Garnoye

Garnoye (Mirselec for "White Fort") is a famous castle in Risevne, sited in the northeast of city area E3 of Isana (which is also called Garnoye). Situated on top of the hill known as Nortekone, or Swallows' Hill, it was once a crucial node in the defence of the city, dominating both the Rushalya river and the eastern land approaches into Isana.

Despite its present name, which derives from its brilliantly whitewashed walls, the fort was neither whitewashed nor named Garnoye in the past; before the 1727 Rebellion the fort was called Nortenoye, "Swallows' Fort". The fort was painted white in 1731, and officially renamed in 1732. Now, Garnoye is a global symbol of Isana city, representing its historical side which the eastern "Old City" embodies.

History

Archaeological records have shown that the hill of Nortekone has been a site of fortification ever since the advent of large-scale settlement in the Feladmena Plain; the oldest evidence of fortification in that area is a stretch of brick wall and several other remains tentatively dated to around 500 BDN.

Origins of the present fort

The first mention of the fort of Nortenoye dates to around 475 DN, when the Annual Chronicles of the Sovereigns of Masal states that Admiral Suga broke the fleet of rebellious bandits under the fort of Nortenoye, killed their leaders, and took 900 heads. As the city of Isana grew and became the royal capital for the Kingdom of Masal, the hill was also recognised as an important checkpoint and over successive reigns the hilltop fort was extended.

Archaeological excavations show that the first Nortenoye was built in the classic pattern of Masalan castles, known as the Keep and Wings style. The centre of the fortification was a keep, situated on the northeast of the hill, and to its west and south walls led to the side fortifications, which are smaller towers armed with shooting platforms. The whole complex was then surrounded with two walls - a stone wall, parts of which still exist and have been incorporated into the inner wall of the present fort; and a wall of timbers.

Design and Geography

The present castle is the result of several rounds of expansion, decay, and restoration, of which the most impressive must have been the construction of the new main keep which was completed in 1430 after six years of work. The main keep sits on a foundation of stones and bricks, rising 32 metres above the hill, from which the stone and wood of the keep tower rises five more storeys; at the summit of the tower is a room with bronze bells, gongs and horns, used probably for organising the defence of the keep in case of assaults.

Present Situation

The whole complex of Garnoye Castle, as well as the hill itself, now form Garnoye Park, while the main keep of the castle is the site of the Garnoye Museum, focusing on artifacts from the late Royal, Committee of Guardians, and early post-Restoration periods. Despite being named a park, the Garnoye complex in fact is split into several areas and privately managed; admission costs 41 Mirin, and attractions include daily displays of archery, horsemanship, swordsmanship and many other crafts of the age of the Kingdoms.

Cultural Impact

Garnoye is seen as one of the symbols of Isana, as well as of Risevne as a whole, and it is often referred to in fiction as well as popular culture. In a 2044 poll, the castle beat several other prominent areas of Isana such as King Sarus I Square and even the Risevan War Memorial and was named the Most Memorable Building of Isana.

Garnoye is often referred to in literature, especially in modern times; in Erai Raldergye's works, for example, the castle is often taken as a sign of the old order that was being challenged continuously in the Ibakizaro; while the famed war poet Captain Niro Basidas wrote of the walls in several of his poems, one of which - "What if the Walls should not be White" - is presently engraved in a bronze plaque at the main gate of the castle complex. As for ancient treatments of the Nortenoye as a literary subject, the present castle houses a pavillion where 72 famous poems regarding the castle are all engraved in bronze on the pillars.

In art, too, Garnoye is a popular and recurring image; the engraver and painter Surin Edinan produced a series of sixteen views of the central keep of Garnoye in 1766 (an act for which he was arrested and imprisoned by the Committee of Guardians), and since then that has been a popular way to depict the castle as well.