In medieval
castles, the chemise (
French: "shirt") was typically a low wall encircling the
keep, protecting the base of the tower. Alternative terms, more commonly used in English, are mantlet wall or apron wall.
[Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, pp. 4, 67 & 190. ]
In some cases, the keep could be entered only from the chemise (i.e. at the first floor level). Numerous examples exist of highly varied form, including the heavily fortified chemise of
Château de Vincennes, or the more modest example at
Provins, both in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Some chemises are suggested to have been developed from earlier
motte and bailey defences, though they may not usually be referred to as chemise.
In later
fortification, a chemise is a wall lined with a
bastion, or any other bulwark of earth, for greater support and strength.
References
Note
The German Wikipedia entry "Mantelmauer" links to this entry. This is not accurate, since the German "Mantelmauer" was renowned for being particularly high rather than the English / French "chemise" which is described here as a "low wall". An example is Alzenau Castle in Germany, where the "Mantelmauer" is 14 metres (approx. 46 feet) high.
Bibliography
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Castle architecture
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