Palmanova, Italy

https://goo.gl/maps/6sLWpXqSvE92

Palmanova, north east Italy, is a very good example of late Renaissance military architecture (star fort) of the Late Renaissance, built by the Venetians in 1593. The fortress town was classified as a “National Monument” in 1960.

Why was this place built? In short, the locals were getting battered through various wars over the previous couple of hundred of years. They were sick of it.

Between 1470 and 1499 the region of Friuli, under Venetian rule since 1420, had endured no less than seven Turkish raids from the Balkans. Most of the Ventetian defence works were obsolete and insufficient. Only the nearby walled city of Udine could give refuge to the population. In 1500 the Venetians sent Leonardo da Vinci to Friuli and asked him to study the defence works and figure it out.

Later, when the Venetian senators got wind of a Turkish plan for the invasion of the Venetian plains, they got really pissed off and decided to erect a real fortress.

Work started on Palmanova on October 7th 1593.

#earthimages #earthimage #upintheair #abovetheclouds #satelliteimage #satelliteimages #EarthOverhead #overview #overvieweffect #palmanova #italy #fortress #venice #venetian #udine #LeonardodaVinci #Friuli

Also in Around the Globe

Monopoli, Italy

Sitting on Puglia's Adriatic coast around 30km south of Bari, Monopoli is a lovely town for a day trip, possibly in combination with Polignano a Mare just up the coast, mixing a dip in the sea with a good lunch and a wander around the old town centre.

Like so many towns on the Adriatic, Monopoli's history has been thoroughly influenced by its east-facing position and its fortified sea-front walls and castle tell many a story.

Parking in or around Piazza XX Settembre, location of a colourful street market, head east towards the cathedral. To find it just look upwards and you are sure to see its elegantly conceived bell tower thrusting into the sky. Built in 1693, the tower is over 60 metres high, completely dominating the town below.

Tunis, Tunisia

In Tunisia's capital, the term 'living history' really does apply. Here, waves of colonisation have endowed the city's fabric and culture with an intoxicatingly rich and complex flavour that becomes apparent wherever you explore.

Take the magnificent medieval medina, sidelined by the French after colonisation but coming into its own in the 21st century, as boutique hotels open and arty cafes lure locals back to the neighbourhoods their grandparents grew up in. And consider the historic settlement of Carthage, once colonised by Phoenicians and Romans but now the province of upwardly mobile locals, whose sophisticated lives play out among the ruins.

Ed Dueim, Sudan

Ed Dueim is on the west bank of the White Nile, between Khartoum and Kosti. It is home to the University of Bakht, which lies to the north of the town. The university has played an important role in promoting education throughout Sudan. It is known for its two-year course called Al Sanatain, which prepared teachers to teach school, attracting students from all regions of Sudan and neighbouring countries.