Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Palmanova Palmanova Star Fort

Palmanova Star Fort

A star-shaped fortress town fort built in the geometric model of the Renaissance utopian city.

Palmanova, Italy

Added By
StepYoshi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Aerial view of Palmanova.   Alberto Davide Lorenzi/cc by-sa 4.0
  Alberto Davide Lorenzi/cc by-sa 4.0
Porta Aquileia (Aquileia Gate)   Zairon/cc by-sa 4.0
Porta Cividale (Cividale Gate)   Zairon/cc by-sa 4.0
Piazza Grande   Twice25/cc by-sa 3.0
The main square.   Aquarius1969/cc b y-sa 4.0
Panorama of Piazza Grande.   MichaelXXLF/cc by-sa 3.0
Fortres   Alberto Davide Lorenzi/cc by-sa 4.0
  public domain
Map of Palmanova in the 17th century.   Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

During the 16th century the territory of Friuli was contested between the Republic of Venice and Austria. To protect against the Habsburgic menace and Ottoman raids, the Venetians decided to build a fortress in the middle of the territory, and they did it following the utopian model of the Renaissance ideal city.

The idea of a city perfectly geometric in shape and surrounded by walls was popular among philosophers, artists, and well-educated people of 16th-century Europe, and many representations of such a perfect town can be found in the art and literature of the time. So when the architects of the Republic of Venice were presented with the rare opportunity to build an entire town from scratch, they jumped at the chance to put the intellectual idea into practice. 

The new town of Palma was founded on October 7, 1593, the anniversary of the Venetian win over Ottoman forces in the Battle of Lepanto some 20 years earlier. It was laid out in the shape of a nine-pointed star, with three nine-sided ring roads intersecting the streets radiating from the big main square in the center. The first set of walls was completed in 1623, while the second was built some decades later. The most external walls, the third ring, was built between 1806 and 1813 during the Napoleonic rule, when the town was renamed Palmanova, meaning "New Palma."

The fortress city survived many wars that reached the region in its over 400 years of history, and managed to retain its unique shape to the present day.

Related Tags

Utopias Renaissance Fortresses War History Shapes Urban Planning Architecture Military

Know Before You Go

The above coordinates are for the perfectly hexagonal square at the center of town, Piazza Grande. There are also several 16th-century fortress buildings around the city worth seeing, and three monumental gates that allowed entrance to the city: Porta Udine, Porta Cividale, and Porta Aquileia. Stop off at the tourist office for more information. On the first weekend of September each year, the city puts on a historical reenactment of the beginning of the war of the Ottoman—Habsburg wars in 1615.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

StepYoshi

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

February 4, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmanova
  • https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortezza_di_Palmanova
Palmanova Star Fort
Piazza Grande
Palmanova
Italy
45.904657, 13.309763
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gredič

Brda, Slovenia

miles away

Monumento ai Lupi di Toscana

San Giovanni di Duino, Italy

miles away

Duino Mithraeum

Duino, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,054
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Gredič

Brda, Slovenia

miles away

Monumento ai Lupi di Toscana

San Giovanni di Duino, Italy

miles away

Duino Mithraeum

Duino, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,054
Stories 110

Related Places

  • Cittadella of Alessandria

    Alessandria, Italy

    Cittadella of Alessandria

    One of the best-preserved modern fortresses was part of a pivotal moment in the Italian Risorgimento.

  • A aerial view of the Masada fortress.

    Masada, Israel

    Masada

    This daunting 1st century fortress was purportedly the site of one of the most dramatic revolts of the Jewish-Roman wars.

  • The fort cuts an imposing figure from the sea.

    Civitavecchia, Italy

    Fort Michelangelo

    The famous sculptor had a hand in this imposing fortress.

  • Nerul, India

    Reis Magos Fort

    A nearly impregnable 16th-century fort is one of Goa's oldest.

  • Fortaleza de Juromenha

    Almoinhos, Portugal

    Fortaleza de Juromenha

    This abandoned fortress still stands guard over the Guadiana River despite a history of warfare.

  • Mumbai, India

    Afghan Church

    A 19th-century church in South Mumbai built to commemorate those who died in the First Anglo-Afghan War and the retreat from Kabul in 1842.

  • Stachelberg Fortress proper.

    Trutnov, Czechia

    Fort Stachelberg

    This fortress was designed to prevent a Nazi invasion but was never used.

  • Las Bóvedas de Uspallata

    Las Heras, Argentina

    Las Bóvedas de Uspallata (The Vaults of Uspallata)

    These egg-shaped buildings constructed by Jesuits house a quaint museum in the Andes.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.