Bastion walls in the cities of Southern Italy after Leonardo

Abstract

Leonardo’s role in the formation of 16th-century architects-engineers consisted in spreading the scientific-speculative method, with an approach based on constant references between reason and experience.

The projects on the theme of the ravelin can be seen as precursors of the modern bastion model, within a period of transition in defensive works between the end of the Aragonese Kingdom and the advent of the Spanish Viceroyalty due to new attack and defense techniques influenced by the evolution of artillery.

A cross-sectional analysis of both Leonardo’s maps and subsequent series has made it possible to recognize the impact of his studies and their connection with the cultural environment of the time.

Today, new studies, such as the Mapfort project, allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the figures who emerged in this context, in terms of their territorial links and any contacts that may have influenced their representations of fortresses.