CARTE PER LA DIFESA. I DISEGNI DEGLI INGEGNERI MILITARI NEGLI ARCHIVI EUROPEI | MAPS FOR DEFENCE. MILITARY ENGINEERS DRAWINGS IN THE EUROPEAN ARCHIVES

In the modern age, the history of the European city was heavily influenced by the construction of fortifications. Nowadays European military, state and municipal archives are the custodians of the many drawings that are testament to the ways in which the necessities of war shaped the city. This has become an important archival heritage that today ought to be rediscovered, promoted and re-evaluated. From the 15th century, the most important Italian cities used drawings for military, civic, planning and tax purposes. In the same years fortified structures became fundamental in the defence strategy of the state, and were the direct cause of the 'revolution' in the urban structure which at the time was still medieval. The work of fortification gave rise to technical, theoretical and professional progress and, as a result, there was a new circulation of ideas and a sharing of new knowledge as technicians travelled from city to city. The proprietors of this plurality of knowledge were the military engineers, engaged in surveying, evaluation, measurements and planning. The shape of the city built between the 15th and 17th century is a product of their vision and their handiwork. The city was studied, often spied on, analysed, measured, drawn. It was described in great detail through written reports and drawings. Military engineers were the 'photographers' of weaknesses and outdated features of the city. They designed projects to modernise pre-existing buildings and created completely new buildings ex novo. The pre-existing city was re-imagined and reshaped according to the necessities of war. City plans were often kept secret for years because they were strategic documents for state security. Over the centuries, when the urgencies of war were abated, they were dispersed among various archives.