All Castles in Liguria

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    Castello di Punta Pagana

    Castello di Punta Pagana is a castle located on the promontory of Punta Pagana, inside the private garden of Villa Spinola, in Rapallo. Together with the 16th-century Castle of Santa Margherita Ligure, located to the west, and the Castle-on-the-Sea from Rapallo, to the east, Castello di Punta Pagana it was part of a defense system built by the Republic of Genoa for the protection of the coast and villages on the western part of the Gulf of Tigullio.   SHORT HISTORY The construction work of the fortress started in April 1625, comissioned by the Republic of Genoa and the municipalities of Rapallo, Recco, Chiavari, Moneglia and Sestri Levante. The structure became necessary due to the open hostility between the Genoese republic and Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy, Duke of Savoy, and for the fear of a possible attack by sea. The works were carried out quickly and, by December 1625, the structure was almost finished. In 1627, the moat with the drawbridge was completed and three years later, on July 1631, the fortress was placed under the service of the Republic of Genoa. Although the fortress was equipped with weapons, ammunition and gunpowder necessary for a sudden attack, it never Read more [...]

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    Castello sul Mare

    Castello sul Mare (Castle-on-the-Sea) is a small castle in Rapallo, located on the waterfront Vittorio Veneto. The castle is the symbol of the town and was declared a national monument by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage.   SHORT HISTORY The decision to build a castle for defensive purposes was taken after the events of July 4, 1549, when Rapallo suffered the assault of the Turkish pirate Dragut, who looted the town and kidnapped 22 young girls. The building, based on a design by Antonio de Càrabo, was begun in 1550, and the works were completed one year later. With the construction of the Castle of Rapallo, the entire western area of the Gulf of Tigullio was completed with a defensive system, which included also the castles of Portofino, Paraggi, Santa Margherita Ligure and the nearby Punta Pagana. The new mayor of Rapallo, Benedetto Fieschi Raggio, was able to inaugurate the castle on May 10, 1551, and asked the Genoese Senate for the necessary artillery to defend the castle. In the following years, the castle was modified several times, expanding its structure. In 1608, it became the seat of the captainship of Rapallo. Here, the captain had his office, while in Read more [...]

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    Castello di Riomaggiore

    Castello di Riomaggiore is a castle located in the upper part of the historical center of Riomaggiore. The castle, with a quadrangular structure and two stubby circular towers, was used originally for defensive purposes, and later converted into a cemetery. Today, the castle is used by the municipality as a conference hall and cultural center.   SHORT HISTORY According to historical sources, the castle was built by the Turcotti Marquises in 1260, lords of the village of Ripalta, near Borghetto di Vara, on the ruins of a pre-existing fortress. After the domination of the Count Nicolò Fieschi, a new castle, located on the hill that divides the valley of Rio Maggiore from that of Rio Finale, was finally completed by the Republic of Genoa between the 15th and 16th centuries. During the French domination of Napoleon Bonaparte, the internal area of the fort was filled with earth and destined for the burial of the deceased locals. At the end of the 20th century, the whole complex underwent a general recovery, being converted into a cultural center.   HOW TO GET THERE The Castle of Riomaggiore is located about 450 meters away from the Riomaggiore railway station, or about 10 minutes on Read more [...]

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    Castello dei Doria

    Castello dei Doria is a castle located on a rocky ridge about 70 meters high, in Vernazza. The castle was named after the Doria family, originally from Genoa, one of the most important noble families in the history of Italy.   SHORT HISTORY The first informations about a castle in Vernazza dates back to the 13th century, but it is believed that the first nucleus of the building dates back to the 11th century, and that it was built during the domination of the Obertenghi, a family of Italian nobility descended from Count Obert I of Luni. In particular, the cylindrical tower, which currently stands in the middle of the castel’s terrace, and which was restored during the 20th century, is the oldest part of the fortification. In the 12th century, the castle and the village of Vernazza passed to the bishops of Luni, to the Da Passano family and then to the Fieschi in the second half of the century. Occupied in the same century by Pisa, in the attacks related to the Battle of Meloria, in which also sailors and ships from Vernazza participated, the castle soon returned into the hands of the Genoese. During the crucial phases Read more [...]

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    Castello della Dragonara

    Castello della Dragonara, known also as the Castel Dragone, is a castle in Camogli, located in Via Isola, near the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.   SHORT HISTORY According to some historical sources, the castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. In the second half of the 14th century, the castle, to ensure the safety of the fishing village of Camogli, was repeatedly reinforced, receiving the necessary weapons from the Republic of Genoa. In the 14th century, the Dragonara Castle was attacked several times. Well documented are the assaults made by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, and the one made by Nicolò Fieschi in 1366. Between 1428 and 1430, the castle was considerably enlarged and reinforced, especially the adjacent watchtower. In 1438, the Duchy of Milan besieged the castle, destroying its walls. A few years later, the inhabitants of the seaside village built new walls around the castle. In 1448, due to a conflict between Camogli, Recco and Genoa, the Republic demanded the immediate destruction of the castle. The castle was destroyed, but it was rebuilt again only six years later and given to the Doge of Genoa. In the 16th century, the castle Read more [...]

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    Castello Doria

    Castello Doria is a castle located on a rocky hill overlooking the seaside village of Portovenere, one of the great examples of military architecture of the Republic of Genoa.   SHORT HISTORY An ancient fortress already existed in this place when, in 1139, the Republic of Genoa gained control of the village of Portovenere, with the help of the local lords of Vezzano. In 1161, the castle was rebuilt closer to the Church of San Pietro, and the new building was virtually annexed to the old fortified structure, including two identical watch towers. In the 13th century, the castle was the center of the struggles between Genoa and Pisa for the conquest of the surrounding lands. In the second half of the 15th century, Genoa decided to demolish the castle and rebuild it in a modern style, according to the architectural and military canons of the period. The rebuilding works continued in the 15th and 16th centuries, but the fortress took its current appearance only in the 17th century. During the French domination of Napoleon Bonaparte, at the beginning of the 19th century, the castle was used as a prison, without altering its architectural forms. Today, the ancient Genoese fortress Read more [...]

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    Castello Brown

    Castello Brown, formerly known as the Castle of San Giorgio, is an ancient military fortress placed in an elevated position, that dominates the small town of Portofino. The castle is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden full of cypress trees, flowers and pergolas.   SHORT HISTORY During some excavations in the area, in the place of today’s castle were found traces of an ancient Roman watchtower dating back to the 3rd century AD. The first official information on the current structure dates back to 1425, when Tomaso Fregoso, Doge of the Republic of Genoa, occupied the village of Portofino. In the 16th century, several restoration and expansion works were carried out. Between 1554 and 1557, the castle was extended by a new platform towards the port, after a design by the engineer Giovanni Maria Olgiati. In 1624, new works strengthened the castle, and in 1728, other works were carried out, enriching the armament and arranging the interior of the fortress. The fortress passed to the French in 1797, when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Liguria. After Napoleon left and the town was included in the Kindom of Sardinia and subsequently in the Kingdom of Italy, the military fortress was completely disarmed starting with Read more [...]