Fortified City Research Articles

CITY-STATE IN THE TREATISE BY J. V. ANDREAE: A VISION OF HARMONY AND ORDER

The article highlights the features of the architecture and urban planning structure of the utopian city-state described by the German theologian Johannes Valentinus Andrea in the treatise «Description of the Republic of Christianopolis» which was written in 1619. The aim of this article is a detailed analysis and graphic reproduction of the urban planning and architectural features of the utopian city described by J. V. Andreae. One of the tasks is to compare the structure of the city-state he recreated with the layout of the utopian settlements of T. More, T. Campanella and A. F. Doni, as those written in approximately the same period and depicting utopian states located on remote islands. Republic of Christianopolis is built in the shape of a perfect square, symbolizing order and rationality. Each side of the city is of equal length, and all the streets are laid out to form a regular, neat grid. In the center of the city there is a large square with a temple. This temple serves as the spiritual and civic nucleus of the city, underscoring the significance of religion and communal life in a utopian society. The city-state is divided into different zones according to their functional purpose. There are separate plots for residential buildings, administrative buildings, scientific institutes and agricultural areas. Such planning reflects a desire for efficiency and organization. Residential buildings are organized in such a way that each family has adequate housing with sufficient space for comfortable living. Gardens are located around the houses, which helps to create a public space for communication and interaction between residents. Despite the utopian nature of the society, the city has defensive structures such as walls and towers, which indicate a desire to protect the city from external threats. The article depicts a schematic general plan of the city of Christianopolis, conventional plans and sections of buildings. A review of the urban design features in J.V. Andreae's utopia compared to those in the works by T. More, A. F. Doni, and T. Campanella reveals common tendencies typical for that era, such as the ideal city shape, a preference for symmetry and centralized planning. It should be highlighted that in the treatise «Description of the Republic of Christianopolis», there is a more distinct zoning of areas and division of the population. J. V. Andrea created a utopian society where scientific knowledge and Christian faith are harmoniously combined. Christianopolis is depicted as a place where education and spirituality are integrated, reflecting the ideals of its era and the pursuit of knowledge. Keywords: utopia, symmetrical planning, urban structure, city fortifications, residential buildings.

THE OLD AND NEW CASTLES IN THE TOWN OF ROHATYN: DEVELOPMENT OF PLANNING STRUCTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

According to historical documents, the city of Rohatyn was one of the most developed and well-fortified cities in Ukraine during the 16th and 17th centuries. From the city's founding, two structural parts were planned: the town center (sredmiste) and the castle. The development of the town center and its urban structure has been analyzed in several of our previous scholarly works. Despite significant destruction during the First and Second World Wars, the town center has retained its historical layout and part of its architecture. The city's fortifications, however, have been irretrievably lost. On the site where the castle once stood, no structures have survived, and today, the city authorities plan to develop residential quarters in this area as part of urban planning projects. The aim of our publication is to illustrate what the architectural complex of the Rohatyn castle was like and to create scientific prerequisites for archaeological research and for revising the plans for the use of this territory. The castle, its history, and its architecture remain largely unexplored. By the end of the 17th century, the castle consisted of two parts: the Old Castle and the New Castle. Three unidentified buildings from the New Castle have survived to this day. As for the Old Castle, researchers have only determined its location. The scientific literature does not provide detailed coverage of the layout and architecture of both castles during the 15th-18th centuries. In our article on this subject, published in issue 10 of this journal (Nr. 10, pp. 17-29: Notes on the History and Architectural- Planning Reconstruction of the Rohatyn Castle), we presented materials on the location, territorial configuration, and general layout of the castle complex. It was established that the complex consisted of two adjacent parts connected to each other. Based on newly acquired materials, we can now conduct a deeper analysis of the castle's history, particularly using the texts of the castle's inspections from 1663 and 1725, and employ the 1666 drawing of the church and castle as an iconographic source. From the analysis of these sources, we attempt to determine which objects constituted the castle complex and the elements that made up the structure of its fortifications. By systematizing information from maps and two inventory descriptions, we reconstruct the stages of development and architecture of the castle buildings and offer a hypothetical graphic reconstruction of the Old Castle's layout, the layout of thepalace building, and the hypothetical appearance of the castle's northern façade during the late 17th to early 18th century. Based on the results of the investigation, a hypothetical graphic reconstruction of the planning structure of the Old and New Castles was performed. The planning structure of the palace as at the tiime of the beginning of the 18th century has been reproduced. On the basis of a schematic drawing from the 17th century, we performed a graphic reconstruction of the appearance of the defensive walls and buildings of the Old Castle from the north side.

