After visiting the Citadel of Suceava and the Citadel of Neamț, I made a short-medium term plan to gather more information and possibly to visit the other medieval fortresses from the time of Stephen the Great. Citadels positioned around Moldova for defense purposes. Some built and fortified, others conquered and even lost in battle by the great Moldavian ruler.
I saw them represented on an information board. And I suppose they are the most important from those medieval times - these are Crăciuna, Cetatea Romanului, Cetatea Neamț, Cetatea de Scaun a Sucevei, Hotin, Soroca, Orheiul Vechi, Tighina, Cetatea Albă and Chilia.
And most of them were destroyed by the rulers Alexandru Lăpușneanu and Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino, by order of the Turks. So that the rulers of Moldova can no longer defend themselves in case of rebellion.
The medieval fortresses from the time of Stephen the Great
1. The Christmas Fortress
The Crăciuna Fortress is not known exactly where it was, although historians suspect that its ruins, well hidden in the ground, would be close to the city of Odobești, on the site of La Cetățuie. Others say that elsewhere . And the fact that no current indications of its existence have been found, induces the idea that it was a fortress built of wood and earth, so it did not withstand the passage of time at all.
It dates from the 13th-14th centuries, it is said to have been founded by Radu the Beautiful. Until 1482 Vrancea belonged to Wallachia. But Stephen the Great conquered the fortress, the border of Moldova being then moved to Milcov.
Now - it is not known exactly where he is.
2. The Roman Fortress
It was a stone fortification, built by Stephen the Great in 1466. The fortress had no less than 7 towers connected by walls 4 meters thick, arranged in a starry plan. Around the walls were dug trenches paved with slabs, through which water flowed from the Siret River. It was also destroyed in 1675, also under the orders of the Turks.
Its ruins are located on the banks of the Siret, 5 km from the city of Roman. Being in a continuous degradation at present, it was not given to the tourist circuit. Unfortunately.
Now - ruins that are barely visible, too bad.
3. Neamț Fortress
I was, I saw it, it is one of the two fortresses restored and still on the territory of Romania.
We told you more details about our visit here .
Now - restored, visit.
4. The Citadel of Suceava
Superb, imposing, a place where the history of Moldova is represented by modern means and technologies. More details about our visit to the Citadel of Suceava, here .
Now - restored, visit.
Hotin Fortress - Photo source https://khotynska-fortecya.cv.ua/index-en
5. Hotin Fortress
Considered one of the seven wonders of Ukraine, Hotin Fortress is located on the banks of the Dniester, in the Chernivtsi region.
It is not clear whose foundation it is, but it seems that a military fort has been there since the 11th century. It was occupied by the Moldavian ruler Dragoș in 1340, from 1375 becoming part of Moldavia. Stephen the Great regained the Hotin Fortress from the Poles, after a siege that lasted two years. In 1476 the Moldavian garrison stationed there successfully resisted the siege of the Turkish army by Sultan Mehmed II.
During the time of Stephen the Great, walls 5-6 meters wide and 40 meters high were built, three towers were added and an inner courtyard was arranged. Thus it became one of the defense fortresses for the northern border of medieval Moldavia. In the 14th - 16th centuries, the Hotin Fortress was one of the residences of the Moldavian rulers.
More details about the troubled history of the Hotin Fortress, on wikipedia .
Now - restored, visit.
Details about the visit on the official website . Other impressions from there on the imperatortravel.ro website .
Soroca Fortress Photo source https://www.moldova.md/ro/content/soroca-city
6. Soroca Fortress
Soroca Fortress is a Moldavian fortress near the Dniester, built of wood and earth by Stephen the Great in 1499. It was rebuilt in stone during the time of Petru Rareș, in the middle of the 16th century (1543-1546). He was part of Moldova's defensive system on the Dniester, for the defense against Tatar attacks I suppose.
Soroca Fortress was restored between 2013-2015. And it really looks great, from what I've seen on the internet. The fortress has a circular shape, no less than 5 towers, 4 circular and one rectangular. The walls of the enclosure are about 3m thick and 21m high. The upper part of the fortress is endowed with battlements.
More details here .
Now - restored, visit.
More impressions on the spot, on vacanțeleluimircea.ro .
Cetatea Orheiul Vechi - Photo source https://www.ziarulnational.md/cetatea-de-la-orheiul-vechi/
7. Orhei Fortress
Like its neighbor Soroca, Orhei Fortress is also located on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. And, likewise, it was built of wood and earth by Stephen the Great, later of stone in the time of Petru Rareș. More details here .
It is assumed that the fortress of Orhei was destroyed at the command of Alexandru Lăpușneanu, which demolished several cities, also at the request of the Turks. Around 1600, the ruler Ieremia Movilă tried to rebuild it but without success.
Now - ruins, you can pass through the field.
It should be noted that the old Orhei is famous for its cave churches .
Bender-Tighina Fortress, photo source https://www.bendery-fortress.com/-for-tourists
8. Bender-Tighina Fortress
The Bender-Tighina Fortress is located in Transnistria and is one of the most spectacular fortified buildings from the time of Stephen the Great. Well, from what I understand, it was the Turks who brought it to its current form.
Built as a defense system against the Tartar invasions of earth and wood in the time of Stephen the Great, re-founded by Petru Rareș and conquered by Soliman the Magnificent in 1538. More historical information on wikipedia .
Now - restored, visit. Details on the official website .
White Fortress - Julia Vovk Photo Source https://viknaodessa.od.ua/krepost/?vovk_yuliya
9. The White Fortress
He is now in Ukraine, in the Odessa region.
It is said that the White Fortress is the largest and best fortified defensive fortification in medieval Moldova. It dates back to the time of Burebista, when there was a Greek fortress called Tyras. It belonged to Moldavia from 1359 until 1484, when Stephen the Great lost it, being conquered by the Turks led by Baiazid II.
The city of Cetatea Albă became part of Romania between 1918 and 1940 (and again between 1941–1944). After that, you know what happened.
More historical details on wikipedia .
Now - restored, visit. Info here https://viknaodessa.od.ua/krepost/ . Or here .
Travel impressions on the website bucuriadeacalatori.com and on demeseriecalator.com .
Cetatea Chilia, Ruine - Photo Source https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetatea_Chilia
10. Chilia Fortress
Now also in Ukraine, in the Odessa region. In Ruin.
There was once a Greek city called Achilles. And its name would come from that of the Greek hero Achilles, buried at the mouth of the Danube according to legend, on the island of Leuke (which may be the Island of Snakes or the current Grind Chilia, then an island surrounded by sea).
According to tradition, Stephen the Great would have lost only two battles, one of them being at the siege of Chilia in 1462. However, he conquered the Chilia Fortress in 1465, on January 24, after only one day of siege. In the summer of 1479, Stephen the Great rebuilt the Chilia Fortress on the left bank of the Danube (the New Chilia Fortress). And in 1484 it was conquered by Baiazid II, after 8 days of siege (the fortress was then defended by a force of 400 Moldavians).
More historical details on wikipedia .
