Tower of London

There are many historical landmarks in the capital of England, London, but there are some which in any case you can not miss. One of the symbols of the city is called the Tower of London, which has served as a royal fortress for more than 900 years. This impressive castle is located on the north bank of the River Thames in the central part of the capital. The neighborhood here is called Tower Hamlets, and from the east end of London is separated from the large empty space, known as the Tower Hill. The nearest subway station, which can bring you to the Tower of London is precisely the Tower Hill.

The basics of the beautiful and impressive castle are set in 1078 by William the Conqueror. The white tower in the southeastern corner of the city was the first stone tower in the entire English kingdom. In the following centuries the Tower of London was transformed into a formal royal residence of Henry III and remains in that status until today.

In the 13th century the ruler Edward I began construction of the Beauchamp Tower, which was locked for the senior prisoners. During those centuries, the fate of the Tower of London was to serve rather as a place of imprisonment, torture and executions for a long time. Today, in Beauchamp Tower can be seen many inscriptions carved on the walls, from the other occupants which it held.

In 1483 after the death of Edward IV, his two sons were locked in the so called Bloody Tower in the Tower of London. The youths being in prison was due to the order by their uncle Richard of Gloucester or better known by his secular there, Richard III. To this day it is not clear in evidence that the uncle is to blame for the death of the sons of Edward IV. The Bloody Tower was a destination for many prisoners, who arrived here by ship on the Thames.

Two wives of Henry VIII had been consorting in the Tower Green, which was the place where five more important to English history personalities were found dead. Most executions are carried out publicly and various vegetables and stones are thrown by the spectators.

Today the Tower of London is the only ancient building, which is inhabited by the British government. From the Tower of London in 1485 it has been constantly guarded by royal guards. The palace has special crows for which it is believed that if they fly from the territory of the fortress, it will perish. As a result of this superstitions the birds wings are trimmed regularly.