How did ravelins protect the main walls of a bastioned fortress?

In the context of military science, a ravelin is a detached outwork positioned in front of the curtain wall or between the bastions of a fortress.12

Ravelins were developed as a strategic response to the increasing power of siege artillery during the 16th century. By serving as a physical barrier in front of the main defensive lines, they protected the fortress walls from direct enemy battery. These structures functioned as part of an elaborate system of outworks designed to slow an attacker's progress and increase the cost of a siege. By forcing the enemy to engage with these outer defenses first, the ravelin helped preserve the integrity of the main bastioned trace, which was the core of the fortress's defensive design.2