Madrid, Simancas and Naples: Circulation of Drawings and Writings on Military Architecture during the XVI Century

Abstract

In the Royal Palace Library of Madrid, there is a collection of drawings of military architecture that belonged to Cardinal Antonio Perrenot de Granvelle, viceroy of Naples from 1571 to 1575. The numerous drawings constitute a multifaceted picture of almost all the defenses of southern Italy in the second half of the 16th century. The government action of Granvelle coincides with the resumption of the conflict against the Infidels and, consequently, with the need to make the many strongholds of the Neapolitan army efficient and modern. The designs are different in age, graphic quality, technique, etc.; they were an instrument of knowledge of territories, of existing defensive structures, they were also necessary starting points to be able to think and discuss new projects. The main result of this essay lies in having identified the reports that accompanied some drawings of Madrid and that are in the Archivo General Simancas; having put together reports and drawings allows us understand the different registers through which military architecture was drawn up: graphic (of more immediate understanding) and written ne (for more articulated knowledge). In addition, it is possible to reconstruct the design process with precision: from knowledge of the territory (physical, ‘cultural’ and strategic) to the first proposals, from the evaluation of costs, to the discussion of the project to the technical instructions for the realization. Many people were involved in this process: from the viceroy to military personnel, from the secretary of state to the governors of the provinces, from the architects and engineers of the construction sites. The drawing and reports travelled together with these men, moving from Naples to Madrid to the various cities of the Kingdom of Naples.