New Fortress

The imposing fortifications of the New Fortress dominate the north-western part of the Old Town, on the Hill of Agios Markos, above the old port, being thus the western border of the town.

Although of smaller size than the Old Fortress, it is in no aspect inferior. Its austere stone volume emerging behind the roofs of the houses balances the complexity of form which characterizes the Old Fortress on the opposite side of the town. Its location on the ring road surrounding the old town ensures a satisfactory degree of road accessibility to the Property. Visitors can reach the Fortress only from a pedestrian precinct through three different routes converging in a point other than any of the old entrances. As a result, the monumental portal of the Port (of equivalent morphology with Porta Nuova and Porta Palio in Verona, both works of M. Sanmicheli) as well as the Portal of the Town do not gain the distinction they should.

The New fortress is organised in two levels, the lower and the upper level. Onthe lower level, which includes a pentagonal salient, an additional salient and the little fort of ”Punta Perpetua”, stands an imposing three-storey building with visible brick masonry dating back to the 19th cent., currently in use as a nautical base. The upper level of the fortifications is formed by two salients on the west side, the salients of the ”Seven Winds”. They support a three storey stone building of the tirne of the English Rule (1 854), which thanks to its size and imposing structure, completes the conformation of the Fortress’ volumes in a special way. This important building with its magnificent interior, currently houses rooms devoted to exhibitions as well as a municipal cafeteria. The interior of the salients and forts in almost every corner of the Fortress hides a perplex network of underground arcades, which still remains unknown and inaccessible, although its distinction would promote the overall style of this project.

Visitors are offered the opportunity of a pleasant tour through the arcades and passages in all the areas of the Fortress (except for the underground arcades), while, at the same time, they discover magnificent viewpoints on the fifth view of the town.