Castles and Ruins
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.
A 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.
B 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.
C 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.
D 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.
E 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…
F 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.
G 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.
H 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.
I 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.
J 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.
K 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.
P Ospedale di San Nicolao di Pietra Colice
An archaeological site on Mount San Nicolao featuring the ruins of a medieval pilgrim hospice and church dating back to the 12th century.
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