this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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Apologies if this is a stupid question, but what’s the benefit of building a town on narrow ridge lines?
Defense, possibly? Centuripe is ancient, founded back when such things were prime considerations.
Yup. TONS of little towns on hills like this. Often smaller. Always a keep and a church, often a tower.
Easy to defend, easy to see signals from neighboring towns, easy to spot invaders. Safe from seasonal flooding.
Once upon a time attacks came from just land (or sea if near one), and walls and high ground let you literally roll boulders to crush your foes (yay catapults). WW1, Maxim guns, planes, and bombs made this all pointless (but absolutely no fear of floods)