*This article is based on statistical data and historical materials as of January 2026.

1. Renaissance Dreams and Military Necessities Embodied in Geometry

Painting God's Order on Earth: Combining Beauty and Function

Palmanova's most distinctive feature is its uncompromising geometric structure. At its heart is the hexagonal Piazza Grande, from which six main roads radiate, connecting to the nine bastions on the city's periphery. The city's design was the work of some of the finest architects and military engineers of the time, including Vincenzo Scamozzi and Giulio Savorgnan.

As Thomas More wrote in his 1516 book, Utopia, the humanists of the time firmly believed that "a harmony in the physical environment is the foundation of social tranquility." In Palmanova, all major streets were designed to be the same width (14 meters), and buildings were required to be of uniform height and style. This was based on social engineering intent to eliminate jealousy among citizens and promote equality. It was nothing less than the embodiment of the Renaissance spirit, which sought to recreate the beauty of God's creations on earth.

However, this beautiful star shape is not simply the result of aesthetic pursuit. Its backbone is based on cold, military rationality, namely, "complete elimination of blind spots."

Being "invisible" is the strongest shield

While medieval castles competed for height to demonstrate their authority, Palmanova chose to remain underground. From the 15th century onwards, high stone walls, which were easy targets, were too vulnerable to the destructive power of firearms (cannons), which had rapidly developed.

Palmanova was built by digging the entire city into the plain and surrounding it with thick earthworks and moats. This gave it a high level of stealth, making it appear from a distance like a simple forest or rolling hills. Cannonballs were absorbed by the soft earth of the earthworks, greatly reducing their power.

This concept of an "invisible city" is not only a defense against enemies, but also a remarkable visionary concept that is reminiscent of modern environmentally conscious architecture and landscape-focused resort development.

2. A timeless dialogue with Japan's star-shaped fortress, Goryokaku

Approximately 250 years after the completion of Palmanova in Italy, a fortress based on a similar concept appeared in Japan, an island nation in the Far East. This fortress is Goryokaku in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Comparing these two fortresses reveals the spread of technology and the ingenuity of adaptation to the conditions of each country.

The notable difference in "cost performance"

The most praiseworthy aspect of Goryokaku's design is its economic rationality. During the turbulent times of the late Edo period, the shogunate's finances were tight. Comparing the construction costs of Goryokaku with those of the maritime fortress "Shinagawa Battery," which was built in Edo (Tokyo) around the same time, the high level of Takeda Fusaburo's management skills becomes clear.

Takeda Fusaburo avoided costly construction methods such as transporting earth and sand from Mount Hakodate and filling it in, instead opting for the "digging method," which involved digging down the local soil to create a moat and then piling up the soil to create an earthwork. Furthermore, by limiting the use of expensive stone walls to key locations and using earthworks made mostly from hardened grass, he was able to complete a world-class fortress with a site area larger than that of the battery, on a budget about half the cost of the battery.

Meanwhile, another star-shaped fortress, Tatsuoka Castle, located in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, faced financial difficulties as a small domain with only 16,000 koku of rice. Due to this, the castle's moat was narrow and it was left unfinished at the time of the Meiji Restoration. History has shown, with brutal clarity, how important it is to have the capital and resource allocation necessary to implement the technology, even if the blueprints are in place.

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3. Miscalculation and lessons of the "uninhabited utopia"

The decisive gap between hardware and software

Despite Palmanova being a city of such militarily and aesthetically perfection, when it was first built, very few people wanted to live there.

Why? There lies a serious problem, relevant even today, in the mismatch between the "hardware (infrastructure)" and "software (the will of the residents)" of urban planning. The Republic of Venice forced its citizens to live in a geometrically disciplined environment and live on the military front line with a sense of tension. No matter how beautiful the plazas and orderly the roads, if there is a lack of "warmth of life" and "freedom," people will not settle there.

The Venetian government took the situation seriously and in 1622 implemented a drastic policy of forced relocation, amnestying criminals and providing land and materials free of charge. Ironically, the fact that a place designed as an ideal city welcomed prisoners as its first residents points to the limitations of top-down urban development.

Even with today's "smart city" concept, if technology and efficiency take precedence over building a community among the people who live there, we risk repeating the same mistakes.

4. Modern Application: The "Invisible Fortress" in Toyako Town, Hokkaido

So how should we apply the knowledge gained from Palmanova and Goryokaku to urban development in modern-day Hokkaido, particularly in areas like Toyako Town? Two key words emerge: "geometry" and "defense."

A "modern castle wall" called the landscape

While Palmanova protected the city with "physical walls," modern tourist destinations must protect their value with "legal walls (landscape regulations)."

Toyako Town has a topography that can be described as a natural fortress, located within the "natural circle" of a huge caldera lake. To protect this beauty, the Toyako Town Landscape Plan restricts the height of buildings to 10m (or 13m) or less as a general rule, and strictly stipulates that the color of exterior walls must blend in with the surrounding nature based on Munsell values.

This perfectly resonates in a contemporary context with the logic behind Palmanova's earlier decision to keep its buildings low to avoid being seen by its enemies: it defends the territory of its local identity against the modern invasion of uncontrolled development with the invisible wall of legal height restrictions.

Circles and Stars in Action: Geometry Tourism

This geometric characteristic is also a powerful tool in tourism strategies.

• ● Lake Toya:A huge creation of nature"Circle"
• ● Goryokaku:A sophisticated product created by humans"Star"

Hokkaido is home to a gigantic geometric formation of "circles and stars" that is rare even on a global scale. By creating a "Hokkaido Geometry Tour" that combines these formations, and proposing it as an intellectual sightseeing route that goes beyond simply appreciating the scenery, and teaches the functional beauty and historical background hidden in the formations, it will be a powerful hook for intellectually inquisitive travelers such as wealthy Westerners.

Systemic funding and reinvestment

Maintaining historical assets like Palmanova incurs enormous costs. Similarly, maintaining beautiful landscapes also incurs costs. This is where strategic use of "extra-statutory taxes" such as bathing taxes and accommodation taxes becomes important.

In fiscal year 2022, Toyako Town's bathing tax revenue reached approximately 124.35 million yen. By reinvesting this revenue not just in repairing tourist facilities, but also intensively in developing "walkable cities" like Palmanova, for example by burying power lines underground and installing consistent street furniture, the city's brand value will be dramatically improved.

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