bastioni

Bastioni is the Italian term for projecting elements of a fortification that are designed to provide defensive fire along the adjacent walls. The plural bastioni refers to multiple such projections; the singular is bastione. The word is closely associated with the broader tradition of bastioned fortifications and has influenced the English word bastion.

Design and function: A bastione typically protrudes from a fortress wall and has a polygonal plan with two faces that meet at flanks. This arrangement allows defenders to cover the curtain walls with enfilade fire while remaining protected by parapets. Bastions are usually connected by curtain walls and other outworks, forming a system that reduces blind spots and improves fire coverage. The concept was developed to resist cannon fire and to enable mutually supporting fire across the fortification.

Historical context: Bastioned fortifications became widespread in Europe from the 16th through the 18th centuries, during the Early Modern period, as artillery dominance transformed military architecture. Italian engineers and architects contributed to their development, and the design spread across many regions, influencing star fort layouts and coastal defenses. Many historic cities and fortresses retain bastioni as prominent features of their defensive walls.

Contemporary usage: Today bastioni mostly survive as historical monuments and tourist landmarks. They often shape the layout of old city walls, parks, or promenades and are studied in the fields of military architecture, archaeology, and heritage preservation. The term remains in use in Italian speaking contexts to describe these protective projections within fortifications.