Mr Monkey scampered along to the Visserplein and read a board about the Strange Contraptions the Spanish used during the siege. As the siege went on so long, engineers from all over the Spanish empire came to test their cunning devices in action, mostly without any notable success. The wheeled bridge designed by Targone, an Italian architect, was spoilt when a cannonball broke one of its 10 foot diameter wheels.
You can see the picture of the siege engines on the board at the University of Leiden Library website.
Return to Mr Monkey follows the Siege of Ostende historic walk
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 6 November 2007