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Project to fortify Pamplona in 1756

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:25 +0000

Pamplona was a key place on the Spanish-French border from the beginning of the 16th century, being fortified on several occasions as artillery was introduced as a military warfare technique. The bastions were key to this task, simulating the great works of the citadel of Antwerp in 1567 and making Pamplona the first pentagonal citadel on the Peninsula.
During the 17th century, the difficulties in financing undertakings such as these meant that little work was done on the cities in the north of the peninsula. With the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War, the pressing need to fortify large fortifications in this area led Juan Martín Zermeño to be commissioned to draw up a series of projects in strategic locations such as Pamplona. The importance of this enclave led to a revision and modernisation of the previous works of Rez and especially Verboom in 1726, maintaining part of their objectives and working on the basis that the works were already well advanced. Zermeño’s modernisation came from proposals such as raising the bastions and varying the structure of the fort proposed by Verboom to give the defence a staggered form.

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The fortifications of Fuenterrabia around 1535

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:18 +0000

Once the conquest of Granada was over, the Catholic Monarchs took measures to protect the north of Spain in the face of a possible confrontation with the French troops, and this work was discontinued until the reign of Philip V in the 18th century. From Philip II onwards, major changes were introduced in the corps of engineers who would work for the crown, with technical training being promoted at the Academy of Mathematics in Madrid and not depending almost exclusively on importing these figures from abroad.
In July 1725, the engineer Jorge Próspero de Verboom arrived in Pamplona to work on the fortification of enclaves such as San Sebastián, Fuenterrabía and Pamplona. One of his most striking actions were his corrections to the engineer Luis de Langot in Fuenterrabía, introducing a whole system of outer forts and redoubts in strategic places, transforming Langot’s proposals to such an extent that it could practically be considered an independent project that would transform the square forever.
In this case, the importance of the enclave can already be seen graphically during the reign of Charles V, a time when some fortresses in the north of the peninsula such as San Sebastián and other coastal cities such as Mallorca or Cádiz continued to be reinforced. The post-medieval wall of Fuenterrabía would be attached to an interior defensive tower, it sat on a hill 250 metres in diameter and with the Bidasoa River covering its western part, it was in a strategically fundamental place.

The post The fortifications of Fuenterrabia around 1535 first appeared on History Lab.

View of the town square of Fuenterrabía, its surroundings, and the state of the French camp, in the siege of 1638

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:18 +0000

During the second half of the 16th century, the fortification of Fuenterrabía was redesigned by the military engineer Jacobo Palear Fratín, designing a pentagonal citadel in the same style as the one built in Pamplona, enveloping the existing medieval defensive belt with a modern one to allow for a larger scale and artillery capacity. The medieval wall was preserved mainly due to the conditioning factors of the terrain, as it could not be directly adapted to the new needs.
The original elevation of the fortress made it impossible to establish surfaces suitable for the armament needs of the time. Successive bastions were built around the medieval wall, until the middle of the 17th century when Fuenterrabía was besieged by French troops and work was rushed, leaving the enclosure with the characteristics that can be seen in the representative image from 1638.

The post View of the town square of Fuenterrabía, its surroundings, and the state of the French camp, in the siege of 1638 first appeared on History Lab.

Royal engineer Fratín’s project for Fuenterrabía in 1572

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:18 +0000

Fuenterrabía demonstrated its great defensive power during the battles of the early 16th century, culminating in 1524 when the Castilian troops managed to recover it from the Franco-Navarrese army. In 1539 Charles V visited the damaged fortifications of Fuenterrabía, and shortly afterwards sent Captain Luis Pizaño to supervise the works in this square and in those of San Sebastián and Pamplona. One of the first actions was to raise the bastion of La Reina and the bastion of San Nicolás in 1545, partially modernising the fortified enclosure of the square.
During the reign of Philip II, work continued in the north of the peninsula, especially in Pamplona. These amazing works temporarily withdrew the focus of attention from Fuenterrabía, and its improvement work ceased until 1572, when a section of the old wall collapsed due to lack of maintenance. This caused Philip II to order his engineer Jacobo Palear Fratín to carefully analyse the square and give his verdict, which turned out to be rather unfavourable.
Under the king’s command, Fratín undertook a major reform project and numerous repairs. The aim was to extend the bastion in order to gain artillery capacity against the French in the east and to cover possible access from the sea. Although Fratín’s official layout is not available, the correspondence between the engineer and the Court has been analysed and a virtual reconstruction of the shape of the proposed plan has been made.

