A comparative analysis of two fortresses dating from the period of the Transition: The Castle of Levanto (La Spezia) and Forte Stella (Argentario)

The aim of this paper is to compare two fortresses of the period of transition, when the use of firearms in warfare became established on the Italian peninsula after 1500 (the descent of the troops of the French king Charles VIII).The castle of Levanto is situated on a high ground and guards the harbour. Its curtains, seen in planimetry, have a "dihedral" course, designed for crossfire with arquebusiers and gunboats. The same can be said of Fort Stella, situated on the promontory of Monte Argentario, on the border between Lazio and Tuscany, dominating the bays and inlets.The analysis of the evolution of the organic military architecture with the introduction of gunpowder artillery through freehand drawing, observation and comparison, allowed to draw planimetric and volumetric diagrams of these fortresses.By relating the geometric and structural layout of these fortresses, the findings show how the progressive adaptation to the use of firearms, both siege and emplacement, was implemented in the field of coastal defence.