The Real Cittadella was a

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in Messina,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. The Cittadella was built between 1680 and 1686 by the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

, and it was considered to be one of the most important fortifications in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

. Most of the fort was demolished in the 20th century, but some parts can still be seen.

History

Background and construction

The Real Cittadella was built by the

(who controlled the Kingdom of Sicily) between 1680 and 1686. It was built to defend the port of Messina, but it was also meant to establish a strong garrison in the city to prevent the population from revolting, as had happened a few years earlier in 1674. The fort was designed by

Carlos de Grunenbergh Carlos de Grunenbergh, also known as Carlo Grunenberg (died 1696), was a Flemish architect and military engineer active in the late 17th century. He mainly designed fortifications in Sicily and Malta. He was also a member of the Order of Saint Joh ...

, the military engineer of the

Viceroy of Sicily This is a list of viceroys of Sicily: Aragonese direct rule 1409–1516 * John of Aragon, Duke of Peñafiel, later king John II of Aragon, 1458–1479, acted 1409–1416. * Domingo Ram y Lanaja, Bishop of Lleida 1416–1419 * Antonio de Cardona ...

. It was built in the centre of the peninsula of San Raineri, and was cut off from the mainland by a moat. The extremity of the peninsula was occupied by the Forte del Santissimo Salvatore. A neighborhood populated by 8000 people, a Benedictine monastery and several churches had to be demolished to make way for the construction of the Cittadella.

18th and 19th centuries

The Spanish lost control of Sicily to the House of Savoy in 1713. In 1718, they invaded the island during the

War of the Quadruple Alliance The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720) was caused by Spanish attempts to recover territories in Italy ceded in the 1713 Peace of Utrecht. Largely focused on Sicily, it included minor engagements in North America and Northern Europe as we ...

, and the Cittadella surrendered to the Spanish general Spinola. A year later it was recaptured by the Austrian

Count Claude Florimond de Mercy Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy (1666 – 29 June 1734) was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France. His grandfather was the Bavarian field marshal Franz Freiherr von Mercy. Mercy entered the Austrian army ...

. The Cittadella was again captured by the Bourbon Charles III of Spain in 1735, during the

War of the Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...

. The fort was also used as a prison, and the French geologist

Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu Dieudonné Sylvain Guy Tancrède de Gratet de Dolomieu usually known as Déodat de Dolomieu (; 23 June 175028 November 1801) was a French geologist. The mineral and the rock dolomite and the largest summital crater on the Piton de la Fournaise vo ...

was imprisoned there in 1798. During the Sicilian revolution of 1848, the rebels did not capture the Cittadella, although they succeeded in taking over

Forte Gonzaga Forte Gonzaga, also known as Castel Gonzaga, is a bastioned fort in Messina, Sicily. It was built in the mid-16th century, and it remained in use by the military until 1973. Today, the fort is in good condition. History In the 1540s, the fortifi ...

and a number of other fortifications in the city. The rebels bombarded the Cittadella, but Bourbon troops held out until a relief force arrived in September 1849 and crushed the rebellion. The Cittadella was again heavily bombarded by the Piedmontese army during the

Expedition of the Thousand The Expedition of the Thousand ( it, Spedizione dei Mille) was an event of the Italian Risorgimento that took place in 1860. A corps of volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi sailed from Quarto, near Genoa (now Quarto dei Mille) and landed in Mars ...

in 1860. It was the last stronghold of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on the island, and its garrison surrendered on 13 March 1861. Following the capture of the fort, the people of Messina demanded its demolition, but the new government saw its importance and the damage sustained in the sieges of 1848-49 and 1860-61 was repaired. The fort remained an active military installation until the earthquake of 1908, when it was converted into a warehouse.

Partial demolition

Porta Grazia (Domenico Biundo and Antonio Amato)

In the 1920s, Norimberga, San Francesco and San Carlo Bastions were demolished following the opening of a new road. The remaining parts of the fort were occupied by the military once again during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and the structure was damaged by aerial bombardment. After the war, the area was industrialized. Porta Grazia, the fort's main gate, was relocated to Piazza Casa Pia dei Poveri in 1961.

Present day

Today, San Stefano and San Diego Bastions, the adjoining curtain walls and some of the outworks remain intact. The foundations of the demolished bastions still exist underground, and are worthy of preservation. The remaining parts of the Cittadella are neglected, and sometimes waste is illegally dumped in the fort.

Layout

The Real Cittadella was a pentagonal star fort, and was typical example of 17th century military architecture. It had five corner bastions (named Norimberga, San Francesco, San Carlo, San Stefano and San Diego), which were linked by curtain walls. A

cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ) ...

was located on each bastion. In addition, the fort had a number of outworks, including a ravelin, lunettes,

counterguard The counterguard (german: Kontergarde, french: contre-garde) is an outwork in a bastioned fortification system that usually comprises only a low rampart and which is sited in front of the actual fortress moat that runs around the bastions or rave ...

s and

faussebraye A faussebraye ( it, falsa braga) is a defensive wall located outside the main walls of a fortification. It is of a lower height than the main walls, and is preceded by a ditch. In Greek and Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred ...

References

{{Messina Forts in Sicily Buildings and structures in Messina Buildings and structures completed in 1686 Defunct prisons in Italy Buildings and structures demolished in the 20th century Demolished buildings and structures in Italy Spanish colonial fortifications Star forts 1686 establishments in the Kingdom of Sicily 1686 establishments in the Spanish Empire