Health care for the wounded combatants during the Greek Revolution of 1821

This paper presents a historical review of the health situation during the Greek War of Independence. The efforts to support and organise the Revolution of 1821 included organisation of structures, finding financial resources, collecting ammunition and mental preparation. However, there was no consideration concerning the medical, nursing and pharmaceutical care for the wounded combatants. The Greeks realised there is lack of medical equipment and staff right from the beginning of the Revolution. They had to nurse not only the casualties but also the people who suffered from an epidemic or other diseases. Many people who had studied Philosophy, Astronomy and other sciences also practised Medicine. However, their knowledge was limited to a naturalistic perception of the reality in the medical field. There were also quack doctors and charlatans offering health aid based on their experience. The health conditions were awful due to the constant, unexpected transportation of the military forces, the siege of forts and cities, the forced transportation of a large number of people from the countryside to fortified city centres, the constant battles, the lack of drinking water, food and medicines. Philhellenism, volunteerism, women’s contribution, financial support from the rich and strong will to be free helped in ameliorating the conditions.

The Maroneia cave in Aegean Thrace. Byzantine period transport amphoras and coarse ware

In western Aegean Thrace, on Mt. Ismaros, the Maroneia cave is located. Its southeastern part was in use from the Late Neolithic period onward, until the verge of the Middle and Late Byzantine periods. The cave lies at a short distance from the homonymous, prosperous, coastal, fortified city. Albeit its southern entrance is well-hidden, the plateau in front of it provides the opportunity for wide observation of the surrounding area. Artifacts deposited in the interior attest that the citizens of Maroneia were hosted here occasionally. The present paper presents the coarse ware, attempting to shed light on: a. the commercial and cultural connections of Maroneia and Aegean Thrace in general with Balkan and Mediterranean sites and b. the various uses of the cave through time; transport amphoras and pithoi reflect its use as a storage area for agricultural and dairy commodities, whereas table- and kitchenware reveals its use as a shelter during the tumultuous times of Aegean Thrace. Invasions of several tribes of the north, e.g., the Goths, Huns, Avars, Normans, Catalans, etc.; the rivalry between the Latin kings; the civil wars of the late Byzantine emperors; and seaward piracy on the coastal region of the Thracian Sea led the Maroneitans to abandon their city occasionally and seek refuge in the nearby cave.

Analysis of the impact of green urban areas in historic fortified cities using Landsat historical series and Normalized Difference Indices

Urban green areas minimize the negative effects of climatic change and improve the sustainability of historic cities. Despite this, green areas have traditionally been considered a threat to heritage buildings because they cause humidity changes, that accelerate degradation processes. Within this context, this study evaluates the trends in the inclusion of green areas in historic cities and the effects it causes on humidity and conservation of earthen fortifications. To achieve this goal, vegetative and humidity information has been obtained since 1985 from Landsat satellite images. The historical series of images has been statistically analysed in Google Earth Engine to obtain maps that show the means, 25th, and 75th percentiles of the variations registered in the last 35 years. The results allow visualizing spatial patterns and plotting the seasonal and monthly variations. In the decision-making process, the proposed method allows to monitor whether the presence of vegetation is an environmental degradation agent in the nearby earthen fortifications.The analysis of the historic fortified cities of Seville and Niebla (Spain) shows a gradual increase in green areas and an interest in locating them near the earthen fortifications. The impact on the fortifications is specific to each type of vegetation and can be positive or negative. In general, the low humidity registered indicates low danger, and the presence of green areas favours drying after heavy rains. This study suggests that increasing green spaces to historic cities does not necessarily endanger the preservation of earthen fortifications. Instead, managing both heritage sites and urban green areas together can encourage outdoor cultural activities, reduce the impacts of climate change, and enhance the sustainability of historic cities.

СТРАТИНСЬКІ МІСЬКІ УКРІПЛЕННЯ: ДАТУВАННЯ СПОРУДЖЕННЯ, ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ, РОЗПЛАНУВАЛЬНІ ТА ОБ’ЄМНО-ПРОСТОРОВІ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ

Based on the results of scientific expeditions and field surveys, the article examines the problems of construction dating, functioning efficiency, localization and identification of structures and fortifications, the planning and spatial structure of the Stratyn city fortifications. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that, apart from the reports of four scientific expeditions, no full-fledged scientific article was devoted to Stratyn's city fortifications. The study, based on the analysis of historical sources and the military-political situation, puts forward an assumption about the period of construction of city fortifications and their role in the Polish-Turkish wars of the 1670s. Based on the analysis of cartographic sources and field surveys, an analysis of the planning structure was carried out, the location was determined and fortification structures and fortifications were identified. On the basis of the analysis of the fortification and technological features of the preserved fragments of ramparts, ditches and sites of buildings, it was concluded that the Stratyn city fortifications belong to the bastion defense system common in the western Ukrainian lands.

