The town of Palmanova is located in northeastern Italy, close to the border with Slovenia. While Palmanova’s origins can be traced back to thousands of years, the modern city started as a fortress built by the Venetian empire in the 16th and 17th centuries to prevent attacks from Austrian and Turkish forces. The town was founded in 1593, but its construction took about a century to complete. Built in a concentric star formation, the town consists of three rings which were built in stages. The entire town is enclosed in a circular area with a circumference of 7 km. This is surrounded by a moat, with nine arrow-shaped inter-connected ramparts that protruded out of the town so that the points could defend each other. Entrance to the town is allowed through three guarded gates.

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