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==Origin==
Middle French citadelle, from Old Italian cittadella, diminutive of cittade [[city]], from Medieval Latin civitat-, civitas — more at [[city]]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_century 1562]
==Definitions==
*1: a fortress that commands a [[city]]
*2: stronghold <the nation's citadel of [[health]] [[research]] — Constance Holden> <a citadel of higher education>
==Description==
A '''citadel''' is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same [[Latin]] root as the [[word]] "[[city]]", civis, meaning [[citizen]].
In a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortification fortification] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion bastions], the citadel is the strongest part of the [[system]], sometimes well inside the outer walls and bastions, but often forming part of the outer wall for the sake of [[economy]]. It is positioned to be the last line of defense should the enemy breach the other components of the fortification system. A citadel is also a term of the third part of a medieval castle, with higher walls than the rest of a town. It was to be the last line of defence before the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep keep] itself.
The oldest known [[structures]] which have served as citadels were built by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization Indus Valley Civilization], where the citadel represented a centralised [[authority]]. The main citadel in Indus Valley was almost 12 meters tall. The [[purpose]] of these [[structures]], however, remains [[debate]]d. Though the [[structures]] found in the ruins of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro] were walled, it is far from clear that these [[structures]] were defensive against enemy [[attacks]]. Rather, they may have been built to divert flood waters.
In ancient [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece Greece], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis Acropolis] (citadel), placed on a commanding eminence, was important in the life of the people, serving as a refuge and stronghold in peril and containing [[military]] and [[food]] supplies, the [[shrine]] of the god and a royal [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace palace]. The most well-known is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_of_Athens Acropolis of Athens], but nearly every Greek city-state had one - the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrocorinth Acrocorinth] famed as a particularly strong fortress. In a much later period, when Greece was ruled by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_empire Latin Empire], the same strongpoints were used by the new feudal rulers for much the same purposes.
In various countries, the citadels gained a specific name such as "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremlin Kremlin]" in Russia or "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcazaba Alcazaba]" in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Peninsula Iberian Peninsula]. In European cities, the term "Citadel" and "City Castle" are often used interchangeably. The term "tower" is also used in some cases such as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London Tower of London] and [[Jerusalem]]'s (misnamed) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_David Tower of David].
At various periods, and particularly during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages Middle Ages], the citadel - having its own fortifications, independent of the city walls - was the last [[defense]] of a besieged army, often held after the town had been [[conquered]]. A [[city]] where the citadel held out against an invading army was not considered conquered. For example, in the 1543 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Nice Siege of Nice] the Ottoman forces led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarossa Barbarossa] [[conquered]] and pillaged the town itself and took many captives - but the city castle held out, due to which the townspeople were accounted the victors (and took considerable [[pride]] in it).[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel]
==Naval term==
A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_room safe room] on a vessel is called a citadel.
[[Category: History]]
[[Category: Architecture]]