Palmanova, foundation town, has a precise date of birth: 7th October 1593. This day was chosen by the superintendents of the Republic of Venice as it called to mind two important events of the history of the Republic. The first, a religious event, was the day in which St Justine, who would become the patron Saint of the town, was commemorated; the second, a civic event, was the anniversary of the Victory of Lepanto against the Turks on 7th October 1571.

The choice of this second event shows that the Republic of Venice wanted to leave a clear message about the function and importance of the new fortress - as a limit to Turkish invasions, not only as regards the Republic itself but for the whole of Christendom.

Palma had been a Venetian dominion for over 200 years (1593-1805), when General Bonaparte conquered it. After the Treatise of Campoformido the fortress entered the Austrian Empire’s area (1798-1805); and then it was conquered by the Kingdom of Italy (1806-1814). After Napoleon’s defeat Palmanova became part of the Hapsburg Empire up until 1866- with the single interruption of the insurrection of 1848.With the plebiscite of 1866 Palmanova was definitively annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.

During the First World War it was the centre of hospitals, warehouses and an exercise field for drilling troops. With the rout of Caporetto the town suffered major devastation.
By the end of the Second World War the fortress was the seat ( Caserma Piave) of a centre of repression against the partisans.
In 1960 Palmanova became a National Monument under decree of the President of the Italian Republic