Phase II - The Ravelin Built by Ercole II d’Este (1557)

In 1557, an arrow-shaped defensive ravelin was built by Ercole II, Duke from 1534 to 1559, to defend the Porta d’Amore gate.

In the words of Giovan Battista Aleotti: a small point that, in the shape of a bastion, was in front of the Porta dell'Amore gate, where the good prince (Ercole II d’Este) thought to build a bastion but, impeded by his sudden death, did not carry out his wish, so it was completed by his successor, Alfonso.

Porta dell’Amore gate was eventually incorporated into the new ravelin as a connection point with the city within the walls.