Exterior Works

It was not until the Staatse period (1632-1794) that Maastricht became internationally renowned as "the bulwark of the Netherlands." The medieval enceinte,(ring wall) "the capital wall" remained important for the arrangement of artillery and as a last line of resistance, but in the forecourt grew a system of outworks, which one does not find in this size and diversity, around any other Dutch city.

The outworks, a response to the predominant role of artillery, were funded by the States General and were initially built according to the principles of the Old Dutch fortification system. Essentially this involved the construction of an orderly whole, consisting of fairly low, flanking earthworks, so that the defenders could support each other unhindered by crossfire. The ravelins in front of the gates were incorporated into the defense system and could be used as fighting positions, relieving the defenders of the powder vapor in the vaulted casemates.
The Old Dutch system was actually designed for protection by water and, related to this, the sparse use of masonry. The situation around Maastricht, where in the sector between the "Tongersepoort and the Lindenkruispoort,( the so-called High fronts) due to its high location, no moats were available, forced the engineers again and again to deviate from the Northern Dutch model. We recognize this in the masonry pieces, on a much larger scale and an expansion of the fortress belt that sometimes looks like sprawl.


The large rectangular hornworks were entirely of earth, but the pentagonal earthen bastions had walls of marlstone, lined with bricks. They were secured by a dry moat, of which at a later stage also the embankment on the field side was completely and the contrescarp only in the corners facing the salient were masonry. Later, the lunettes, the smaller forward supports, also received a cladding wall. In addition, one finds all kinds of unique walled earthworks, such as the couvrefaces with a projecting and the tenailles with an indented corner, which were sometimes zigzagged into a covering wall. The outer defense line was formed by a covered road with a parapet, which on the outside, the glacis, sloped gently into the forecourt.( see map 1744)