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40-597: Among the main sites is the much refurbished and amplified Agazzano Castle , still a private residence of descendants of the original owners. Agazzano borders the following municipalities: Borgonovo Val Tidone , Gazzola , Gragnano Trebbiense , Pianello Val Tidone , Piozzano . This article on a location in Emilia–Romagna is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Agazzano Castle The Agazzano Castle (in Italian Castello di Agazzano )

80-420: A trench . A tatebori ( 竪堀 , lit.   ' vertical moat ' ) is a dry moat dug into a slope. A unejo tatebori ( 畝状竪堀 , lit.   ' furrowed shape empty moat ' ) is a series of parallel trenches running up the sides of the excavated mountain, and the earthen wall, which was also called doi ( 土居 , lit.   ' earth mount ' ) , was an outer wall made of earth dug out from

120-548: A dowry to her husband, Count Girolamo Anguissola di Podenzano, who, as a result, decided to add the surname Scotti to his own surname. The complex remained in the Anguissola-Scotti family until the 20th century when, after the marriage of the last heir Luisa Anguissola-Scotti to the general Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga , a member of the ramo di Vescovato of the Gonzaga family. The Scotti di Agazzano had been related to him since

160-639: A key element used in French Classicism and Beaux-Arts architecture dwellings, both as decorative designs and to provide discreet access for service. Excellent examples of these can be found in Newport, Rhode Island at Miramar (mansion) and The Elms , as well as at Carolands , outside of San Francisco, California, and at Union Station in Toronto , Ontario, Canada. Additionally, a dry moat can allow light and fresh air to reach basement workspaces, as for example at

200-407: A masonry entrance. A second ravelin was placed on the opposite facade in the direction of the body called the castle, later replaced during the 18th century by the villa. The inner courtyard, equipped with a well of hexagonal shape placed in a edicola , has on three sides out of four a loggia with a cross vault accessed from the entrance via two flights of stairs. The fourth side, built towards

240-1089: A moat. Even today it is common for mountain Japanese castles to have dry moats. A mizubori ( 水堀 , lit.   ' water moat ' ) is a moat filled with water. Moats were also used in the Forbidden City and Xi'an in China; in Vellore Fort in India; Hsinchu in Taiwan ; and in Southeast Asia, such as at Angkor Wat in Cambodia ; Mandalay in Myanmar ; Chiang Mai in Thailand and Huế in Vietnam . The only moated fort ever built in Australia

280-724: A vertical outer retaining wall rising direct from the moat, is an extended usage of the ha-ha of English landscape gardening. In 2004, plans were suggested for a two-mile moat across the southern border of the Gaza Strip to prevent tunnelling from Egyptian territory to the border town of Rafah . In 2008, city officials in Yuma, Arizona planned to dig out a two-mile stretch of a 180-hectare (440-acre) wetland known as Hunters Hole to control immigrants coming from Mexico. Researchers of jumping spiders , which have excellent vision and adaptable tactics, built water-filled miniature moats, too wide for

320-519: A very central part of their cities, the moats have provided a vital waterway to the city. Even in modern times the moat system of the Tokyo Imperial Palace consists of a very active body of water, hosting everything from rental boats and fishing ponds to restaurants. Most modern Japanese castles have moats filled with water, but castles in the feudal period more commonly had 'dry moats' karabori ( 空堀 , lit.   ' empty moat ' ) ,

360-647: Is a fortification located in Agazzano , in the province of Piacenza . The castle is located on the edge of Agazzano town, not far from the main square, which was intended to be defended by the castle, and it is located in the heart of the Luretta Valley , a short distance from the course of the Luretta creek , at a point of slight elevation difference, where the last hill extensions of the Ligurian Apennines give way to

400-428: Is a collection of ceramics of different production, including antique Savona, Vecchia Lodi and Japanese, as well as some Maissen and Sèvres porcelain. In the same room, there is also a billiard table equipped with a scoreboard dating back to the seventeenth century. The two parts of the complex are surrounded by a garden designed by the botanist Luigi Villoresi in the 18th century, like the villa. It stands where there

440-709: The James Farley Post Office in New York City . Whilst moats are no longer a significant tool of warfare, modern architectural building design continues to use them as a defence against certain modern threats, such as terrorist attacks from car bombs and improvised fighting vehicles . For example, the new location of the Embassy of the United States in London , opened in 2018, includes a moat among its security features -

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480-717: The Mississippian culture as the outer defence of some fortified villages. The remains of a 16th-century moat are still visible at the Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern Arkansas . The Maya people also used moats, for example in the city of Becan . European colonists in the Americas often built dry ditches surrounding forts built to protect important landmarks, harbours or cities (e.g. Fort Jay on Governors Island in New York Harbor ). Dry moats were

