The Tower of London

The Tower of London is an old castle made up of 21 towers. It is one of the London sites declared World Heritage by UNESCO (the others are: Kew Gardens, the Palace of Westminster and Maritime Greenwich), and one of the main tourist attractions of the capital. It was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. Other kings, for example Richard the Lionheart and Henry III, built more towers to the existing ones to improve its safety. Henry III also turned part of the Tower into a royal residence. In addition, the Tower was was a prison for famous prisoners (the most famous are: Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's wives, Elizabeth I), religious dissidents and as a place of torture and executions. This use led to the phrase "sent to the Tower". In the 1300s the Tower of London became the official home of the Crown Jewels. In the First and Second World war The Tower was again used as a prison and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the Second World War, "The Blitz" damaged itcaused but it was repaired. Today, the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The best known towers are the Bloody Tower, the Green Tower and the biggest one, The White Tower.

Curiosity

1)The last execution in the Tower took place on August 14, 1941, when a German spy Josef Jacobs, who broke his ankle while parachuting into an english field, was executed by a Scottish firing squad.

2) The prisoner who spent the longest time in the Tower, for 37 years until his death, was William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk for plotting against King Henry VII.

The Beefeaters and the Ravens

The Beefeaters are responsible for guarding the tower. They are 37 volunteers, also called Yeomen Warders. They wear a Tudor uniform and live within the Tower, and their responsibilities include guiding tours for the Tower’s visitors.

But the most famous inhabitants of the Tower of London are 7 crows. The ravens around the Tower are the symbol of the British monarchy. As long as there are ravens flying around, the monarchy will survive. For this reason, ravens have part of the wings clipped and are kept on the grounds by the yeoman ravenmaster. In fact, a tradition dating from the time of King Charles II (reigned 1660–85) states that "should the ravens leave the Tower, the fortification and the state would fall".

GIULIA ANZALDI