Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland

In architecture, a turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for As their military use faded, turrets were adopted for decorative purposes, as in the Scottish baronial style. The Scottish Baronial style is part of the Gothic revival in architectural styles drawing on stylistic elements and forms from Castles Tower houses

A turret might have a circular top with crenellations as in the picture at right, a pointed roof, or any other kind of top. Crenellation (or crenelation, also known as castellation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that frames the tops of the walls of many medieval Castles It might contain a staircase if it projects higher than the building. However, a turret might not be any higher than the rest of the building; in this case it is part of a room, that can be simply walked into – see the turret of Chateau de Chaumont on this collection of turrets, which also illustrates a turret on a modern skyscraper.

A building may have both towers and turrets; turrets might be smaller or higher but the difference is generally considered to be that a turret projects from the edge of the building, rather than continuing to the ground. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. The size of a turret is therefore limited by technology, since it puts additional stresses on the structure of the building. It would traditionally be supported by a corbel. In Architecture a corbel (or console) is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight

See also

• Yagura, a Japanese type of turret
• Fortification

Gallery

Corbelled corner turrets at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow	Turret window in Park Slope, Brooklyn	Turret at the Het Schip housing in the Amsterdam School style	Turret atop Havant dental surgery
The turrets of Balhousie Castle in Perth, Scotland	Staggered Slate Turret