The reason why Parma was so cautious to attack was not just for its defences, but also its place right near the sea. The old church and town faced the seas, but in 1583 the new town, further inland, was fortified with ramparts, counterscarps, and two broad ditches. The dunes were cut away, and the sea was allowed to fill the ditches and surround the town. A canal called the "Geule" had begun to form a new harbour on the east side; it was wide, deep, and navigable and served the maritime traffic to the city. To the south a framework of often flooded streams and wetlands would have made the area difficult to place heavy siege guns. Where the land rose slightly towards the dunes, on either side of the town; the besiegers would be able to approach with their parallels and batteries and as such were vulnerable points.