Architecture of The Tarnovo Artistic School - Palace Construction and Urban Planning

Palace Construction and Urban Planning

Тhe defensive system of Tarnovo was impressive. The Medieval capital had three fortified hills: Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Momina Krepost (Devingrad). Numerous monasteries nestled on the Sveta Gora heights. Between the hills were situated several neighbourhoods: the New City (Asenova mahala); the quarter of the foreign merchants (Frazgrad) and the Jew quarter; they were all surrounded by walls. The palaces of the Emperors and the Patriarch were located on the most heavily fortified hill, Tsarevets and both resembled a small citadel in way.

Тhe Imperial Palace was initially a bolyar castle and underwent two major reconstruction under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241) and Ivan Alexander (1331–1371). In its final appearance it was a small fortress with approximately oval shape. The thickness of its walls reached two meters. The entrance gates were guarded by round and rectangular towers, the main entrance was located in the round tower of the northern facade. The north-western edge tower was particularly massive. From the inside the edifices were built around an inner yard with richly decorated royal church in the middle. Due to the rugged terrain some buildings had two and others had three storeys.

The Patriarch Palace rising on the highest point of Tsarevets dominated the city. Its plan resembled those of the Imperial Palace. Thick walls surrounded the patio in which the cruciform dome Ascension of God Church was situated. The foundations of two round towers have been excavated one in the northern and the other in the southern parts of the palace. The main entrance was in the western rectangular tower. A four-cornered bell-tower was adjoined to the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of God whose architecture design is unique for South-eastern Europe. The residential and office sections were located in the southern part.

The construction of the palaces was from stone soldered with plaster. Large stone blocks were used only in some places unlike the buildings from Pliska and Preslav. From the outside they had austere and monumental appearance. For the imposing edifices the architects used mixed construction methods and decorative elements similar to those from the churches. Unfortunately due to the heavy damage they suffered, it is not possible to be restored the overall appearance of the palaces for certain. Some premises were richly decorated with mosaics and mural paintings and probably served for audiences and Royal apartments. The using of stone inscriptions from Antiquity which were embedded into the walls was characteristic for the Architecture of the Tarnovo School of Architecture. Most of the came from the ancient Roman town of Nicopolis ad Istrum located at 18 km to the north of Tarnovo. That feature impressed the Bulgarian Catholic archbishop Peter Bogdan who wrote and interesting description of Tsarevets in 1640.

On the hill there were also shops, workshops, warehouses and dwelling which probably belonged to the craftsmen and the servants. The narrow streets were covered with cobbles. The foundations of churches, water tanks and bolyar houses have been excavated. The walls which are 12 meters high follow the crown of the hill. The main gate was situated in the western section of the fortress and was defended by a complex fortification which included three towers, three gates and a drawbridge above the steep cliffs. Tsarevets had five more gates. There were also secret underground passages. Below the heights, along the river was built a second wall ring which surrounded the hill. In the vicinity of the Great Lavra monastery were discovered the foundations of a stone bridge which spanned over the Yantra river.

In a similar way was organized the defensive system of the other large hill Trapezitsa. It was surrounded by thick walls and many tower and had six gates. The foundations of a pirgos and 17 churches have been found during excavations.

During the 13th and 14th centuries Tarnovo had around 30,000 inhabitants and was the second largest city in the Balkan peninsula after the Byzantine capital Constantinople.