Instruction on the Fortification of Cities

Since many strange things have occurred in our times, it seems necessary to me to consider how fortifications should be built, whereby kings, princes, lords, and cities might protect themselves—not only so that one Christian may be protected from another, but also so that the lands situated near the Turks The Ottoman Empire was expanding into Central Europe at this time, posing a significant threat to the Holy Roman Empire; the Siege of Vienna would occur only two years after this book's publication. might be saved from their power and artillery. I have resolved to provide a brief guide on how such a structure should be established, yet subject to the improvement of those experts who are experienced in warfare and have seen and practiced much.

Firstly, it is my well-considered opinion that no building intended to house heavy artillery should be constructed with straight or upright walls. For if one lets six, eight, or ten cannonballs original: "stuck büchsen" strike them, the walls will collapse in the middle, no matter how thick they are. Then, when one returns a second or third time to "knock," the weight from above falls out—and the heavier the building and the load, the sooner this occurs.

In some places where people lack money, or where haste and necessity demand it, they make large earthworks original: "schütten," referring to ramparts of piled earth or sconces, entrenching and digging themselves in, and they defend themselves bravely from there. That is quite good, but I will not write about that here, for soldiers know well how to make such things, and they learn it daily as the necessity of war compels them. However, when such structures are no longer needed, they are usually allowed to fall into ruin, for no one pays them any mind. But in a prominent city or an honorable castle, where the walls, towers, and—if possible—lined moats are present, such fortifications should also be made of masonry and built to match the rest of the architecture, so that if they are not needed at the time, they nevertheless remain defensible until another time. Therefore, such walls must be built strongly. And if one should say it would cost much, let him think of the kings in Egypt who spent great sums on the Pyramids original: "Pyramides", which were of no use; yet this expense is very useful. Furthermore, the lords have many poor people who must otherwise be supported with alms; if they are given daily wages for their labor, they will not need to beg, and they will be less moved to insurrection. It is also better to spend a large sum on a grand building so that it may endure, rather than being overtaken by one's enemy in a moment of haste and driven from one's land—as anyone of even slight understanding can easily grasp.

If, however, some wish to say that it is not necessary to make such thick masonry as is shown hereafter, and that lighter structures could be built just as strongly with less cost: whoever can truly demonstrate this may be followed. But I say: whoever wishes to build for security and against attacks original: "einfallen" should make even stronger buildings than I show hereafter, for in this "hard knocking" that is now evident in the course of war, everything is necessary. I do not wish to make myself so artful with this writing as to teach the highly esteemed craftsmen and those who already know how to build; but those who are not sufficiently instructed in such building, yet are occasionally tasked with construction, I wish to remind that they should carefully consider their buildings in the drawing drawing: "auffreyssẽ" refers to the architectural plan or elevation. Yet no one is bound to follow me; instead, he may use his own judgment and pleasure.

Whoever now wishes to build should first consider the locations of the city walls original: "statmauren" from which it is most convenient to defend. If more than one bastion bastion: "pastey" (from the Italian bastia) is a projecting part of a fortification allowing defensive fire in multiple directions is needed in that same place so that the shots may reach each other, they should be placed in the locations where they are least likely to be fired upon. And the building shall be set upon a firm foundation, whether on rock, solid earth, or piles. And around the front of the bastion, the lined city moat shall be widened so that there is at least two hundred feet original: "schüch," literally "shoes," a Renaissance unit of measurement approximately equal to a modern foot between the moat and the bastion at the base, provided the conditions of the site allow it. And one should make it fifty-five feet deep. In this moat, one should make another small lined moat, eighteen feet wide and twelve feet deep, right at the bottom...