Description and history of the Genoese fortress, located in Feodosia

Crimea is famous not so much for its sea and beaches. The peninsula has a huge number of attractions and ancient monuments. One of them is the Genoese fortress or, as it is also called, the Kafa fortress. It is located on the territory of one of the oldest settlements in Crimea - in the city of Feodosia. It's hard to believe, but this city was created in the VI century BC. That is why Feodosia is so rich in historical monuments and ancient legends.

Unfortunately, most of the buildings have not survived to this day. Even from the famous and majestic Genoese fortress, very little remains. Therefore, it is our duty to tell about this unique architectural heritage so that as many people as possible have time to get to know it while there is still such an opportunity.

Until the 13th century, the coast of Crimea from Kerch to Sevastopol was under the rule of the Byzantines. But then these lands were seized by the Genoese, who held them in their hands until the 15th century. In an effort to increase their influence, identify interests and protect possessions from attacks from hostile principalities, the Genoese people erected several fortresses on their territory.

All fortifications created during that period are called Genoese. However, the fortresses in Sudak and Feodosia were the largest and best preserved to this day. Now these buildings have the status of a historical and architectural reserve.

Historical note: the Genoese not only built a fortress, but also restored the old Feodosiabecause it was almost completely destroyed after the invasion of the Huns. The Genoese made Feodosia the center of their possessions on the Black Sea coast with extensive trade ties and their own coin. The trade was carried out not only in fish and other goods, but also in slaves. This port was the main market for captives in the entire peninsula.

The Genoese fortress consisted of a citadel and an external defense unit. The citadel was erected on the territory of Quarantine Hill in about 1340-1343. At the same time, the structure turned out to be so large-scale that it had to be completed for another decade.

The citadel was 718 meters long, the walls were 11 meters high, and the thickness was 2 meters. The building was intended not only for defense, but also for the location of the court, shops, storage facilities. And also for the treasury, the residence of the bishop and the consul's palace. Currently, only half of the structure has survived, everything else has been destroyed.

The citadel was fenced off with a strong wall on which there were 30 towers. The wall was 5.5 kilometers long. Also, a moat was laid around the structure, which served as a storm drain and additionally protected the citadel.

After the completion of construction, the Genoese fortress turned out to be the most powerful and the second largest fortress in all of Europe. In many sources, the Genoese fortress is called the Kafa fortress. Both the first and the second name will be correct. This happened due to the fact that even before the final restoration of Feodosia, instead of the city there was a commercial port of Kaffa. This port later became the main center of all colonies of the Genoese people on the Black Sea coast.

It is believed that the plague epidemic of 1347 in Europe began just from the Genoese fortress. And these are not just rumors. There are official papers that confirm this. The documents belonged to a notary named Gabriel de Mussy. The infection took place during the siege of the fortress by Janibek, the khan of the Golden Horde.

By order of the khan, the city was "bombarded" with corpses using catapults. According to the documents, it was from this that the outbreak of the plague occurred in the Cafe. In Europe, the infection was spread by rats, who arrived there on ships along with the Genoese who had escaped from the city.

The Genoese people held the fortress in their hands until the second half of the 15th century. Then the Ottomans captured the Kafa fortress and the whole Crimea, including other seemingly impregnable fortifications. Then the structure was captured by the Turks. And at the beginning of the 17th century - by the Cossacks of the ataman Sagaidachny. Further, the peninsula was ruled by the Russian Empire. And it was then that the Genoese fortress began to rapidly collapse. This was due to the fact that the structure was dismantled into material for the construction of dwellings.

Unfortunately, at present only ruins remain of the once majestic fortress. On the south side, the wall is best preserved. The towers of St. Clement and Crisco remained on it.

Crisco is nothing more than the name of Christ distorted by foreigners. The structure consisted of two tiers and three walls with wide battlements. This is an open tower, it offers a magnificent view and beautiful large-scale photographs are obtained. According to ancient legends, it was on this tower that the first mechanical clock in Europe was installed, which was installed by the Genoese themselves.

An equally interesting view opens from the first tier - sea waves and a relatively new monument to Afanasy Nikitin. The monument was erected here in memory of the fact that the navigator stopped in Feodosia during his trip to India.

This tower already consisted of 3 tiers and slightly hung over the line of the walls of the fortification. It is connected to the walls of the fortress and the tower of Crisco. Near the tower of Clement, there was a large gate of the city.

The towers of Thomas and Giovanni di Scaffa still stand here. As well as the Dookovaya and Constantine towers.

The Tower of Constantine was cut off from the main part of the fortress. Now it is located in the center of Feodosia - in the Jubilee Park near the railway station. But this is not the only remarkable thing about the Tower of Constantine. It has a slightly different design: two tiers on a rectangular base with hinged mashikuli loopholes.

Such structures made it possible to fire the enemy vertically, thereby eliminating the so-called blind spots of the Genoese fortress. This significantly increased the defensive power of the fortification. The Tower of Constantine has become one of the symbols of Feodosia. Therefore, the image of this design can often be found on souvenir products from the Crimea.

The Genoese fortress is located in the oldest southern part of Feodosia - on the Quarantine Hill near the bay. The main part of the building is located in the area of ​​Portovaya Street. To get to this place, you can take public transport to the stop "Most" or "City Hospital No. 1".

In the first case, you will need to walk up Starokarantinnaya street, and then you can easily find the monument following the signs and signs. In the second case, you need to walk along Korabelnaya Street to the sea through the "Holy Valley". It will be even easier and faster to get to the fortress by car. You will need no more than 10 minutes for this. From the center of Feodosia you can drive along Lenin Street, Krasnoarmeyskaya, Zemskaya or Ukrainian... It is better to leave the car near the bus stop or the sea.

Interesting Facts:

• for four centuries, the largest slave market in Europe operated near the walls of the fortress;
• according to some sources, the name of the city and the fortress Kafa appeared due to the fact that dark-skinned people were often called here with the word "kafa";
• The remains of an ancient fortress can be found throughout the territory of modern Feodosia, since ancient foundations and so on are "hidden" everywhere.

For a description and history of the emergence of the Genoese fortress, see the following video.