Baluardo di San Giorgio

The San Giorgio Bastion forms part of Florence's surviving southern wall circuit near Porta San Giorgio. Its broad, outward-projecting form reflects the shift from tall medieval walls to lower fortifications adapted to the age of artillery.

Why it matters

The bastion belongs to the defensive landscape that shaped Florence's southern hills. The fourteenth-century wall circuit and its surviving gates and towers remain a visible boundary of the historic centre, recognised within the UNESCO World Heritage site. The later bastion form records the changing demands of warfare and the city's response to artillery.

What to notice

Unlike the narrow vertical profile of a medieval tower, a bastion spreads outward from the wall. Its thick, sloped mass was designed to withstand cannon fire and protect adjoining sections of the fortification.

Context and history

Florence's southern wall circuit took shape in the fourteenth century. The introduction of artillery later led to changes in defensive design, including the addition of lower, thicker bulwarks. The bastion belongs to the city's long history of fortification.