A sconce is a small protective

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, such as an earthwork, often placed on a mound as a defensive work for artillery. It was used primarily in Northern Europe from the late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

until the 19th century. This type of fortification was common during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

, and the remains of one such structure can be seen on Fort Royal Hill in Worcester, England. During the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Re ...

for Dutch independence, the sconces (''schans'' in Dutch) were often used to defend strategic places, but were used also during sieges and in circumvallations. Several more or less intact sconces remain in the Netherlands. The Zaanse Schans, one of the top tourist locations in the Netherlands, derived its name from its original function as a sconce. Sconces played a major part in the Serbian Revolution, countering the numerical superiority of the Turkish army.

Etymology

The etymology of sconce is from the Latin ''absconsus'', via the French ''esconce'': a word of many meanings, mostly signifying a covering or protection, or, by extension, that which is covered or protected. The word is closely related to the medieval Dutch ''schans'' and the German word '' Schanze'', as used for example in the name of

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

's military headquarters, the Wolfsschanze.ensconceThe Lexiteria & alphaDictionary
/ref>

References

{{Authority control Fortification (architectural elements) Fortifications by type

Etymology

See also

References