Antonio Ferramolino facts for kids

Antonio Ferramolino was a super smart Italian architect and military engineer from the 1500s. He was also known as Sferrandino da Bergamo or Hernan Molin. He became famous for designing strong forts and defenses, especially in Sicily. He also worked on important buildings in places like Ragusa (now Dubrovnik) and Malta.

His Life and Adventures

Antonio Ferramolino was born in a city called Bergamo, which was part of the Republic of Venice back then. He started his career as a soldier. We don't know much about his very first projects. In 1529, he helped build powerful artillery (big cannons) at the Venetian Arsenal, a huge shipyard and weapons factory.

In 1532, Antonio fought against the Ottoman Empire in Hungary. He was also part of a big battle in Tunis in 1535. In 1536, the powerful Emperor Charles V asked him to check and improve the forts in Messina and the rest of Sicily. Over the next few years, he designed many defenses across Sicily, including in Messina, Palermo, and Catania.

In 1538, Ferramolino traveled to the Republic of Ragusa (which is modern-day Dubrovnik, Croatia). There, he designed the strong Revelin Fortress.

In 1540, he was sent to Malta. At that time, Malta was ruled by the Order of Saint John, a group of knight-monks. He designed a special raised part called a cavalier and a deep ditch for Fort St. Angelo. He also designed two important parts called bastions for the fortifications of Mdina. He even suggested building a new fort on the Sciberras Peninsula.

Antonio Ferramolino died on August 18, 1550, during a battle called the siege of Mahdia in modern Tunisia.

His Famous Works

The cavalier of Fort St. Angelo in Birgu, Malta, which was designed by Ferramolino

Ferramolino designed or improved many important forts and defenses. Here are some of his most famous works:

• Forte Gonzaga, Messina, Sicily
• Forte Castellaccio, Messina, Sicily
• Forte del Santissimo Salvatore, Messina, Sicily
• Castello Matagrifone, Messina, Sicily
• Fortifications of Palermo, Sicily
• Fortifications of Catania, Sicily
• Castello di Milazzo, Milazzo, Sicily
• Revelin Fortress, Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Improvements to the fortifications of Mdina, Malta
• The cavalier and ditch of Fort St. Angelo, Birgu, Malta

Images for kids

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  Forte Gonzaga in Messina, which was designed by Ferramolino in 1540