(1/2) The New Fortress, an excellent example of a late Renaissance fortification, was built during Venetian rule (1576–1578) at the northwestern end of Corfu Town on the rocky hill of St. Mark's. It is part of the fortification complex, a project entrusted to the engineer Ferdinardo (Ferrante) Vitelli. The name "New" served to distinguish it from the existing fortification to the east of the town, which has since been called the "Old Fortress."
The New Fortress, like the entire western front, adheres to the principles of the bastion system. It consists of two fortification levels. The low level is located to the northeast and protected the commercial port of Spilia. It has two monumental gates. The eastern gate is crowned with the winged Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of the Serenissima, the Republic of Venice. The high level, with the two bastions of the Seven Winds (Sette Venti), protected the town from the west, from the landward side.