After his coronation, he entered the city as the King of Gondor, as he was destined to become from the start of his lifetime. On May 1st, 3019, the Crowning of King Elessar took place on the plain outside Minas Tirith. After the battle, the Pelennor Fields lay strewn with bodies, the Great Gate of Minas Tirith was broken and the first circle of the city much damaged by fire. Aragorn later arrived at the hour of need with an army from southern Gondor, which he had released by defeating the Corsairs of Umbar, turning the tide of battle in favor of the Free Peoples. ![]() At about the same time, the Witch-king was destroyed by Éowyn, lady of Rohan. Although Gondor and its allies were victorious, Théoden, the King of Rohan, was mortally wounded during this battle by the Witch-king of Angmar. The immense Battle of the Pelennor Fields took place in the fields surrounding the city. When these fell and when Denethor II's son Faramir was brought back severely wounded, the Steward fell into despair and played no further part in the city's defense. The Siege of Gondor began with the assault on Gondor's outer defenses. ![]() Most of the women, children and the old were evacuated in the week before the invasion and the city was fully provisioned for a long siege. Prior to the assault the Rammas Echor wall was put back into repair, work being completed on the last section facing north with only days to spare. Minas Tirith was eventually, during the War of the Ring in the year TA 3019, besieged by the armies of Mordor, under the Great Darkness generated by Sauron's power. By the time of the War of the Ring the city was in decline, with many houses uninhabited and the city less than half populated. Only a few years later, Aragorn travelled to the city under the alias of Thorongil, and was said to have done great deeds there. After Sauron openly declared himself in the year TA 2951, Ecthelion II strengthened the city's defences. The might of Gondor would decline into the late Third Age, and although the White Tower was rebuilt by Ecthelion I in the year TA 2698, the White Tree died in the year TA 2872 with no replacement. It was also around this time that the Rammas Echor, the great wall encircling the rich farmlands and suburbs of the city, was built. Soon afterwards, the last King of Gondor, Eärnur, was slain in the Morgul Vale, and rulership of Gondor passed to the Stewards. It was then that Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith, meaning "Tower of Guard". In the year TA 2002, the city of Minas Ithil on the borders of Mordor was captured by the Ringwraiths, and renamed Minas Morgul. ![]() King Ostoher rebuilt the fortress into a city in TA 420, establishing his summer court there. Gradually, it eclipsed Osgiliath in importance as the original capital slowly declined into ruin, and in TA 1640 King Tarondor permanently moved the King's House to Minas Anor. Before departing for the north, Isildur planted the White Tree of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain in memory of his slain brother. Anárion successfully defended Osgiliath and retook Minas Ithil, driving Sauron back for a time, but in the following War of the Last Alliance, Anárion was slain and rule of Gondor passed to his descendants, who would continue to rule from Osgiliath. In the year SA 3429, Sauron invaded Gondor, capturing Minas Ithil and forcing Isildur to flee. The South-kingdom, however, was jointly ruled from Osgiliath by both brothers under the overlordship of Elendil. It served as the home of Anárion, as Minas Ithil, built to guard against Mordor, became the dwelling-place of Isildur. It was at that time named Minas Anor, meaning "Tower of the Sun". The fortress of the Tower of the Sun was built to guard against the Men of the White Mountains in the year SA 3320 by the Dúnedain of Gondor, those Faithful Númenóreans who escaped the destruction of Númenor the year prior. 3.2 Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films.3.1 Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King.
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