Author(s)

A. B. González Avilés, M. I. Pérez Millán, A. L. Galiano Garrigós

Abstract

Juan Bautista Antonelli, one of the most important engineers of Felipe II’s reign, was the first engineer who proposed a bastioned fortification project for the city of Alicante. The reforms were motivated by the continual attacks from Turkish and Berber pirates. The walls of Charles V were soon obsolete by the development of artillery. The Antonelli’s fortification project was drafted in 1563 and paid attention to both attack by sea as a possible attack from the inside. The city was perfectly defended with four new fortified bastions and three demi-bastions. The old walled city concept had been forgotten. The project’s interpretation allows us to trace its hypothetical design and find the source of the XVII century proposals fortress. The project was never built and the city defence systems relied upon Santa Barbara’s castle for protection. One hundred and twenty five years later, in 1688, Ambrosio Borzano proposed a bastioned fortification project for the city of Alicante. As a result of his project only the bastion of San Carlos was built.

Keywords

Antonelli, architecture, military engineers, Alicante, fortification, defensive walls