Real Cittadella (Messina)

 military, fortification

 Upload a photo

maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=38.188528~15.567829&s...

Real Citadel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.




Plant dl seventeenth-century port of Messina


The surviving parts of the Citadel
The Real Citadel is a fortress of XVII century positioned to defend the port of Messina .
History [ edit ]

It is located on the narrow peninsula of San Ranieri the characteristic sickle shape that closes the natural harbor of Messina, protecting offshore. The fort was not realized, however, only for defensive purposes. In fact it was built by the Spaniards from 1680 to 1686, after the bloody revolt of 1674. Therefore, the citadel was to control the city with their own artillery and stay a strong garrison in an easily defensible.
The project was entrusted to the royal Carlos de Grunenbergh , an expert on fortifications , who worked in Sicily for about twenty years towards the end of the seventeenth century. The fortress, which completely interrupted the little peninsula, facing both toward the open sea to the port and was also isolated with a moat towards the hinterland, while the tip of the peninsula was guarded by the sixteenth-century Fort of the Holy Savior .
The fortress was involved in war episodes and attacks during the following centuries, but was never conquered, surrendering only after long sieges due to lack of supplies, as indeed happened even during the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, when the citadel surrendered only 12 March 1861.
Starting from the unification was heavily damaged by harbor works and some curtains and bastions were demolished on the inside. The monumental gate called Porta Grazia, exuberant decoration stone work of Domenico Biondo, was dismantled in 1961 and reassembled in Piazza Casa Pia of the Poor.
Today the fort pour into a state of neglect; survive, partly underground, two bastions and some other works.
Architectural features [ edit ]

The imposing defensive structure has a stellar shape (pentagonal), with five bastions at the corners, typical seventeenth-century evolution of modern fortification . the defensive structure was then completed by ramparts and numerous other external works.