May 17
After a fun Saturday in Vicenza, we decided to take a trip to Palmanova and the beach. Palmanova is best understood looking through a birds eye view. It is a great example of late Renaissance military architecture and was built in 1593 by the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. It was built to provide protection and defense against the many Turkish raids from the Balkins and the Austrians wishing to continue to Venice. The fortress remained under Venetian rule for over 200 years, until Napoleon conquered it. It then fell under Austrian influence before being annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
It is designed as a nine-pointed star with three lines of defense. The first two were built during the Venetian times, while the third was built under Napoleon. 'The designers conceived a first defense circle, 'surrounded by a most with nine arrow-shaped ramparts, surrounded by a wall in rock or brickwork, connected one to the other by nine straight ramparts, also supported by a wall, that gave the fortress its shape'.[1]
During the 1600s the fortification was improved by building another 9 ramparts on the outside of the moat. Later, work began on the third defense circle of nine lunettes surrounded by a dry ditch.
The city is a perfectly geometrical structure which surrounds a large hexagonal piazza. It was classified as a "National Monument" in 1960
After lunch and some time walking around Palmanova we decided to head to the beach for a little doggie playtime. We drove south to Lignano Sabbiadoro and headed to the dog beach. It was a little too late in the afternoon to make renting sun beds and an umbrella worthwhile, but the dog beach area was extremely nice and I hope to eventually return. We kept walking along the boardwalk and found our way to a free beach where dogs could run and play for no additional charge. The water was warm compared to RI and NY, so we headed in as far as our shorts would allow! Mind you, the beach was pretty empty for such a beautiful day. There were people laying out, but it seems that many Italians wait for the summer season to officially start [some are still wearing long sleeves and spring coats while it is in the mid 80's in Vicenza?!]. This is great for me because I get to enjoy a relatively empty beach for over a month!
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