Editing Citadel (section)

{{Short description|Central military fortification of a town}}
{{About|the fortification|other uses||}}
[[File:Casale Monferrato map (018 003).jpg|thumb|In this seventeenth-century plan of the fortified city of [[Casale Monferrato]] the citadel is the large [[Bastion fort|star-shaped structure]] on the left.]]

A '''citadel''' is the most fortified area of a town or [[city]]. It may be a [[castle]], [[fortress]], or fortified center. The term is a [[diminutive]] of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.

In a [[fortification]] with [[bastion]]s, the citadel is the strongest part of the system, sometimes well inside the outer walls and bastions, but often forming part of the outer wall for the sake of economy. It is positioned to be the last line of defence, should the enemy breach the other components of the fortification system.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the City|last=Caves|first=R. W.|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|pages=83}}</ref>