SOME HISTORICAL WALLS

IN VENETO

The Walls In General

The Walls were known for their characteristic density, compactness, height and other elements to help their efficiency as a barrier.

The wall was also shelter, a difference, a physical obstacle, and a sign of an attitude of indifference and absolute neglect such to discourage any attack or

attempt of contact. The walls were built to encircle and defend the towns and villages. 

Roman Limes

The word “Limes", in atin, means the area that was confined by the Roman Empire, and the defensive fortifications that were used to repel invading barbarians. In a technical sense, the word "limes" indicates a "step in the land" between two different properties. In this sense, limes were precursors of roads. As they extended, the limes became the area between the property of the Romans, and that of the rest of the world. Limes were a complete structure, which surrounded the troops

and where the military camps were built, as well as guard towers, other fortifications, and roads. Commonly, the Limes used the terrain as a

defensive fortification, taking advantage of the geography as much as possible, but in other areas, they were just large walls.

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Images of Roman Limes

storiaromana.blogspot.com/2008/10/dietro-il-l...

storiaromana.blogspot.com/2008/10/il-limes.html

Castelfranco

Castelfranco is a walled city built in the last decade of the twelfth century. To encourage the settlement, the inhabitants were granted exemption from any tax,

(hence the name of Castel Franco). The base of the castle-town is essentially designed for a military purpose. Its structure is a perfect square with curtain

walls. The whole fort is brick, and is surrounded by a wide moat. A more elegant tower overlooks the gate to the east, toward Treviso, while the bell tower, which

became the cathedral, was added in 1246.

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Photos of Castelfrancorete.comuni-italiani.it/foto/2009/4599

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CittadellaCittadella is in the Province of Padua, and it is

surrounded by medieval walls with dovetail battlements. The walls were built with the remains of demolished

castles, which were built long ago, to defend against the barbarian invasions, and the threats from the nearby

town of Castelfranco Veneto. Cittadella is situated half-way between the high plains and the Piedmont area, and

thanks to this fact, it  has always been at the center of numerous political fights.

The city was considered a military fortress because of its strategic position. After the “Venetian Pax” (15th Century)

the city began to be highly urbanized. With the advent of new fighting weapons, part of the

walls were destroyed, and then reconstructed because they were considered an essential part of the city.

Thanks to this, today you can go round the walls, and see the entire structure. Foto

Photos of Cittadella

Bassano.eu

www.ilsegnalibro.com/cittadella.html

The Ghetto of Venice

   The first Jewish settlements in Veneto were created very early, between the 4th and 5th century C.E. The Ghetto was created after Spain expelled all the Jews in 1492.

Thousands of people searched for refuge in Portugal, Turkey, and Italy.      on March 29th, 1546, in Venice, the senate decided that all Jewish had to live in the

"Ghetto Novo." This marked the birth of an institution that was then applied to the rest of Europe. The Ghetto had large doors, and every night, a curfew was imposed.

    Over time, it was necessary to enlarge the Ghetto, and as a result, three Ghettos were built: Ghetto Novo, Ghetto Vecchio, and Ghetto Novissimo. All of these Ghettos were

connected.     With the fall of the Republic of Venice, and the arrival of Napoleon, the Venetian

discrimination against the Jews ended. The Jews were no longer forced to live in the Ghetto.

    Today, the Ghetto is inhabited by many people, with only a few being Jewish. There are two synagogues, and now most of the other official buildings have institutional

functions.

The Castle of Este

The mighty Carrara castle structure represented an impressive war machine, destined to play a key role in the defence strategy of the “realm” of Padua.

The first structure was built starting in the 11th century, and then it was finished in the 13th century. The building is square, surrounded by walls punctuated by twelve major towers. The keep is located on Prince Hill, in a position of control, and in the north-east there is a castle which originally was the entrance to the

fortress. The castle was used for defensive purpose until the spontaneous devotion of the city to the Republic of Venice.

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Photos of the Este Castle

www.mondimedievali.net/.../padova/este.htm

The Wall of Gorizia

Gorizia’s wall is an enclosure along the Italian–Yugoslavian frontier built in 1947. It was built for dividing Gorizia’s suburban areas from a transalpine railway station.In 2004, the wall was partially demolished after the admission of Slovenia in the European Union.

