Palmanova is a masterpiece of Venetian military architecture, a fortress town designed and built to defend the regional borders against foreign threats, particularly from the Turks.

The plan of this beautiful fortress is very famous as it is based on a unique model, a perfectly symmetrical nine-pointed star, with a central square. The square is in the form of a perfect hexagon and is flanked by fine and important buildings, including the cathedral.

In the second weekend of July, Palmanova stages a historical pageant with over two hundred participants dressed in seventeenth-century costumes re-enacting the first time the ensign of the Most Serene Republic of Venice was hoisted at the centre of the fortress square.

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