SOROCA FORTRESS

According to historians, the first fortifications date back to the Dacian period. In 1499, on the orders of Stefan cel Mare (1457-1504), a fortress of wood and earth was built on the foundations of an old Genoese trading place called Alciona. In the 15th century, Soroca was part of a defensive network including Hotin, Bender, Orhei and two other forts on the Danube to the south. From 1543 to 1546 during the reign of Petru Rares, the stone fortress was built. Petru Rares brought craftsmen from Transylvania with plans for European fortifications. The plan of the Soroca fortress has similarities with Italian and English strongholds (Del Monte castles in Italy, Queensborough in Kent, Restormel in Cornwall).

The fortress is round, the main tower and the four secondary towers are distributed equidistantly on the circular surrounding wall. The height of the perimeter wall is 24 m and 3 m thick, the total diameter is 37.50 m. The rectangular tower has three levels (entrance courtyard, chapel, main observation platform). The garrison could number between 200 and 250 warriors. Thirteen cellars housed ammunition and food. The fortress was intended for the soldiers but during the wars it also sheltered the population of the city. Nicolae Bulat is the director of the site, an experienced historian who knows absolutely everything about the city of Soroca and the fortress; he speaks English and organizes the tour. Restorations were completed in 2015.