Marostica

Marostica is a rich city with a military history.The city of Marostica is surrounded by walls because it was the aggressor or defender in many of the bloodiest battles because of its location in a strategic

point.The “rock”(or upper Castle) is connected by a circle to the castle walls for

a total length of 102 meters.The wall was about 2 km long, it was 2 meters wide at the base, and 10 meters

tall.The masonry of the “citadel” is mixed: by the use of stones

and bricks, regularized by a double brick course at a height of about 1.50 metre.The walls are battlements with a dovetail, divided by square towers that are

open inside.

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Photos of Marostica

Montagnana

The wall around Montagnana was built to defend the city against invaders from many places. It surrounded the entire original city, but other parts of the city were built outside the wall.  It was originally built as a large fence that surrounded the city, and was reinforced by guard towers, and surrounded by a deep moat. The

original fence was destroyed during a siege in the twelfth century. It was rebuilt in the late thirteenth century and improved. The wall is made of limestone and brick,

and was at one time coated in plaster, though that has now mostly worn away. The wall is between 6.5 and 19 meters tall. It has 24 towers, and 4 gates.

Montagnana was built in Roman times to defend the river that flowed through it, which was being used to ferry things to and from Verona.

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Photos of the wall of Montagnana

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http://www.veniceweekend.it/userfiles/image/foto%20veneto/montagnana%20mura.jpg

Padova

The city walls of Padua are divided into: the Roman walls, the 13th Century Wall, Carrara Walls and the 16th Century Wall. The first were built during the rule of the Romans, their lines corresponding to the bends of the Brenta River, but the remains of this wall can only be seen as the foundation. The 13th Century Walls were built in the early thirteenth century. Their course bordered a river, the Tronco Maestro, and the Inner Naviglio that served as defensive moat. Remains of this wall can be seen around the castle, and close to the Molino gate and the Altinate gate. The walls of Carrara, which take their name from the family that had them built, correspond to those of the sixteenth century because they were destroyed during the war against the League of Cambrai, just before the 16th century. The sixteenth century walls were built by the Venetian Republic, and were protected by a channel that still exists. These walls are still intact today. Finally, the “muro di via Anelli” is a wall built in Padova in late 2006: it was erected for reasons of public policy.

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Photos of the wall of Padova

www.pro-fumo.net/2008/11/page/2/

www.padovanet.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=9226

Portogruaro

Portogruaro was created around the year 1140. The city, once completely walled, was entered through doors topped by four towers, of which three remain today. They were created around the thirteenth century. The thirteenth century

port of Saint John, was used as a defence. At the Port of Saint Gotthard is visible an ancient pre-existing door, called the door of Saint Francis, located a few meters from the ancient walls surrounding the city. From the door of Saint

Agnes, the oldest, is visible a church from the 14th century. This tower was used for the exchange of goods, and is now used as a municipal museum. The

function of the walls was defensive.

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Photos of Portogruaro

Treviso

The walls of Treviso, dating back to Roman times, were built to defend the town against the League of Cambrai. In the sixteenth century. The fortifications of the city were

enlarged on the commission of the Republic of Venice, giving them the current look. Subsequently, the Republic gave the order to demolish all the buildings, both internal and

external, which hindered the sight of the military defenders. Near the main ramparts (Porta Altina, Bastioni di San Paolo, and Baststioni al Portello), today, there are elegant bas-reliefs depicting the winged lion, the symbol of the power of Venice to which Treviso

submitted in the fourteenth century, which are still visible. This wall was completed around 1500, and in the second half of the nineteenth century they were transformed into customs boundaries so that all access to the town could be controlled, and subjected to

tax.

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Photos of the wall of Treviso

Verona

The city wall of Verona is part of a defensive wall in the south of the historical centre. It is an extraordinary piece of defensive military architecture in Verona.In it, we see not only the double wall, but also a formidable system of military

buildings, built by the Venetian Republic as early as the 16th century.The series of buildings stretched along the Adige river .

The Scaligere Wall of Verona is a hilly city wall built according to the will of Cangrande the First .

In 1839, the boundary was restored and modified, and the wall was rebuilt without battlements.

The boundary is now formed by walls and towers, and is defended by a deep moat.

The internal road allowed the movement of the defenders along the walls.

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Photos of the wall of Verona

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