On the hill where the Novi Ligure Castle (Castello di Novi Ligure) is found, the ancient 30-meter-high Tower which Federico Barbarossa had built, and which has been rebuilt many times over the centuries, rises up. During the 18th century, the castle was almost completely dismantled and today, where the remains of the ancient structure lie, it is possible to make out part of the city wall that was the border of the ancient hamlet and which was razed during the second half of the 19th century to allow for a growing city. But, the Novi Castle is also famous for the legend of the headless horseman – as in the best of Gothic tales – who mysteriously appears wearing armor and …a helmet.

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Castello di Novi Ligure

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Forte di Gavi: Historical Overview
 	
The Origins of the Castle
The origins of the Gavi Castle are difficult to establish reliably, due not only to the lack of supporting documentation but also to the countless legends that inevitably arise around such structures and are handed down over the centuries. Nevertheless, we can reasonably assume that fortifications must have been built, possibly in the pre-Roman era, on the prehistoric natural "stronghold" that overlooks the town of Gavi even today.


The Earliest Documents
The existence of Gavi Castle is proven by a document from the year 973 and, subsequently, by an imperial diploma signed by Henry VI, son of Frederick I, better known as Frederick Barbarossa. With this deed dated 30 May 1191, the ruler enfeoffed the castle and hamlet of Gavi, and its annexes, to the Republic of Genoa. Gavi Castle was ruled by the Genoese – albeit with alternating fortunes – until 1418, when it was taken over by the Seigniory of the Visconti family of Milan following a war. The Visconti invested the Fregoso family with the fief of Gavi and the old castle, and the Sforzas then transferred the investiture to the noble Guasco family of Alessandria. The Guasco family, also the lords of Francavilla, continued to be the feudatories of the village and castle of Gavi until 1528.


The Return of the Genoes
On 14 November 1528 Count Antonio Guasco sold the Republic of Genoa all existing rights over Gavi Castle (along with the village and surrounding area) for "a thousand positions" in the Banco di San Giorgio. Consequently, the Republic of Genoa regained possession of Gavi Castle, owning it uninterruptedly from 1528 to 1815 when, following Napoleon's defeat, the ancient Genoese republic was also abolished and was annexed to the new kingdom ruled by the House of Savoy.


The Castle Becomes a Fort
Over the centuries extensive architectural work was done on the castle, transforming the ancient structure into a powerful fortress. The first radical changes to the old castle were implemented in 1540 by Giovanni Maria Olgiati, military engineer in the service of the Republic of Genoa.
Olgiati designed and completely reconstructed all the walls surrounding the old castle, building new bastions and consolidating the original structure. Olgiati's work transformed the original structure of the castle into a true fort.


The Fort Becomes a Fortress
During the 17th century the castle – a fort at this point – was radically transformed yet again into the fortress we can admire today. The Republic of Genoa entrusted the plans to enlarge the structure to a Dominican friar, Vincenzo da Fiorenzuola (born Gaspare Maculano). Famous also as the inquisitor in the trial of Galileo, Vincenzo da Fiorenzuola was not only a religious but also one of the era's great experts on military architecture. The work to transform the fort into a great fortress commenced in the spring of 1626 and was completed – at least formally – in the summer of 1629.


The 18th Century
In reality, work to enlarge both the interior and exterior of the structure continued until the early 19th century. The redoubt of Monte Moro, connected to the fort by a fortified gallery, was built on the east side. Lodgings for soldiers and officers, wells, a powder magazine, guardhouses and parade grounds were constructed inside. This work was planned by the most famous military engineers of the era, such as Stefano Scaniglia, Domenico Orsolino, Pietro Morettini and Pierre De Cotte – to name just a few of the architects who, in turn, helped complete this imposing fortress.


The King of Sardinia
In 1859, during the reign of Vittorio Emanuele II, the ancient Genoese fortress was disarmed and transformed into a civilian prison, depriving it of its historical identity. During World War I it was turned into a military prison for Austrian prisoners of war and Italian deserters. Between the two world wars, the Anti-Phylloxera Association planted experimental vineyards on some of its earthworks. With the advent of World War II, the fortress was used as a detention centre again, initially housing English prisoners, followed by Italian soldiers after 8 September 1943.
In 1946 the fort was entrusted to the Piedmont Superintendence of Environmental and Architectural Heritage, which in 1978 undertook constant and ongoing work to restore and protect this rare example of military architecture. The Amici del Forte di Gavi Association was founded recently under the auspices of the Superintendence. and it has taken on the responsibility of promoting and enhancing this extraordinary Genoese military structure.

http://www.fortedigavi.it

Forte di Gavi

Il castello di Montessoro era un'antica fortificazione e dimora nobiliare della famiglia Spinola situata nell'omonima località di Isola del Cantone, nella città metropolitana di Genova.
Secondo le fonti storiche locali un primo edificio fu edificato già nell'XI secolo e sottoposto alla giurisdizione della diocesi di Tortona. Con il susseguirsi degli eventi storici, nella quale il primitivo castello di Montessoro cambiò più volte proprietà, il possedimento dello stesso si assestò dal 1330 con la nuova dominazione da parte della famiglia Spinola.

