The first page of the compendium written and illustrated by Giulio Emilio Alberghetti tells a lot about how to understand and read the book. The idea of gathering information about fortifications for the head of state to protect his recent conquests gets further expressed in the following pages. After that he addresses the reader by emphasizing his objective view bevor leading over to the first Part of the book.
By looking at the front page we can see an illustration of a statue on a rather big pedestal with engravings in it. They tell us that the compendium is made for Silvestro Valier and the senate of Venice and was commissioned by Sebastiano Mocenigo from the house of Mocenigo, on of the most influential families of Venetian aristocracy. So only by looking at the first page one can unterstand the political context this compendium was written in. Alberghetti then addresses the head of state and the senate directly to further clarify the meaning of his writings.
The compendium was written at a time of war between the republic of Venice and the ottoman empire. Silvestro Valier (rather his predecessor Francesco Morosini) was expanding the territory of the state and was therefore in need of security through appropriated fortifications. Alberghetti claims to show the best methods of fortification in this compendium and expresses his respect towards the the head of state for giving him this commission. The concept of the book as a commission of the state with the war against the ottoman empire as context gets one more time visualized before talking about the actual military fortifications with all their important aspects.
By addressing the reader Alberghetti states the objective view of this compendium and therefore gives validity to the examples shown as best methods of fortification. He justifies it by declaring his writings as an order of the state. So what he is showing to the reader is not a study of the arts of fortification or a subjective writing containing his thoughts about the matter. It is a kind of encyclopedia suited for the head of state without any personal statements.
The „Compendio della Fortificatione Militare“ can be seen as am commissioned guide-book by the state for their use as an encyclopedia regarding fortifications for defending their conquests. This concept can be recognized in various aspects of the book. There are carefully selected examples from England to France which get analyzed and described/illustrated in their most important aspects. The authority of the examples as best ways of fortification gets underlined by the scientific kind of layout with schemes/ illustrations accompanied by text and the hard durable leather cover.
commission, encyclopedia, guide-book
„(…) sorgano le necessarie Fortezze, per assicurare le Conquiste della Repubblica Augusta. (…) presento al Soglio reale di Vostra Serenità questo saggio de Metodi migliori di fortificare, in ossequiosissima testimonianza della mia divotione (…)“