Forti e cittadelle militari nell'Europa del Cinquecento: Forma, geometria e rappresentazione. Forts and military citadels in the Europe of the sixteenth century Shape, geometry and representation

Pirinu Andrea

2025-01-01

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Abstract

The volume presents the results of a broader research project on “modern” fortifications and offers a comparative analysis of the most significant works built in Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries, focusing on the design solutions that marked the transition from the overhanging defence to the bastioned front. This period, referred to as a “transitional” phase, sees the birth and development of a new model, thanks to figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and the Sangallo family, which was employed until the early 19th century. During this time, a wide range of forms, defined through “compass strokes” and lines of fire, emerged to address a new “art of warfare” that involved the mutual protection of bastions through the crossfire of artillery. The importance of geometry, fundamental both for design and layout, is clearly emphasized in the book, as evidenced by contemporary military treatises and highlighted through the graphic analysis of archival documents and surveys of existing structures. The treatment of case studies places particular emphasis on critical reading through redrawing. This practice specifically helps to recognize the underlying geometries, identify a “school”, and, even in the absence of the author’s signature, attribute the authorship of a work.