The bastion is the dominant element of modern fortresses, given that the rest of the fortification is structured around it. t’s a protruding construction that extends from the main body of the fortress. It’s generally located at the corners of curtain walls, serving as a strong point of defense.
Bastions are pentagonal structures that project outward from the main body of the fortification. Their basic function was to cover the blind spots that could be caused by other elements. That is why they all had sentry posts at their most acute angle and cannon embrasures looking out in different directions.
The shape of a bastion is pentagonal, but when, due to location, it’s built with four sides instead of five, it’s called a semi-bastion, as is the case here with the Santa Tecla semi-bastion.