City and Castle in Castile and Leon from the End of the 12th to the Middle of the 14th Century: a Subject from the History of Feudal Power

The article attempts to analyze a complex of mutual relations between City and Castle or Alcazar (urban reinforced residence of kings and lords) in the period from the edition of Latin Fuero of Cuenca (after 1177) till the time of “Ordenamiento de Alcalá” (1348). Then the urban castle (alcazar) was a key element of city fortifications, that why it was an important object of royal and lord powers. Chatelens (alcaydes) were receiving castles (alcazars) as tenants. The castle (alcazar) was contraposed to the city in military, political, social and legal spheres. The castle (alcazar) was a source of violence and booty to the citizens especially in the periods of weakening of royal power. The attempts of citizens to control the castles (or the alcazars) using the promotion of any urban knights or any representatives of rich burghers to the position of alcayde was rarely successful, though sometimes this aim could be reached by them.

The Level V City Wall at Lachish

ABSTRACT In a recent article published in this journal (Finkelstein 2020, PEQ 152, 85–93), newly published data on Level V at Tel Lachish was criticized. This new data indicates that Level V was a fortified city and that radiometric dating places its construction in the last quarter of the 10th century bce. This date is in accordance with the biblical tradition describing the fortification of Lachish during the reign of King Rehoboam of the Kingdom of Judah in the last quarter of the 10th century bce (2 Chr 11:5–12). In the past, various scholars have proposed dating the list of Rehoboam’s fortification to the reigns of later kings: Hezekiah, Josiah or even John Hyrcanus I. It is thus not surprising that Israel Finkelstein, an advocate of a later date, attempts to refute this new archaeological data.

ДО ПИТАННЯ ПРО ЗНАЧЕННЯ ТА ПЕРІОД ІСНУВАННЯ ОБОРОННИХ ЗАМКІВ РОГАТИНА

The article presents the results of the study of literary sources and natural surveys of the territory of the castle in Rohatyn carried out by the authors. As is well known, the city of Rohatyn of the Ivano-Frankivsk region is one of the oldest cities in Western Ukraine. As early as 1415, the city received the Magdeburg right, which gave potential for more intensive development of the settlement. The planning structure of the city go through certain transformations over time, but the location of the main objects of the city, such as churches, the market square, earthen fortifications and the castle, remained unchanged. There are a small number of references to Rohatyn castle buildings. Some claim that the castle was moved to another location not far from the previous one, within the city limits, next to the city fortifications. Others declare about the existence of another castle on a hill near the city in the Babyntsi village. These evidences largely complement each other, which enabled the researchers to localize the location of the city castle. However, it will be possible to confirm the existence of the Babyntsi Castle only after conducting archaeological research on the hill. Important evidence about the city castle is the studied metrics, descriptions and lustrations of the Rohatyn Starostvo from 1537, and the inventory from 1725. Thanks to these materials, we became aware of the existence of a number of premises and buildings in the castle, such as kitchens-bakeries, carriage houses, stables, storage rooms, gates and other premises, as well as the presence of cannons, grottoes and a list of craftsmen who were part of the castle’s collateral. Thanks to these statements, many conclusions have been drawn regarding the list of premises and their relative location. The results of natural studies and measurements of the casemates, which have survived to this day on the territory of the castle, allowed many researchers to confirm the location of the defensive fortifications in the southeastern part of the city and to localize the castle in the city of Rohatyn according to literary sources and now also according to the results of the fixation of the remains of the casemates.

City fortifications and the form of European cities, with special reference to Croatia

Developments on the sites of bastion fortifications are often welldesigned expansions of city cores with mainly public buildings, representative residential buildings and public spaces. The transformation of bastion fortifications in the Croatian towns of Karlovac and Osijek in the earlytwentieth century resulted in the creation of urban landscapes that can be compared in their characteristics with similar areas in major cities such as Frankfurt, Hamburg and Copenhagen. Developments in these two towns are comparable to those in the nineteenth century in many parts of Europe. They are inner fringe belts forming boundary zones between historically and morphologically distinct housing areas.

