“A star fort or trace italienne is a fortification in the style that evolved during the age of black powder, when cannons came to dominate the battle field, and was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy. Passive ring-shaped fortifications of the medieval era proved vulnerable to damage or destruction by cannon-fire, when it could be directed from outside against a perpendicular masonry wall.
In contrast, the star fortress was a very flat structure composed of many triangular bastions, specifically designed to cover each other, and a ditch. “
Bourtange fortification in Groningen, Netherlands
