The present volume brings together the proceedings of the study day held on 6 September 2026 at Porta Palio, Verona, and the research findings presented in the touring exhibition staged alongside the event and at Barone Fortress, Šibenik.

These initiatives form part of Venetian Borderscapes, a project promoted by the Veneto Region and coordinated by the University of Florence within the programme for the recovery, conservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage of the Most Serene Republic of Venice in Istria, Dalmatia and the Mediterranean.

Dedicated to understanding and enhancing central Dalmatia’s fortified landscapes, the project conducts a census and analysis focused on the settlement patterns of the kaštel, coastal settlements developed under Venetian rule.

Through digital documentation, the research develops 3D databases and representational tools for an integrated understanding of the settlements’ architectural and territorial characteristics. Historical and cartographic sources, combined with three-dimensional surveying, reveal new insights into settlement organisation and the morphological, typological and constructional characteristics of the fortified settlements, supporting further research, conservation and enhancement efforts.

The settlements, examined in detail in the present research, Kaštel Gomilica, Kaštel Stari, Kaštel Novi and Kaštel Štafilić, together with Marina, Seget and Vodice, bear witness to this landscape mosaic, reflecting the Serenissima’s strategies for defence and territorial organisation along the Dalmatian coast.