Today’s releases are a trio of fortresses and castles, at opposite ends of the size scale. Most impressive is the massive Castle Krzyżtopór (not the easiest pronunciation for a non-Polish speaker), a huge baroque pile in Ujazd, southern Poland. It was built in the mid-17th century (the exact dates seem uncertain) by a nobleman, Krzysztof Ossoliński. It was captured by the Swedes and ransacked in 1655, and so badly ravaged that it was not deemed worthy of repairs. Several noble families occupied the least-damaged areas, but it was ultimately abandoned in 1787. Nevertheless, it has stood, slowly crumbling, for over two centuries since then. The buildings of the castle stand within a high wall with five huge bastions, which Phil pointed out resembled a turtle from above (!). Our model depicts the castle in its original splendour, rather than as it is now.
Rather more modestly proportioned is Nehaj Fortress, in Senj, Croatia. A fairly simple square tower design, it was finished in 1558 as a defence against the marauding Ottomans.
Finally on our castle mini-break, we come to the Forte de Nossa Senhora de Monte Serrat, a small fort in Salvador, Brazil. Don’t confuse it with the much larger fortress in Portugal of the same name, as I nearly did when writing this up… It dates from 1583, and is built in the shape of an irregular hexagon. Other than that, it seems to have little service history, but it’s a nice design. Oh, and it should be painted white, not bare stone as I’ve depicted it.
SSS-8185 – Krzyztopor Castle – £12.00
SSS-8186 – Nehaj Fortress – £2.00
SSS-8187 – Forte de Nossa Senhora de Monte Serrat – £2.00
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