it was a massive building of a defensive nature,” added archaeologist Aleš Navrátil.
Previous research suggests that the original building was close to Úvoz, where the outer gate of medieval Špilberk was located.
“The visitor first had to go through this gate to get to the bridge over the moat and then through the inner gate to the castle itself. It is therefore probable that the part of the wall that has been discovered might be just a remnant of the outer Špilberk Gate”, added Navrátil.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”352″ gal_title=”Špilberk Stone Wall Discovery”]Photos: 13th century stone wall discovered at Špilberk Castle. Credit: Brno City Museum.
