Discourses on Fortifications

A geometric diagram displays a fortification bastion with lines indicating defensive angles and distances, marked with the letter L.

SOME want them to be made inward, so that their height, when it is exposed and battered, does not have to fill the moat, and if they are made far enough from the long curtains so as not to impede the defenders in any way. Proceeding in this way, they could be made of earth to avoid expense and for less harm to those who must stay inside or nearby. And because no part of the faces of the bastions is defended by them, they do not alter the shape or any structure. But I particularly dislike these because they do not clear any of the aforementioned parts; even if the enemies can be kept back, they still cause them double trouble. Because when the enemies were nearby, the wall or other structure of the same fortress would serve to redouble the defenses, if the flat forms that others desire were also made there. Beyond the multiplication of expense, one would incur the disorders I have mentioned elsewhere.

Others have placed cavaliers in the gorges of the bastions, just as is seen below, and when they wished to leave more space for the squares of the bastion, they made the front round. But as much as I know of good in this particular, it is that two cavaliers come for each face of the fortress from which the enemy can receive more damage by face and by flank, especially if the faces of the bastions are defended by them. But this way of building displeases me, because beyond the multiplication of expense, since said cavaliers are all made of masonry, high, and exposed, and so close to the flanks, the attackers can, by firing at them, cause such ruin that the flanks themselves, or the low squares of the bastions, could be impeded. Furthermore, wishing to use them to clear the faces of the bastions, one could not reasonably build them on every corner for the reasons I have stated elsewhere. On this, I leave off saying many details, as I have in some other places, both because they are things that matter little, according to me, and to avoid causing annoyance.

A geometric diagram shows two bastions with a central area labeled A, illustrating the placement of cavaliers and the resulting defensive coverage.

Others, as is seen in the following plan, would want the space marked A, by raising and casing it in masonry, to serve as a cavalier, which, however, remains more subject to the defects of the previous method.

Others would want one to proceed in building cavaliers in fortresses as is seen in the following plan, where one can understand that the cavalier B is intended to defend the faces of the bastions, and the flanks of the bastions are to defend the curtains above which the cavalier is placed. Since this could be ruined by the enemies in its faces and flanks, the moat might perhaps remain entirely devoid of defense, especially due to the great quantity of ruin from the battered cavalier, which could be so much that the enemies, in entering the moat, would be secured if not by the high flanks, at least by the low ones. Regarding the other imperfections,