Beyond Defence: City Fortifications and Urban Identity in Levoča

Beyond Defence: City Fortifications and Urban Identity in Levoča

HISTORICAL FORTIFICATIONS IN THE ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN PLANNING STRUCTURE OF LVIV (ON MARGINES DOCUMENTATION "HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL REFERENCE PLAN OF LVIV")

Ancient city fortifications are one of the specific types of defensive architecture. Along with the buildings of castles, blocks of urban residential development, monastery complexes and field defensive structures, they formed a special type of architectural and urban planning objects. During their construction, the skills of both an architect, builder, and military engineer were often combined. Not so many objects of urban defense architecture have come down to our time. Therefore, every fragment of the city's defensive walls and earthen fortifications preserved today, as a rule, is a valuable document of its era and needs careful protection and preservation. Urban fortifications (as opposed to fortifications of castles or fortresses) were the objects of priority liquidation in the process of urban development. There are very few of them preserved in Ukraine, so their preservation and study is a matter of extreme importance. Lviv is a unique city on the map of Ukraine in terms of the development of urban fortifications. The article analyzes the reflection of objects and monuments of defense construction in the scientific and design documentation "Historical and Architectural Reference Plan of the City of Lviv". Data on the stages of development of Lviv fortifications are highlighted. Special attention is paid to the remains of fortifications that have been preserved in the archaeological form. Their identification, conservation and identification is important task for modern urban development projects. The paper makes hypotheses about some hitherto unidentified elements of fortifications of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Special emphasis is placed on the need for a special scientific study on the detailed reconstruction of all stages of the development of defense belts around the city center and suburbs of Lviv

THE ARAGONESE CASTLE OF PIAZZA ARMERINA, SICILY: NEW SURVEYS FOR THE CONSERVATION AND THE VALORISATION OF A CULTURAL RESOURCE

Abstract. Sicily owns a vast heritage consisting of manors, strongholds, coastal towers and city fortifications that reflect its long history and strategic role in the Mediterranean Sea. Most of these assets are now in poor condition and abandoned, affected by both aging and the lack of preservation and maintenance activities. Their knowledge is often incomplete because of a lack of archival sources and the quasi-absence of accurate surveys and stratigraphic analyses. A systematic research programme on the most important castles in central Sicily, was then launched. In this context, this paper presents the case study of the Aragonese castle in Piazza Armerina. It shows the first results of a multidisciplinary study based on the integrated use of technologies for three-dimensional survey and supported by new critical interpretations of the morphological and material peculiarities of such an important cultural good. An operational practice aimed at correctly orienting future restoration and reuse activities, based on both scientific criteria and respectful approach to the monument.

The formation of the cultural landscape of Kamianets-Podilsky fortress stage transformations of the fortress in terms of improving the means of warfare)

The article examines 11 stages of the formation of the defensive system of the Kamenets-Podilsky fortress from the point of view of stage transformations (II - XVIII centuries). The main factor that initially influenced the formation of the concept of urban defense was the topography of the area. The old island town, surrounded by the canyon of the Smotrych River, had a natural protective potential from the very beginning, which was fully used throughout the Middle Ages. Subsequent reconstructions were supposed to strengthen the defensive parameters of the area. However, with the advent of long-range artillery, the former defensive advantages of the island led to the degradation of the fortress. The city on the island, surrounded by a river canyon, became a convenient target for enemy artillery stationed on the opposite high bank. All the disadvantages of this situation appeared at the end of the 17th century, when the city was captured by the Ottoman army after a short siege. In the XIX century, military engineers proposed to create a system of powerful forts on the opposite bank of the river, but the lack of financial resources did not allow this idea to be realized. As a result, the fortified city remained an archaic medieval complex, unsuitable for other military functions

Site-Specific Determinants and Remains of Medieval City Fortifications as the Potential for Creating Urban Greenery Systems Based on the Example of Historical Towns of the Opole Voivodeship

The article discusses the natural and historic heritage of medieval towns in the Opole Silesia region in the context of their ability to take advantage of their potential for sustainable development, especially in tourism. The chosen environmental, urban, architectural, and landscape factors were compared through this aspect and subjected to a multidimensional comparative analysis. The research studies applied mostly archival materials, contemporary topographic maps, statistical data, and both landscape as well as urban field studies. As a result, the studies indicated that the natural conditions of the locations, the preservation level of the urban system along with its development trends, and the areas of the old fortifications with their accompanying greenery constitute these towns’ very value and identity. As they combine elements of nature and culture, they may serve as the basis for development of tourism, which is likely to contribute to the social and economic revitalization of the region itself. What may play a major role in the quest for sustainable development are the urban greenery systems to be designed based on former fortification areas, city greenery, and natural environmental resources, which have been integral elements of these towns over many past centuries.

