Castles and ruins in the Province of La Spezia

Explore the defensive architecture of eastern Liguria, from ancient Roman ruins to medieval fortresses and 19th-century coastal batteries. This collection features the 13th-century fortifications of the Cinque Terre, the polygonal towers of the Gulf of Poets, and the hilltop strongholds of the Magra and Vara valleys. These sites include well-preserved castles of the Malaspina and Doria families, the expansive Roman amphitheater at Luni, and strategic military forts on Palmaria Island.

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castello di Riomaggiore

A 13th-century fortress featuring two circular towers and a central curtain wall. Built by the Marquis Turcotti and later completed by the Republic of Genoa, it offers views over the Cinque Terre coastline.

Cribegh / Public domain

Castello San Giorgio

A military fortification housing the Ubaldo Formentini Civic Museum. The structure displays architectural layers from the 13th to the 17th centuries, including significant Genoese defensive walls.

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castello di Lerici

A 12th-century polygonal fortress situated on a rocky promontory. It served as a strategic stronghold for the maritime republics of Pisa and Genoa and now houses a palaeontological museum.

Roberto Bertoli / CC BY 2.0

Castello di San Terenzo

A 15th-century coastal fortification built by local villagers to defend against pirate raids. It occupies a rocky spur at the western end of the bay.

William Domenichini / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Fortress of Sarzanello

The fortress of Sarzanello is a military fortification on the Sarzanello hill, near Sarzana, in province of La Spezia, Italy, above the Val…

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castello di Arcola

A medieval Obertenghi fortress featuring a distinctive 25-meter-high pentagonal tower. The site served as a feudal residence and defensive structure in the Magra Valley.

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castello di Calice al Cornoviglio

A Doria-Malaspina residence and defensive structure featuring a trapezoidal plan with two circular towers. It currently hosts the Museum of Beekeeping and the Park of the Alpi Apuane.

William Domenichini / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Castello dei Vescovi di Luni

A late 13th-century residential and defensive palace that served as the seat of the Bishops of Luni. It is characterized by a tall quadrangular tower in the center of the village.

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castello di Marignano - Castello Malaspina

A medieval fortress reconstructed in the 18th century. It occupies a dominant position in the Vara Valley and served as a key stronghold for the Malaspina family.

William Domenichini / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Castello dei Fieschi

A 15th-century military structure featuring a prominent circular tower. It formed part of the town's defensive system under the Fieschi family.

Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 2.5

Castello di Suvero

A feudal residence and defensive building renovated by the Malaspina family in the 16th century. The structure features a square layout with thick stone walls.

Fortezza Firmafede

A Renaissance fortress built by Lorenzo de' Medici after the 1487 War of Sarzana. It features a massive keep, curtain walls, and a wide moat.

Forte Umberto I

A late 19th-century armored tower on Palmaria Island. Built between 1887 and 1889, it was a key component of the modern defensive system of the Gulf of La Spezia.

Anfiteatro romano di Luni

Remains of a 2nd-century AD Roman amphitheater. Built during the imperial era, it once accommodated approximately 7,000 spectators and retains its elliptical foundation.

Forte Cavour

A mid-19th-century military fortification situated at the highest point of Palmaria Island, designed to protect the western entrance to the Gulf of La Spezia.