Baldwin's Tower (Bulgarian: Балдуинова кула, Balduinova kula) is a tower house located in the Tsarevets fortress in the Bulgarian town of Veliko Tarnovo.[1] It overlooks the Frankish Quarter (Frenkhisar)[1] and Frenkishar Gate[2] which is located southeast of the fortress wall of the Tsarevets fortress.[1]
History
The tower's name originates from Baldwin IX of Flanders, one of the leaders of the Fourth Crusade which sacked Constantinople and first emperor of the Latin Empire after their conquest of the Byzantine Empire.[3] In 1205, Baldwin led a Crusader force against Bulgarian emperor Kaloyan and he was captured after the Battle of Adrianople. Baldwin was held captive in the tower until his death several months later in Veliko Turnovo, Kaloyan’s capital.[1][3]
The tower was restored in either 1930[3] or 1933 by archaeologist and architect Alexander Rashenov[1] based on the preserved medieval tower in the Cherven fortress near Rousse.[1][3]
43°4′51″N 25°39′11″E / 43.08083°N 25.65306°E
- ^ a b c d e f "Archaeologist Uncovers 13th Century Monastery Dining Room in Bulgaria's Veliko Tarnovo". Православие.RU. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ Bousfield, Jonathan; Richardson, Dan (2002). Bulgaria (4th ed.). London: Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-882-6. OCLC 49989328. OL 9003821M.
- ^ a b c d "Veliko Turnovo's landmark Baldwin's Tower in dire need of repair – report". The Sofia Globe. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
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