FARMSTEADS-MANSIONS OF ORDINARY RESIDENTS OF KOPYREV KINEC’

On the territory of ancient Kyiv from the end of the X century are fixed numerous farmsteads and separate mansions, which belonged to princes, boyars, merchants, artisans and ordinary inhabitants, formed separate residential and economic complexes, which included both residential and various outbuildings, usually surrounded by fence. Some of the farmsteads located outside the city fortifications had their own fortifications. After analyzing the features of the ancient Rus’ buildings of the Kopyrev kinec’, the following became clear.
 Construction of this area begins with the construction of a fortified farmsteads at its highest point — on the street Sichovyh Striltsiv, 12 (beginning of the XI century). After that, down the slope — on the land on the street Kudriavska, 24A there is a significant number of production facilities that served the needs of the inhabitants of the boyar farmstead. Ferrous iron smelting and processing were carried out here, there were facilities for drying sheaves, a smokehouse, as well as a tar pit. At the next stage, most flammable industries disappear in the middle of the XI — first half of the XII century and in this area there are separate farmsteads of ordinary inhabitants, whose main occupation was a variety of crafts: iron processing, bronze casting, making various things from bronze, possibly making jewelry.
 The richest was the farmstead «Б», which had an area of up to 1200 m2 and was protected on all sides by a fence in the form of a strong fence. There were up to 20 residential, industrial and outbuildings in its area. In the central dwelling of this farmstead they were not engaged in handicrafts, but around it there was a considerable quantity of industrial premises. Most likely, this farmstead was owned by either a merchant or a fairly wealthy artisan.
 Farmstead «B» was smaller in size: ≈1000 m2. About 20 objects were recorded on it. Here they were engaged in smelting and processing of bronze, as well as the manufacture of various iron products. The manufacture of bronze and iron products was carried out in the central living space, and the smelting of bronze — at some distance from the living area. This farmstead could belong to a middle-class artisan who probably participated in the production processes.
 The smallest and poorest was the farmstead «A». Its area was about 800 m2. Here lived an artisan, who most likely engaged in smelting and processing of bronze products, most likely — in a special workshop, which was located next to the house.
 In addition, on the territory of modern Lvivs’ka Square there was a farmstead with a central building of log construction, around which there were outbuildings. Pottery and metalworking workshops could function here.
 Thus, the probable sequence of settlement of the territory of the Kopyrev kinec’ from chaotically located flammable productions to house-building was traced. The inhabitants of the farmsteads were quite clearly divided by property status, but in all estates the main occupation was handicraft.

North Indian Medieval Fort History Study

The studies of Assistant Professor Masahiko Mita, Graduate School of Humanities, Nagoya University, Japan, have included the early medieval history (6th to 13th centuries) of Rajasthan. Recently, he has been investigating the later medieval period and beyond (after the 14th century). By interpreting satellite images of forts, Mita has constructed an understanding of the typology of forts and their historical change. He found that 8th to 18th century Rajasthan forts as royal capitals are classified into three major types: large-scale hilltop fort; minor hilltop fort + fortified palace-city; and flat fortified city. In addition, he discovered that the large-scale hilltop fort was comparatively popular before the 13th century but from the 16th century onward, especially in the 17th century, both the minor hilltop fort + fortified palace-city and flat fortified city had become standard as major Rajput kingdoms became stable as regional royalty under the Mughal rule. Mita is interested in expanding on his findings to date in order to elucidate how the changes related to the state system, military conditions, urban settlements and socio-economic systems of those times. He will consider the politico-economic meanings of the changes from the aspect of the relation of kingship and commerce. Mita is also working to explain the structural transformation of royal capital cities by considering the changing Rajput state formation of the same periods. Ultimately, this work will shed light on historical trends from a different viewpoint and methodology to former studies that used literary sources.

