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Fortezza da Basso

Italy · 16th century

Fortezza da Basso in Italy
Photo: sailko · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Fortezza da Basso is a fort inserted in the fourteenth century walls of Florence. Its official name is the Fortress of Saint John the Baptist (Fortezza di San Giovanni Battista). In modern times it is home to numerous conferences, concerts and national and international exhibitions, such as Pitti Immagine. Its total area is nearly 100,000 square meters.

Fortezza da Basso was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger for Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence, also called The Moor, and was built between 1534 and 1537. It is the largest historical monument in Florence.

Text adapted from “Fortezza da Basso” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Fortezza da Basso ranks #1,873 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #137 of the 560 mapped in Italy. Founded 1534, it is older than 41% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 891 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,899 times in the last 60 days, more than 77% of the atlas. 19 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Florence, 1 km away. It is one of the 43 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of Tuscany. See how Italy compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Fortezza da Basso?

Fortezza da Basso stands in Italy, at 43.78163°, 11.24885°.

When was Fortezza da Basso built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1534. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Fortezza da Basso?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #1,873 of 9,079 worldwide, and #137 in Italy. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Fortezza da Basso?

Palazzo Medici Riccardi, about 1 km away.

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