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It must have been an almost pedantic spirit who gave Palmanova the symetrical shape of a 9 pointed star. Three roads straight as an arrow are crossing the city transversally, four concentrical ring roads surround the nucleus of the town. 4 square places are located in front of the very center - a hexagonal piazza.
Palmanova appears to be a town being planned on a drawing board. And in fact it is. For over 200 years it was known to be the best secured fortress in Europe.
Starting at 1593 it took Venice about 100 years to finish the fortress which was intended to be an invincible post to the Turks and Austrians. Originally Palmanova provided space for more than 20.000 people, but there were only few that wanted to end up here. So it came to those who could not oppose: First they sent soldiers to live there. Already after 30 years not even soldiers wanted to go there, so they sent imprisoners who were promised freedom and a place for living in exchange for setteling over to Palmanova. Despite of some privileges there were rarely living more than 2000 inhabitants in this town. Nowadays there are 5000.
Irony in history: There have never been fights in the city of Palmanova itself. It has been taken by Napoleon without a fight in 1797.
The distance from Lignano is 48 km, it's about 40 minutes by car.
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