THE TOWER OF LONDON by GEMMA ANASTASIO

What is the Tower of London ?

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 18:10:36 UTC

The Tower of London is a fortress that was built by William the conqueror in 1066. It's situated on the River Thames and it's the most complete example of an 11th century norman fortress. The tower had a gateway and a fortress function but now it's a UNESCO heritage site and an iconic symbol of the United Kingdom.the Tower was in effect the gateway to the new Norman kingdom. Sited strategically at a bend in the River Thames, it has been a crucial demarcation point between the power of the developing City of London, and the power of the monarchy. It had the dual role of providing protection for the City through its defensive structure and the provision of a garrison, and of also controlling the citizens by the same means. The Tower literally ‘towered’ over its surroundings until the 19th century.

The tower has an important role in the european history

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 18:23:04 UTC

The Tower has been the setting for some of the most important events in European and British History.

The most important building of the Norman Conquest, the White Tower symbolised the might and longevity of the new order. The imprisonments in the Tower of Edward V and his younger brother in the 15th century, and then, in the 16th century, of four English queens, three of them executed on Tower with only Elizabeth I escaping, shaped English history. The Tower also helped shape the story of the Reformation in England, as both Catholic and Protestant prisoners recorded their experiences and helped define the Tower as a place of torture and execution.

"If the ravens leave the tower ,the kingdom will fall"

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 18:29:42 UTC

the legend said that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.

Charles II is thought to have been the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower be protected after he was warned that the crown and the Tower itself would fall if they left.

The ravens

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 19:13:51 UTC

Now in the Tower there are six ravens . We don't know when first the ravens arrived but at least six ravens have to live in the tower . Nowadays the current ravens living in the Tower are a touristic attraction and they all have names ! These are :Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar and Branwen . The ravenmaster take care of them .

The ravenmaster

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 20:22:09 UTC

The ravenmaster have to take care of the six ravens in the Tower ,he wears a black and red uniform.Today Chris Skaife proudly holds this job. It’s not an easy job to land like Chris, you’ll have to be a Yeoman Warder, a position which requires a minimum of 22 years in the military, an exemplary record, and the rank of warrant officer or above. The ravens decide who the ravenmaster should be . Derrick Coyle ,the previous ravenmaster,saw that Chris was fascinated with the ravens, he decided to test their chemistry by putting Chris in the cages with them. He studied under Derrick for five years before taking over the job.

The structure of the Tower

gemmaanastasios — 2023-11-24 20:26:50 UTC

The Tower was built around the White Tower, a typical norman structure