520-628: The Po Valley . The complex, which is part of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli Association , is composed of two buildings with completely different history, use and appearance: the Renaissance fortress and the 18th century palace. The origins of the fortified complex date back to the 13th century at the behest of Giovanni Scotti, who made Agazzano the center of his family's holdings. In

560-493: The walls . In suitable locations, they might be filled with water. A moat made access to the walls difficult for siege weapons such as siege towers and battering rams , which needed to be brought up against a wall to be effective. A water-filled moat made the practice of mining – digging tunnels under the castles in order to effect a collapse of the defences – very difficult as well. Segmented moats have one dry section and one section filled with water. Dry moats that cut across

600-637: The 14th century there was an increase in the power of the Scotti family, which had built its fortune on mercantile trades, through a company, the Societas Scotorum that reached the main marketplaces of Europe and the Near and Middle East from Genoa . The increase in family power allowed the parallel increase in the importance of the center of Agazzano, the small capital of the fiefdom, which never became an important center politically due to its decentralized location. At

640-422: The 15th century, and the complex passed to their son Corrado. The appearance of the fortress dates back to 1475, when it was rebuilt after a fire had heavily damaged it. It presents a combination of elements belonging to a typically medieval defensive military architecture with elements with distinct Renaissance residential characteristics. Originally surrounded by a moat following eighteenth-century modifications,

680-594: The Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti and assigned to Bartolomeo and Filippo Arcelli , who had accused the Scotti family of being part of an anti-Visconti rebellion, strongly opposed by the Arcelli family, who held several properties in the nearby val Tidone . Three years later, the Scotti brothers succeeded in proving their innocence of the charges brought by the Arcelli family by regaining their fiefs. However, these did not include

720-419: The beginning of the century Giovanni's son, Alberto Scotti , who was also able to become lord of Piacenza and, for a short time, Milan , had the construction work completed. In September 1412, the castle, along with several other properties owned by the Scotti family including the castle of Sarmato and the fiefdom of Castel San Giovanni , was confiscated from brothers Alberto Pietro and Giovanni Scotti by

760-503: The castle of Agazzano, which had become part of the Figliagaddi family's property. It was repurchased by Count Alberto Scotti in July 1431. The actual reconstruction of the complex dates back to 1475, when the Scotti family, after a fire had severely damaged the medieval castle, initiated the construction of a complex for defensive purposes consisting of two adjoining buildings: the castle and

800-593: The cellars of the old castle located below the villa. The structures and gardens are available for cultural and private events. Artocchini . Moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle , fortification , building , or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence . Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices . In older fortifications, such as hillforts , they are usually referred to simply as ditches , although

840-453: The division of what he looted. After the killing, the corpse was thrown by Visconti into the moat of the castle, but it was never found again. The castle changed owner several times between the Scotti and Anguissola families until the Scotti family, which had been banished from the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza in 1606 managed to obtain a pardon regaining possession of the castle as a result of

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880-456: The end of the Renaissance, housed the living quarters of the castle's military garrison and has lounges with fireplaces and kitchens in excellent condition. A staircase located in the courtyard leads to a passageway that, legend has it, would allow one to reach the castle of Lisignano , located on the other bank of the Luretta River in the territory of the municipality of Gazzola . Access to

920-463: The excavated ring, a 'dry moat'. The shared derivation implies that the two features were closely related and possibly constructed at the same time. The term moat is also applied to natural formations reminiscent of the artificial structure and to similar modern architectural features. With the introduction of siege artillery , a new style of fortification emerged in the 16th century using low walls and projecting strong points called bastions , which

960-689: The first moat built in England for more than a century. Modern moats may also be used for aesthetic or ergonomic purposes. The Catawba Nuclear Station has a concrete moat around the sides of the plant not bordering a lake. The moat is a part of precautions added to such sites after the September 11, 2001 attacks . Moats, rather than fences, separate animals from spectators in many modern zoo installations. Moats were first used in this way by Carl Hagenbeck at his Tierpark in Hamburg , Germany. The structure, with

1000-401: The fortress is surrounded by a garden. It has a rectangular structure bordered by scarped walls decorated with a transverse marcapiano . Of the four round corner towers originally present, only the two overlooking the entrance facade remain. Access to the fortress is allowed through a ravelin that was equipped with a drawbridge (its stonework remains visible), which was later replaced by

1040-501: The fortress. The works brought the appearance of the complex towards a purely Renaissance style, attentive to the dictates of aesthetics, softening the typically military characters. In this period, the Scotti family joined the Gonzaga family through the marriage of the Count of Vigoleno Giovanni Maria Scotti with Luigia Gonzaga of Novellara , as evidenced by the presence within the complex of

