Treviso City Walls Historical Timeline

Origins

Treviso had medieval walls, but the shock of 1509 -- when a European coalition came close to ending the Venetian state -- made them obsolete overnight against artillery.

Turning points

Venice commissioned Fra Giovanni Giocondo, a Veronese friar, architect and engineer, to rebuild the defences on the new Italian system. Work ran from 1509 to 1518.

Influential people

Fra Giocondo had worked in France and Rome and was among the best-informed engineers of his generation, which is why Treviso received a state-of-the-art design rather than a provincial one.

Cultural evolution

The walls were never seriously tested, which is arguably why they survive. Cities whose fortifications saw use tended to lose them.

Present-day significance

The circuit is now a public park and walking route, and three of the original gates -- San Tomaso, Santi Quaranta and Altinia -- still stand.