THE ANCIENT FORTIFICATIONS OF GENOA
PREFACE
Although not an architect, the author of this site has always been very keen on this subject.
He collaborated as "subject expert" (though often unmentioned), in the execution of some graduation theses concerning Genoese fortifications.
He also participated in the making of the historical reports of the Forts which are included in the small book: "Genova. The City Park of the Walls", as well as in the completion of "The Fort of S. Giuliano", a monography written by Colonel Pietro Pistolese, of the Carabinieri.
The Ligurian Environment and Architecture Office has entrusted him with a research project on the cultural assets concerning the rearrangement, dating and classification of the historical drawings of Genoese Fortifications, which are kept in its Archives.
The author has given a refresher course on Genoese fortifications to the tourist guides of the City Park of the Walls and, to this aim, has written the historical instalment: "Fortifications of the City Park of the Walls", intended for the Gardens and Forests Service of Genoa.
He collaborated in the execution book "Magliolo nel tempo".
Already as a child, he used to explore the Forts, looking for underground mazes or for some remains from the past wars; later on, he started wondering why those buildings were fortified.
Although his present job does not relate in any way to the fortifications, he has visited these ancient buildings several times and has undertaken a painstakingly exhaustive research through several of the documents concerning them. Unfortunately, he was confronted with institutional indifference and lack of collaboration on the part of scholars or Association Directors who, after an initial show of interest and zeal, withdrew from any active participation.
After over ten years of research (during which he discovered unsuspected documents in some remote Archives), the author decided to publish a new study on the Forts of Genoa (now nearing completion), which, by providing additional information, attempts at dispelling errors and misconceptions as well as shedding new light upon old fallacies and legends, while, at the same time, enriching the history of Genoese fortifications with new accounts.
Nevertheless, due to the difficulties he has encountered in retrieving documents and drawings (some of them are lost, destroyed or kept in some unheard-of archives), some of the theses purported in this study may never be entirely proven.