The post Royal engineer Fratín’s project for Fuenterrabía in 1572 first appeared on History Lab.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000

Age of Empires II features historical campaigns based on a novel storyline that spans a vast period between the 5th and 16th centuries. This definitive edition was released in 2019 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original video game released in 1999, making some corrections and technologically improving an already excellent base.
Historically the game features the campaigns of 18 civilisations, starting in the Middle Ages after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and running through to the European Renaissance of the 16th century. The goal is therefore to strategically manage resources to build a vast empire and overcome other enemy factions.
The campaigns take a historical look at the lives and triumphs of different key figures from our past, such as William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin and Genghis Khan, among others. As for the factions, this year’s factions are divided into Western European, Central European, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern factions, each with their own unique units and historically known warriors.

The post Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition first appeared on History Lab.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000

This instalment of the Age of Empires saga focuses on 14 of the most powerful civilisations in Europe, the Americas and Asia, spanning a historical period from the 16th to the 19th centuries. In this definitive edition, the graphics and music have been remastered, including all the expansions released to date and other never-before-seen content. The civilisations available include Spain, England, France, Portugal, Russia, Germany and many others.
The game’s setting focuses on the era of European colonisation of the Americas, with the Old World nations facing off against the newly developing powers. New in comparison to the previous game, each civilisation has a detailed 3D metropolis, and troop progression is added through role-playing elements. In addition, with the new content already added, it allows the option of playing independence revolutions to rise up against the colonising civilisation.

The post Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition first appeared on History Lab.

Age of Empires IV

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000

Age of Empires returns 16 years later to demonstrate why it is one of the most recognised sagas in historical strategy. On this occasion it combines the management that brought it so much success in its time with other innovative tools that facilitate the entry of both the new player to the strategy genre, thanks to the complete integrated tutorials, and the veteran who is looking for a challenge to match and who can handle more complex game mechanics and combat techniques.
Historically, this time it seeks to recreate the great battles that led to the building of our world as we know it. Through 8 civilisations, passing through England, China, France or the Sultanate of Delhi, we will face four great campaigns: the Norman conquest of England, the Hundred Years’ War, the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the history of the Mongol Empire. All these elements centre the game from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance of the 16th century.

The post Age of Empires IV first appeared on History Lab.

DomiNations

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:22 +0000

DomiNations is a strategy video game available on both Android and iOS in which you start chronologically from a small village in ancient times to managing a thriving metropolis in the near future. During the evolution of the game it is possible to trade and fight with nations further back in time or advanced in time, generating evident differences in resources and allowing to observe what it means for each player.
Through this videogame it is possible to study the military and technological strategy that has made possible the great discoveries of history, introducing great virtual personalities to explain it, such as Leonardo Da Vinci or Catherine the Great. In addition, the commanders of the armies are real historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Joan of Arc or Alexander the Great, through which you can appreciate their biography and most important events. History can also be learnt through the construction of the Wonders of the World, such as the Pyramids of Egypt or the Roman Coliseum, full of descriptions and anecdotes.

The post DomiNations first appeared on History Lab.

Patron

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:22 +0000

In Patron, during the game you must produce and accumulate resources in order to expand from the initial village to run a thriving city. The key is to strike the right balance between having enough resources to sustain the population or spending them on new technical and scientific advances that will allow the city to evolve and grow.
Like other city-building games, the resources provided by the land must be used to the maximum, building houses for the citizens, farms to feed them, manufacturing workshops to provide them with work and cover their needs, and so on. In addition, it will be essential to keep pace with history in terms of constant research, so that your society can cope with historical processes such as famines, severe weather or the characteristics of each of the seasons of the year.
So-called “happiness” is one of the characteristic indicators of the game, which must be regulated at all times by the player in the face of various social complexities and challenges that will arise without warning. Each citizen has his or her own interests and needs, ranging from immigration to high taxation, employment, religion, family, and so on. Every decision that the player (Patron) makes will be represented in the various social groups and will manifest itself even years later.

The post Patron first appeared on History Lab.

Cossacks: Art of War

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:22 +0000

Cossacks: Art of War is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that allows you to relive the European history of the 17th and 18th centuries. By controlling the different factions that fought in these conflicts, you can train their armies, build their characteristic infrastructures and wisely manage resources in order to achieve victory. In addition, the role of naval battles has been enhanced, emphasising the importance of dominating the seas to counter the military might of other countries.
The different armies and the history of the countries are represented in great historical detail, allowing you to learn about the campaigns and the different units that each contender had when facing each other on the battlefield. The units that can be controlled during the game range from King Frederick II of Prussia to the Algerian pirates of the Mediterranean, with each campaign covering several missions throughout these two centuries of European warfare.

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