Forte Manin
Forte Manin, also known as Forte Marghera, stands on former marshland beside the Venetian lagoon, near Mestre and Venice. Its pentagonal core has four bastions, a double moat, and three outer lunettes beyond the main structure. The Canal Salso connects those defensive waters with the lagoon and once supported movement between Mestre and Venice.
Construction began in 1805, after the Treaty of Campoformio placed this mainland position within reach of Venice. French architect Marescò later added six outer bastions, a double moat, and two side forts. Only star-shaped Fort Campalto was built, while the fortress itself served French, Austrian, and Italian military forces. In 1849, about 2,500 patriots defended the works during a long Austrian siege before withdrawing towards Venice.
Two French-period barracks face Mestre, built from Istrian stone with bomb-proof roofs for 150 to 200 soldiers each. Nearby, French and Austrian powder magazines retain their barrel-vaulted roofs, while an oval dock opens towards Venice. The former fortress now forms a public park owned by the City of Venice, with cultural events among its canals, earthworks, and military buildings.
- City
- Venice
- Content updated
Take this page with you
The myTuur app is free, and once you are standing at a spot its story starts by itself.
Spots like this one are the stops myTuur strings into tours through Venice. In the app, each story begins where you stand: walk up to a spot and it starts, read it on screen or listen as you go, then follow the route to the next one.
What is myTuur?
myTuur is a free city-guide app. Its tours are built from spots, and each spot carries a story that starts when you get there, to read or to listen to as you like.