“In the gloomy domed livingroom of the tower Buck Mulligan’s gowned form moved briskly about the hearth to and fro, hiding and revealing its yellow glow. Two shafts of soft daylight fell across the flagged floor from the high barbicans: and at the meeting of their rays a cloud of coalsmoke and fumes of fried grease floated, turning.”
Ulysses Ch.1 [Telemachus] – James Joyce
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[An article prepared for matzine 09 ‘Copy+Paste’ ed. Stephen Mackie]
Martello Towers are compact defensive forts built by the British during the early 19th century – for the Napoleonic wars – at coastal positions throughout the diverse regions of their empire. They are a development of earlier Corsican defensive towers, and draw their name and design from one at Mortella, which was completed in 1565. The design and implementation of the Martello Towers across the 140 locations at which they were constructed remained broadly consistent, and was later emulated and re-purposed for communications by other nations, including America and France.
Filed under: Architecture, History