Mury miejskie w Wiślicy

Abstrakt

In the light of historical sources it can be said that defence walls at Wiślica were made of stone in the years 1350—1370, included three gates (Buska, Cracow and Castle gate); there was a castle (probably made of wood) of uncertain localization within the walls; the walls were taken down after 1766. Defence walls at Wiślica were investigated by a number of researchers, although their work was not devoid of shortcomings resulting from poor historical sources and the fact that little use was made of archaeological excavations. Excavations were carried out at Wiślica in the years 1960—1973 on twelve sites. The results were elaborated in 1979, i.e. many years after the termination of the work, and were fraught with numerous difficulties, which had an impact on the final result of this work. The defence walls resembled a triangle, its length being approximately 1,400 metres, and covered an area of 13 hectares. The walls were probably erected at one stage and the differences between the particular sections reselted from the structure of soil in which they were built. The walls were made of broken limestone in a full construction. Their thickness ranged from 120 to 200 cm from section to section. In the course of field work a fragment of one square half-tower was unearthed, being probably an exception in the Wiślica defence walls. The only gate unearthed within the walls (the „Castle" gate), situated in the northern part of the town, was rectangular and its arms protruded equally on both sides of the circumference wall. The castle was thought to have been situated on the site which was not investigated, i.e. between the „Castle" gate and the only tower unearthed so far. No other additional fortifications of external part of Wiślica defence walls were found.