13th c. rampart tower found in Breda

The foundations of a medieval tower that stood on the 13th century ramparts have been discovered in Breda, southern Netherlands. The medieval brick wall was found about two feet below street level. The surviving section of wall is semi-circular now, but archaeologists cannot determine whether the full tower was circular, semi-circular or horseshoe-shaped.

The earliest records of Breda date to the 11th century when it was a direct fief of the Holy Roman Emperor. It was granted a municipal charter in 1252 and the charter allowed it to build fortifications for its defense. The first defensive wall was an earthen rampart that encircled the city in the late 13th century. In the 14th century, a wall and a moat were added. On the east side of the city, the stone wall was built against the rampart instead of replacing it. That way defenders could walk the rampart and fewer stone battlements had to be built atop of the wall.

The location of the newly-discovered tower is squarely in the middle of the thick rampart, so not connected to the later city wall. Remains of Breda’s 14th century wall towers have been found before, but this is the first rampart tower ever unearthed.

The excavation is part of an ambitious redesign of Breda to make it a “City in the park,” a green metropolis of linked parks that connect the historic nucleus of the city with the outlying areas, combatting traffic congestion, heat stress, flooding and urban sprawl. The medieval wall plays a key role as a green wreath will be created around the historic center following the path of the ramparts that were demolished centuries ago to make way for the outward expansion of the city.

The rampart tower has now been reburied under a thick layer of sand for its own protection.