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Descripción
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| Famagusta, Cyprus was at the center of Eastern Mediterranean trade between the 13th to 15th centuries. Europe wanted goods being delivered from the Levant - cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg as well as commodities such as wheat and cotton. Famagusta, with its natural harbor on the east coast, was the ideal location for this trade as it was centrally located between Asia, Africa, and Europe. The city prospered with an influx of merchants, and this was reflected in the building of numerous churches, palaces, and fortifications to protect the city. The northwest corner of the fortifications, facing inland, was one of the most critical elements in the defensive network of the city. It was here that the Venetians constructed the Martinengo Bastion in the 16th century. The bastion is a significant example of state-of-the-art renaissance military architecture and is one of the few remaining in the Levant. Its low profile and massive construction was built slightly higher than the opposing counterscarp to present a small target to cannons while its arrow shape was designed to prevent areas of shelter at its base and protect the ditch and bastions on either side. Martinengo Bastion, at the beginning of the 21st century, was in stable condition, however, there were critical issues given its age and materials. The first concern was structural as there were significant undercuts in the foundation bedrock, the opening of cracks in several vaults, vegetation growth, and uncontrolled water was causing erosion and deterioration of the soft sandstone and mortar. There were also inappropriate later interventions such as concrete floors and concrete caps on the vertical shafts and stairways. In 2013, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage, Cyprus (TCCH) with funding from the European Union launched a project to conserve Martinengo Bastion. The team consisted of a bi-communal Cypriot group of professionals and international experts which was led by Fundación Tecnalia. This article will describe the bastion, the conservation philosophy, methodology, and intervention to preserve this unique example of military architecture. | |
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Internacional
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Si |
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ISSN o ISBN
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978-88-85745-12-4 |
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Entidad relacionada
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Politecnico di Torino |
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Nacionalidad Entidad
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ITALIA |
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Lugar del congreso
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Torino, Italia |