PALMANOVA,Basin of the PO,Italy,Antique Map

HISTORICAL MAP CHART

The Venetian Republic took possession of Friuli in the first twenty years of the 15th century (1420). This land was considered to be an important asset for both the dry land’s defence system and the control over the main communication roads and the frontier. One of the most dangerous threats to Venice were the Turks who, in waves, had already invaded the Friulian territory sacking, destroying and draging women and children as their slaves.Leonardo, Earl of Gorizia, died in 1500; he was heirless and that was the cause of the outbreak of a new conflict between Venetians and Austrians. Gradisca passed into Habsburgs’ hands and a new un-natural borderline arised: there were Venetians plots of land inserted into Austrian countries and vice versa. This type of speckled territory was known as the “leopard spot” boundary. The eastern borderline ran the risk of being invaded by Turks and Austrians, so it was necessary to strengthen Friuli. Venice decided to erect a new fortress in the middle of the Friulian plains, a bulwark against both the Habsburgs’ expansion plans and the frequent Turkish raids. The Republic appointed five Ispettori Generali (Procurators of Saint Mark) who had to choose the spot where the new fortress was to be erected. On the 16th of October 1593 they met in the Strassoldo castle and they decreed their choice. The position of the new fortress was strategic: it was on the crossroad between Julia Augusta way and Ungaresca high way. The project was run by a group of engineers, treatisers and expert military architects who worked by the "Venice Fortifications Office”; their head was the architect Giulio Savorgnan. Marc’Antonio Barbaro, The first Provveditore Generale (General Administrator in command on the fort) Under the Venetian rule a double barrier defence system was placed around the star-shaped city. It included ramparts, curtains, moats and ravelins in order to shelter the three access gates of Palma. In spite of the apparently glorious rule of the Republic, the 18th century rapresented in fact its final peack, and both Palma and Friuli followed its decline. The definitive collapse happened on the third of March 1797, when an Austrian major entered the fortress by fraud leading the way for a thousand armed soldiers who were waiting just outside the fortifications. The Austrians could not enjoy their triumph for a long time because after two weeks French troops led by Bernardotte took over the fort and disarmed the Venetian soldiers too, who had been neutral till that moment. Following the Campoformido peace treaty the Habsburgs regained possession of Palmanova till 1805, when the French army occupied it again. The Napoleon renewal of the fortress was very important in order to meet the new necessities. He ordered to demolish the three villages of Palmada, Ronchis and San Lorenzo because their buildings would have been possible repositories for the enemies and, furthermore, they were an obstacle to eventual cannon-shots from the fortified town. After their destruction under the guide of Chasseloup there was place enough to erect the third most external circle of defence around the fortress. In correspondence with the Venetian ramparts the nine Napoleonic Lunettes were added together with underground galleries called “mine”. Palmanova proved to be a storm-proof fortress in 1809 and 1813, when it withstood two separate Austrian sieges, confirming in this way the usefulness of the Napoleon’s far-sighted interventions. The Austrians, however, returned to rule over the unconquistable fortress thanks to the 1814 Schiarino-Rizzino peace pact.The Austrian rule, spanned from 1815 and 1866, replaced the Napoleonic period. On the 24th of March 1848 the Palmanova garrison, inflamed by liberal ideals after the rebellions in Vienna, Milan and Venice, attacked the ruling Austrian governors and nominated the former Napoleonic general Carlo Zucchi as its leader. The Habsburgs’ reply was very harsh: their troops attacked the fortress and at the end the besieged city - without any needful reinforcements from the Italian king Carlo Alberto - was so exhausted, that it had to surrender after Udine. The Austrians occupied it again and they reinforced their artillery compartment in the fort, so that in 1866, during the Third War of Independence, the Italian forces declined from attackig it. Palmanova passed finally under the United Kingdom of Italy after the plebiscite held on the 21st October of the same year.

1890s Wood Engraving, Antique Map

Approximate Overall Size: 7 X 10 1/2 inches

CONDITION: Book Plate INTEXT MAP - Excellent Condition. Beautiful with excellent detail. There is Text on Front and Back Side.