{"id":591,"date":"2019-02-21T13:06:20","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T13:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/?p=591"},"modified":"2019-02-21T13:06:20","modified_gmt":"2019-02-21T13:06:20","slug":"venetian-works-of-defence-16th-17th-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/2019\/02\/21\/venetian-works-of-defence-16th-17th-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Venetian Works of Defence, 16th\/17th century"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Republic of Venice was the economic power and sea power in the Mediterranean area for centuries. Being a Great Power, they controlled a major part of all trade between the continents and became a hub for all sorts of goods, for the scheming of the rich & powerful, but also a target of repeated attacks on the Republic\u2019s special position. In order to counteract them, numerous fortifications and works of defence were established to safeguard the external borders. The Venetian Works of Defence of the 16th<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> century stretch across three Italian regions and a total of three countries. It was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.<\/p>\n

Why the works of defence were necessary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Castles and fortresses are almost as old as time. People have always felt the need to protect their belongings \u2013 a natural reflex that evolved throughout history and was boosted by the constant further development of civilisation, of claims to power, arming and warfare. The Republic of Venice had always had sophisticated works of defence at its disposal, but those had to be kept up with the times.<\/p>\n

The invention of gunpowder caused a landslide in armed conflicts. Conventional fortifications couldn\u2019t withstand cannonballs and penetration weaponry anymore, new ideas were needed. You can probably see where this is going: Existing works of defence were massively extended and modernised in order to withstand new challenges, new fortifications were built. Extensive works of defence were established between Stato da Terra and Stato da Mar. Visiting them, they will surely impress you with their inimitable mix of extraordinary architecture, technology and fascinating history.<\/p>\n

The three Italian sites<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Half of the six works of defence included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list are located in Italy spread evenly across three regions. Travelling to each of them can take a bit of time, but that\u2019s most certainly worth it \u2013 you should at least have an extended weekend available for this slightly unusual tour. You\u2019d like to know where this tour would lead you, don\u2019t you? Well, we might have an idea…<\/p>\n

Bergamo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bergamo in Lombardy used to serve as the westernmost outpost of the Republic of Venice and, as such, needed to be protected extensively. The city walls, their current form dating back to 1561, were expanded to an impressive six kilometres and upgraded greatly in order to withstand growing defensive requirements. In places it is up to 50 metres high and used to lead into the city through four heavily guarded gates. 14 bastions running across many a hill, two platforms and about 100 spots for pistols protected the border and were connected through an extensive network of underground corridors. Around 250 buildings were demolished for the construction of these city walls including notable cathedrals and cloisters. You probably won\u2019t be surprised to hear that this practice caused severe conflicts with the church including several excommunications.<\/p>\n

Peschiera del Garda<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Republic only managed to grab a hold of the small town Peschiera del Garda in Veneto in 1440. The rulers quickly realised the opportunity of building a major fortification on the shore of Lake Garda. Planned by Guidobaldo della Rovere and implemented by Michele Sanmicheli starting in 1549, it almost seems as if the ramparts were rising from the water leaning against the almost perfectly preserved historic town centre. With its earth dam reinforcements and special structures for improved artillery range, Peschiera del Garda was and is still regarded as the epitome of modern fortifications.<\/p>\n

Palmanova<\/strong><\/p>\n

While these two sites had already existed before the Venetians attended to them, Palmanova was established solely to protect the Republic against the Ottoman Turks in the late 16th<\/sup> century. In addition, this planned city was set to become the Republic\u2019s principal land base, which didn\u2019t work \u2013 the main square, which is oversized for a small town, is evocative of such ambitions. Wide roads lead the soldiers to the town walls in the quickest way possible. Commanding officers lived in the town centre, regular soldiers around them and mercenary soldiers along the fortifications. Palmanova represents the perfect fortress town and, as such, is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.<\/p>\n

Venetian Works of Defence outside Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

It goes without saying that we focus on the Venetian Works of Defence located in Italy. Still, we\u2019d love to give you a brief overview of those in Croatia and Montenegro:<\/p>\n