Still in the western bastion, this third piece of artillery admirably completes the collection: a 16th-century falconet. Slender, lighter, and more maneuverable than heavy cannons, it is distinguished by its elegant shape and its ability to rapidly fire small projectiles. Placed here, it seems almost alive, ready to pounce, as its name suggests.

The falconet was perfectly suited to the defensive strategy of a castle like Haut-Kœnigsbourg: light enough to be moved by a few men, accurate enough to target a distant enemy, and powerful enough to deter attackers. One can imagine it pointed through a loophole, in those bastions where every angle was designed to maximize the field of fire.

Being before it, one senses less the brutality of war than technical ingenuity: it is a transitional weapon, between the heavy medieval bombards and more modern cannons, designed for speed, precision, and mobility.

This falconet, a subtle blend of precision and mobility, perfectly illustrates the evolution of artillery in the 16th century: an era when warfare became more technical and strategic, and when every fortress had to adapt to survive.

Historical Aside – The Falconet

• The falconet is a piece of light artillery used in the 15th and 16th centuries.
• Its name comes from the falcon, as it is smaller than the larger falcon (a cannon of greater caliber), following a "family" armament logic often used at the time.
• It fires cannonballs weighing approximately 500 g to 1 kg, sometimes made of iron, sometimes of stone.
• Thanks to its long barrel, it had greater range and accuracy than shorter cannons.
• It was used to:
• target enemy groups at a distance,
• defend gates and access routes, and
• harass approaching troops.
• Its relatively light weight allowed it to be easily moved, making it an ideal weapon for bastions and curtain walls.