Isengard: Austria's Fantasy-Like Landmark

Isengard is a fictional fortress in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, specifically in 'The Lord of the Rings'. It is located in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. Isengard is also known as Angrenost, or 'Iron Fortress' in Tolkien's elvish language, Sindarin. The name comes from the Old English words īsen and ġeard, meaning enclosure of iron. Isengard is not in Austria.

Isengard is a fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale

Isengard, also known as Angrenost ('Iron Fortress') in Sindarin, is a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizards Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. The name of the fortress is described as a translation of Angrenost, a word in J. R. R. Tolkien's elvish language, Sindarin, a compound of two Old English words: īsen and ġeard, meaning "enclosure of iron".

Isengard was built in the Second Age around the tower of Orthanc by the Númenóreans in exile, in the days of their power, in Nan Curunír (The Wizard's Vale) in the Misty Mountains. Its location was at the northwestern corner of the Kingdom of Gondor, guarding the Fords of Isen from enemy incursions into Calenardhon and, together with the fortress of Aglarond to its south, protecting the Gap of Calenardhon.

Isengard was, at first, a green and beautiful tower complex, with many large trees and grass fields, fed by the river until it was dammed by Saruman. During his tenure as an opportunistic servant of Sauron, Saruman turned Isengard into "a child's model or a slave's flattery" of Mordor. Its gardens destroyed, the valley was covered in pits filled with forges and machinery needed for war.

In the Third Age, the land around Isengard (Calenardhon) became depopulated, and the last warden of Orthanc was recalled to Minas Tirith. Isengard remained guarded by a small company, led by a hereditary captain. Contact with Minas Tirith gradually decreased and eventually ceased altogether. When Cirion, Steward of Gondor, gave Calenardhon to the Éothéod, becoming the land of Rohan, Isengard was the sole fortress retained by Gondor north of the Ered Nimrais.

The Wizard Saruman occupied the vale from III 2759 to III 3019 (260 years). Saruman offered to guard Isengard and the Steward of Gondor, Beren, gladly gave him the keys to Orthanc. From that time on, the valley where Isengard stood became known as Nan Curunír, which translates as the ''Valley of Saruman'. Curunír was the Elvish equivalent of Saruman's name, but when rendered into the Common Speech, Nan Curunír is known simply as 'the Wizard's Vale'.

It was built by the Númenóreans in exile in the Second Age

Isengard, also known as Angrenost, was built by the Númenóreans in exile in the Second Age. It was a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. The name Isengard is a translation of Angrenost, a word in Tolkien's elvish language, Sindarin, which is a compound of two Old English words: īsen and ġeard, meaning "enclosure of iron".

The Númenóreans built Isengard as a walled circular enclosure, with the tower of Orthanc at its centre. Orthanc was constructed towards the end of the Second Age by men of Gondor from four many-sided columns of rock joined by an unknown process and then hardened. No known weapon could harm it. Orthanc rose to more than 500 feet (152 metres) above the plain of Isengard and ended in four sharp peaks. Its only entrance was at the top of a high stair, and above that was a small window and balcony. It housed one of the palantíri of the South Kingdom, and was guarded by a warden.

Isengard was built around Orthanc in the Misty Mountains, at the northwestern corner of the Kingdom of Gondor. It guarded the Fords of Isen from enemy incursions into Calenardhon and, together with the fortress of Aglarond to its south, protected the Gap of Calenardhon. Isengard was comprised of a black, circular, stone wall surrounding a broad plain, in the centre of which was the Tower of Orthanc. Isengard had only one gate, which faced south.

Isengard was the home of Saruman

Isengard, also known as Angrenost, was a great fortress and the domain of Saruman. It was located within a valley at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, near the Gap of Rohan. In the centre of the Ring of Isengard stood the stone tower of Orthanc.

Isengard was built in the Second Age around the tower of Orthanc by the Númenóreans in exile. Its location was at the northwestern corner of the Kingdom of Gondor, guarding the Fords of Isen from enemy incursions into Calenardhon. Isengard was comprised of a black, circular, stone wall surrounding a broad plain, in the centre of which was the Tower of Orthanc.

Isengard was, at first, a green and beautiful tower complex, with many large trees and grass fields, fed by the river until it was dammed by Saruman. During his tenure as an opportunistic servant of Sauron, Saruman turned Isengard into "a child's model or a slave's flattery" of Mordor. Its gardens destroyed, the valley was covered in pits filled with forges and machinery needed for war.

Saruman bred Orcs in Isengard, in imitation of Sauron's forces, to be ready for war with Rohan. The Orcs cut down many trees in the forest of the Ents, who retaliated by destroying Isengard while the army of Orcs was away attacking Rohan at Helm's Deep. However, the Ents were unable to harm the tower of Orthanc. Saruman, isolated in the tower, was visited by members of the Fellowship of the Ring, and his staff was broken by the Wizard Gandalf.

It is located in the western part of Middle-earth

Isengard, also known as Angrenost, is a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. The name of the fortress is a translation of Angrenost, a word in Tolkien's elvish language, Sindarin, which is a compound of two Old English words: īsen and ġeard, meaning "enclosure of iron".

Isengard was built in the Second Age around the tower of Orthanc by the Númenóreans in exile. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Kingdom of Gondor, guarding the Fords of Isen from enemy incursions into Calenardhon. The fortress is surrounded by a black, circular, stone wall with a plain in the centre, upon which stands the Tower of Orthanc.

Orthanc was built towards the end of the Second Age by men of Gondor from four many-sided columns of rock joined by an unknown process and then hardened. No known weapon could harm it. Orthanc rose to more than 500 feet (152 metres) above the plain of Isengard, and ended in four sharp peaks. Its only entrance was at the top of a high stair, and above that was a small window and balcony. Orthanc housed one of the palantíri of the South Kingdom, a far-seeing crystal ball able to communicate with others like it, and was guarded by a warden.

For most of its history, Isengard was a green and beautiful tower complex, with many large trees and grass fields, fed by the river until it was dammed by Saruman. Saruman turned Isengard into "a child's model or a slave's flattery" of Mordor. Its gardens were destroyed, and the valley was covered in pits filled with forges and machinery needed for war. After Saruman's defeat, Treebeard and the rest of the Ents made it a vivid green area again, after destroying the walls and dam, renaming it the Treegarth of Orthanc.

The tower of Orthanc could not be harmed by any known weapon

Isengard, a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth, is not located in Austria. In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Isengard is a fictional location.

The Tower of Orthanc, located in the centre of Isengard, was constructed out of four piers of stone and then hardened by an unknown process. No known weapon could harm it. Orthanc rose to more than 500 feet (152 metres) above the plain of Isengard, and ended in four sharp peaks. Its only entrance was at the top of a high stair, and above that was a small window and balcony. It was built by the Dúnedain and was the seat of power of the Wizard Saruman.

Orthanc was constructed out of four many-sided columns of rock joined by an unknown process and then hardened. No weaponry or magic that existed on Arda was known to be able to harm it. The Ents that besieged Isengard during the War of the Ring managed to inflict slight damage on the tower, but their efforts ultimately proved futile. Orthanc remained standing even after the destruction of Isengard by the Ents, who retaliated against Saruman for cutting down their trees.

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