Venice invested heavily in Corfu because it was an important imperial possession, leaving later defenders an extensive system to man. The Old Fortress withstood Ottoman sieges in 1537, 1571 and 1716. Its construction history includes a phase dated here to 1545-1555, while the New Fortress developed over a longer period ending with later additions in 1728. Venice expanded the defences to hold the island longer than a besieging army could remain supplied. Building the wider fortification system required the demolition of about 2,000 homes. The French still had a large area to defend with about 3,000 troops of uneven quality, and their roughly 600 cannon had to cover that broad perimeter.
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The Venetian fortress system and its burden
Venice built Corfu's extensive defences to outlast Ottoman sieges, but their size stretched the French garrison of about 3,000 troops.