1080-466: The function is similar. In later periods, moats or water defences may be largely ornamental. They could also act as a sewer. Some of the earliest evidence of moats has been uncovered around ancient Egyptian fortresses. One example is at Buhen , a settlement excavated in Nubia . Other evidence of ancient moats is found in the ruins of Babylon, and in reliefs from ancient Egypt, Assyria , and other cultures in

1120-408: The largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet. Japanese castles often have very elaborate moats, with up to three moats laid out in concentric circles around the castle and a host of different patterns engineered around the landscape. The outer moat of a Japanese castle typically protects other support buildings in addition to the castle. As many Japanese castles have historically been

1160-470: The mediation activities carried out by Queen Anne of France ,. In 1652 Gaspare Scotti also managed to obtain the title of count of Agazzano. During the 18th century, a villa was built on the ruins of the castle that flanked the fortress designed with exclusively residential functions. The complex remained among the Scotti's family possessions until 1741, after the death of the last heir Ranuccio. It passed to his eldest daughter Margherita, who brought it as

1200-527: The narrow part of a spur or peninsula are called neck ditches . Moats separating different elements of a castle, such as the inner and outer wards, are cross ditches . The word was adapted in Middle English from the Old French motte ( lit.   ' mound, hillock ' ) and was first applied to the central mound on which a castle was erected (see Motte and bailey ) and then came to be applied to

1240-426: The region. Evidence of early moats around settlements has been discovered in many archaeological sites throughout Southeast Asia, including Noen U-Loke, Ban Non Khrua Chut, Ban Makham Thae and Ban Non Wat. The use of the moats could have been either for defensive or agriculture purposes. Moats were excavated around castles and other fortifications as part of the defensive system as an obstacle immediately outside

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1280-489: The spiders to jump across. Some specimens were rewarded for jumping then swimming and others for swimming only. Portia fimbriata from Queensland generally succeeded, for whichever method they were rewarded. When specimens from two different populations of Portia labiata were set the same task, members of one population determined which method earned them a reward, whilst members of the other continued to use whichever method they tried first and did not try to adapt. As

1320-511: The symbols of both houses. In 1529, the castle was conquered by Pier Maria Scotti , known as the Buso, who had to resort to the use of several pieces of artillery to conquer the fort, owned by Count Giuseppe Scotti. Following the conquest Pier Maria plundered the area, looting various materials. However, Scotti was killed shortly afterwards by Astorre Visconti, a Milanese outsider who had formed an alliance with him. He felt betrayed by Pier Maria during

1360-401: The villa is made through a French style gate, typical of the 18th century, which allows access to a U-shaped courtyard equipped with porch on three out of four sides, while the facade has a neoclassical architecture style. The interior features a series of landscape-decorated halls on the ground floor equipped with furniture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Inside the dining room

1400-702: The world's largest man-made structure. Fred Pearce wrote in New Scientist: They extend for some 16,000 kilometres in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. They cover 6,500 square kilometres and were all dug by the Edo people. In all, they are four times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops. They took an estimated 150 million hours of digging to construct, and are perhaps

1440-512: Was Fort Lytton in Brisbane . As Brisbane was much more vulnerable to attack than either Sydney or Melbourne a series of coastal defences was built throughout Moreton Bay , Fort Lytton being the largest. Built between 1880 and 1881 in response to fear of a Russian invasion, it is a pentagonal fortress concealed behind grassy embankments and surrounded by a water-filled moat. Moats were developed independently by North American indigenous people of

1480-532: Was considered the largest man-made structure lengthwise, second only to the Great Wall of China and the largest earthwork in the world. Recent work by Patrick Darling has established it as the largest man-made structure in the world, larger than Sungbo's Eredo , also in Nigeria. It enclosed 6,500 km (2,500 sq mi) of community lands. Its length was over 16,000 km (9,900 mi) of earth boundaries. It

1520-647: Was estimated that earliest construction began in 800 and continued into the mid-15th century. The walls are built of a ditch and dike structure, the ditch dug to form an inner moat with the excavated earth used to form the exterior rampart. The Benin Walls were ravaged by the British in 1897. Scattered pieces of the walls remain in Edo, with material being used by the locals for building purposes. The walls continue to be torn down for real-estate developments. The Walls of Benin City were

1560-461: Was known as the trace italienne . The walls were further protected from infantry attack by wet or dry moats, sometimes in elaborate systems. When this style of fortification was superseded by lines of polygonal forts in the mid-19th century, moats continued to be used for close protection. The Walls of Benin were a combination of ramparts and moats, called Iya, used as a defence of the capital Benin City in present-day Edo State of Nigeria. It

1600-434: Was originally a vineyard and moat surrounding the outside of the fortress. In the garden there is a park-like part formed by various ancient tree species, and another garden part, equipped with statues and a fountain in which the influence of French architecture of the time is clear. Of the vineyard initially present, a portion remains about 3 hectares wide, which is used for the production of wines that are later on aged inside

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