Trace Italienne (Civ3)/Civilopedia

Late in the 15th Century, the French demonstrated that they had gained the upper-hand in siege warfare, using their mobile cannons to win a series of sieges in Italy. Their technological lead was to be short-lived, however, for over the next fifty years a new form of fortified bastion called the Trace Italienne was developed. These polygonal bastions were 
accompanied by a series of ditches, detached forts (called ravelins), and artificial slopes
that significantly diminished their vulnerability to the inaccurate artillery fire of
the period. The use of the Trace Italienne would spread throughout Europe and would become
a standard model for the colonial forts established by the Europeans across the globe.