A 3D digitisation workflow for architecture-specific annotation of built heritage

Contemporary discourse points to the central role that heritage plays in the process of enabling groups of various cultural or ethnic background to strengthen their feeling of belonging and sharing in society. Safeguarding heritage is also valued highly in the priorities of the European Commission. As a result, there have been several long-term initiatives involving the digitisation, annotation and cataloguing of tangible cultural heritage in museums and collections. Specifically, for built heritage, a pressing challenge is that historical monuments such as buildings, temples, churches or city fortification infrastructures are hard to document due to their historic palimpsest; spatial transformations, actions of destruction, reuse of material, or continuous urban development that covers traces and changes the formal integrity and identity of a cultural heritage site. The ability to reason about a monument’s form is crucial for efficient documentation and cataloguing. This paper presents a 3D digitisation workflow through the involvement of reality capture technologies for the annotation and structure analysis of built heritage with the use of 3D Convolutional Neural Networks (3D CNNs) for classification purposes. The presented workflow contributes a new approach to the identification of a building’s architectural components (e.g., arch, dome) and to the study of the stylistic influences (e.g., Gothic, Byzantine) of building parts. In doing so this workflow can assist in tracking a building’s history, identifying its construction period and comparing it to other buildings of the same period. This process can contribute to educational and research activities, as well as facilitate the automated classification of datasets in digital repositories for scholarly research in digital humanities.

FEATURES OF THE INFLUENCE OF FORTIFICATIONS OF CASTLE STRUCTURES ON THE ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING STRUCTURE OF SMALL CITIES IF THE PODILLYA OFTHE XVI-XVII CENTURIES

The article examines the evolution of the castle fortifications, which for each region and historical period had their own characteristic features and their relationship with the planning structure of small towns in Podillya. The features of the formation of fortification systems, which influenced the architectural and planning structure of the cities of Podillya at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries, are revealed. The castle`s fortification and fortification system of the cities of Berezhany, Zhovkva, Brody, Stanislav, Zbarazh, Medzhybozh and others are considered. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of changes in the fortification system of cities of the structural-typological level and the use of the modern bastion system, which supplanted the fortifications of the medieval type. The influence of these changes on the intensity of development of small cities in Podillya in the period of the XVI-XVII centuries is analyzed. Attention is focused on the formative influence of the fortifications of castle structures on the architectural and planning structure of cities, which was often decisive at the last stage of the formation of castles and their fortification. The process of uniting the castle and the city is considered, which went through different stages of re-planning: from placing the castle separately, through the interaction of fortification and up to the stage of obtaining a general outline of the city fortifications. The role of castle fortifications in the system of fortifications of the small cities of Podillya is determined. The influence of the development of fortifications of castles and their merger with the defense structure of the city on the urban planning process of the cities of Podillya of XVI-XVII centuries is investigated.
 The formation of castle fortifications in the historical, architectural, town-planning aspects and their influence on the architectural and planning structure of the small cities of Podillya and significance of this influence for understanding the future development of small historical cities of Podillya are considered.

ІСТОРИКО-МІСТОБУДІВНІ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ОБОРОННИХ КОМПЛЕКСІВ М. ВІННИЦІ РУСЬКО-ЛИТОВСЬКОЇ ДОБИ (XIV-XVI СТ.)

In this article for the first time the methods of the complex historical and town-planning analysis of urban defense complexes of the city of Vinnytsia formed during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is applied. The author compares chronicle and act sources, historical cartography and the results of modern field research to establish the location of ancient castle and urban fortifications. The thesis about the formation of the primary urban structure of Vinnytsia during the Lithuanian era according to the principles of urban planning on Rus’ law is proved. Two stages of town-planning development of defense complexes of the city of Vinnytsia are singled out. The first stage is dated to the late 15th middle 16th century. At this time, a castle appears on the basis of a probable ancient Rus’ settlement on Castle Hill in the Old Town area. Next to it, but at a distance, the city center is being built - a fortified post. Planning relics of the ancient city center could be read now. The topological unity of Vinnytsia city center planning with the cities of the medieval Romanesque and Old Rus’ tradition in the cities of Western Europe and Ukraine has been established by means of comparative analysis. Reconstruction of the view of Vinnytsia Castle on Castle Hill at the beginning of 16th century according to the lustrations of 1545 and 1552. The second period is associated with the construction of a new castle until 1558 on the opposite (right) bank of the Southern Bug and the development of a new middletown near castle. At this time, the Ukrainian lands are still dominated by the same principles of urban planning that existed during the construction of the Old Town. Therefore, the outline of the city fortifications, the market square and the parcelling of the New Vinnytsia city are similar to those in the Old City. Instead, the castle is already merging with the city's fortifications into a single system, which allows us to talk about a holistic urban defense complex.