Archibugio (Arquebus) - Bow and hole fire arm; it was the first small calibre fìre instrument for offence.

Arco (Bow) - Offensive tool consisting of a piece of wood with a bow shape at the edges of which is a rope of various material for the launch of arrows.

Balestra (Crossbow) - Offensive instrument consisting of a wood or metal bow placed horizontally on a wood frame called stock used to launch arrows.

Baluardo (Rampart) - Semicircular defensive preparation of walls which replaced the angular towers with the affirmation of firearms.

Bastìa (Fort) - French term which had the meaning of defensive works useful to fortify places on which it was difficult to build permanent fortifications or which had a provisional function such as that of defending the besiegers.

Bastion (Bastion) - Vast rampart often covered with a wall, sometimes with a pentagonal plan built in the defence of the artillery fire.

Cammino di ronda (Beat) - Shelf in the thickness of walls covered with battlements where guards and defenders used to move.

Casamatta (Casemate) - Covered room obtained in the thickness of walls or behind them with openings toward the outside to allow firearms to strike the approaching enemy with grazing fire.

Castro - From Castrum, Roman military camp built by soldiers, with rectangular or square shape, realised around a principal axis (cardum) and an orthogonal axis (decuman), surrounded by rampart and moat or vallum. On the rampart a fence or palisade was raised.

Corte (Court) - Rural settlement fortified or concentrated around a closed space. From Latin curtis.

Fortezza (Fortress) - Fortified complex of a size bigger than the fort, being articulated in barracks, depots, powder-magazines, lodgings for the garrison military's relatives and often including inside its fortifications also urban settlements.

Loggia - Building directly communicating with the outside on one or more sides through arcades based on pillars. It is an architectural element of the lord's residences, overlooking the innermost courtyard. In some cases it indicated a building used for public functions.

Mastio - Also Maschio (Donjon). It represented the most solid, massive and protected construction of the castle. It generally occupied the centre or the least accessible side but sometimes also the weakest. In general it consisted of an only tower with more floors for housing and defence with a vertical succession of environments with few restricted openings which could have a square, rectangular, circular or multiangular plan to which access
was made through small staircases realised in the thickness of walls or with inside retractile staircases.

Scudo (Shield) - Defence weapon, from Latin scutum.

Sigillo (Seal) - Metal or hard stone object aimed at leaving on sealing wax a symbol to mark a document.

Vallo (Vallum) - Tree trunk fence planted on the arch turning around the rampart of the Roman camps.

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