Tamara Nesterova. On the dating of Stone Fortress in Soroca

Fortress Soroca has not an exact date of construction, but the historical and archeological sources indicate the rulers period beginning with Stephen the Great and ending with Petru Rares, opinion that left its mark on the fortress architecture appreciation. A careful examination of the architectural details of the Soroca Fortress, combined with the morphological study of shepes through the structural- numerical method, has allowed the author to establish the period of reign of Petru Musat. Beeing an execution after the occidental castles from VIIIth-XIVth century, the Soroca Fortress was rebuilt by Stephen the Great, adding the artillery. The stationing of Polish army between the years 1686-1699 and quartering of the Russian army in the years 1788-1789, led to the disappearance of the certain structural components, which together with a superficial reading of the document from 1543, led to a late dating of the castle.

Keywords: fortress, castle, details, loopholes, structural and numerical model, Petru Musat, Stefan the Great.

Revista Arheologică, serie nouă, vol. XI, nr. 1-2, 2015, p. 209-219