Phase III - The Baluardo dell’Amore (1578-1585)

After the destruction of Castel Nuovo and following the draining of the river and the earthquake of 1570, which caused some of the merlons and towers of the wall to crumble, Alfonso II decided to fortify the city's southern defensive system by building an imposing series of bastions: dell'Amore, San Antonio, San Pietro and San Lorenzo.

With the goal of creating a homogeneous fortified perimeter, these bastions were completed between 1578 and 1585. Each bastion was designed to defend those next to it (the Italian bastion system). Three of the four defensive structures had curved flanks (creating a spade-like shape), because it was believed that those with right angles, built by Alfonso I, were more vulnerable to direct attacks.