The fortified city

The dominion of the Republic of Venice started towards the end of the 14th Century for Treviso as it did for the other cities of the Veneto.

In 1509 Venice wanted to turn Treviso into a stronghold for the defence of its territories that were being menaced by a coalition of European powers led by the Cambrai League.

The war events with the Cambrai Confederates precipitated and whilst many Venetian cities fell under enemy control, Treviso, which remained faithful to Venice, was transformed in a short period of time into a stronghold.

All the population contributed to the transport of construction materials, which often originated from rubble, to raise the ramparts for absorbing the blows delivered by the artillery.

To contrast the evolving military techinques and artillery, it was necessary to prepare large scale defences. The obsolete medieval walls were demolished, together with whole parts of the city, such as churches and palaces (the tower houses were lowered or demolished), for providing building material.

All buildings within 500 paces (approx. 800 metres) around the town walls were demolished, including the monasteries. This operation was called "levelling". Sowing and growing crops was forbidden. In order to stop the setting up of enemy artillery all reliefs were levelled. To carry out this defence system an architect and hydraulic engineer, Giovanni da Verona, (also known as Fra' Giocondo), was sent by Venice, due to his inspiration towards the new concept of the renaissance fortifications art.

Once the most impending danger had passed, Fra' Giocondo developed the hydraulic works to implement a complex system of dykes or bobstays for adjusting the water level in the ditches and moats. The raised level of the Sile upstream from the city and the level of the Botteniga in the external ditches would have flooded the surrounding countryside thereby isolating the city.

The final arrangement of the fort city, together with the extensions of the St.Thomas and Santi Quaranta suburbs is attributed to the captain Bartolomeo d'Alviano (1513).

He carried out radical changes: the territory and nature became "objects" modified by man.

View of the town walls, with St.Mark's lion.

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