Fu proprio la nobile famiglia che, nella prima metà del Trecento, edificherà ad una quota più bassa un nuovo castello, i cui resti sono tuttora visibili. Interessato dal passaggio dei soldati francesi del duca d'Orléans Luigi di Valois nel 1394, la dominazione del castello seguì parallelamente la storia della famiglia Spinola che scelse il maniero come centro di controllo del feudo inserito nei Feudi imperiali. Il castello fu anche un'importante prigione fino al 1748.

Le fasi che seguirono con la nuova dominazione francese di Napoleone Bonaparte dal 1797, e la conseguente soppressione dei feudi imperiali in favore della Repubblica Ligure, prima, e del Primo Impero francese poi, portarono ad un inesorabile declino e abbandono del castello.

Il castello, secondo alcune ricostruzioni basandosi dai ruderi, doveva avere una struttura alquanto complessa e molto probabilmente distribuita su più livelli. Di forma come un grosso cubo merlato, aveva lati di circa venticinque metri e due torri diagonalmente opposte a nord-est e sud-ovest. Internamente nel piano interrato, oltre alla prigione, era presente un privato oratorio della famiglia feudataria.

La struttura si presenta oggi allo stato di rudere anche se, a partire dal 2014, è stata avviata una nuova fase di consolidamento e recupero del castello.

Castello di Montessoro

Il castello di Pozzol Groppo è un castello situato nel comune di Pozzol Groppo in provincia di Alessandria. È posto su un'altura a 520 m. s.l.m. sullo spartiacque tra la valle Staffora e la val Curone.

Fu edificato alla fine del XII secolo e rinnovato nel XVI secolo dai Malaspina.

Sorge sul luogo di una probabile torre di avvistamento romana facente parte di un sistema di avvistamento che partiva dalla città di Tortona(l’antica Derthona) per risalire le vallate appenniniche. L'edificio è massiccio, sormontato da tre torri merlate, di cui solo la più alta è antica. All'interno si trovano vasti saloni, impreziositi da camini cinquecenteschi con le armi dei Malaspina, soffitti a cassettoni e pregevoli affreschi.

Fino agli anni Settanta era adibito a ristorante mentre oggi è chiuso al pubblico.

Castello di Pozzol Groppo

Situated in a picturesque elevated position between two spurs of rocky conglomerate that constitute its natural bastions, it dominates the road that flanks the Vobbia torrent going up the course from Isola del Cantone. The castle can only be reached on foot via a path in the woods, and a staircase, after twenty minutes of suggestive walk starting from the provincial road. It is also possible to visit the castle inside on holidays from Easter Monday to the end of October; and, by agreement with the Antola Park Authority, for groups and parties, even on other working days.

There are not yet sufficient and comprehensive historical records regarding the actual construction date, therefore it was assumed that the construction could be dated back to 1100 or to an earlier date, but as of now the mystery remains.

Some documents of 1252 name the feudal lord Opizzone della Pietra, whose family assumed this name of "della Pietra", precisely because of its connection with the bold fortress. According to the famous Annals of the historic Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone already in the thirteenth century the castle had the same structural and architectural characteristics as the present ones and its jurisdiction included the Upper Val Borbera crossing the hill of San Fermo.
Following the death of Guglielmo della Pietra, the castle passed into the ownership of the noble Spinola family until 1518, when it was ceded to the Adorno by testamentary disposition; the will is dated to 7 June 1518 and Tolomeo Spinola's wishes are specified in favor of the brothers Antoniotto and Gerolamo Adorno. Prospero Adorno obtained the official investiture on January 17, 1565 and ten years later (1575) the ownership passed into the hands of his brother Girolamo Adorno. In 1579 it was conquered by some criminals, but was reconquered by Giorgio Centurione on behalf of the Senate of the Republic of Genoa.

In 1620 the emperor Mattia of Habsburg annexed it to the Pallavicino feud in the Borbera valley, thus losing all autonomous jurisdictional power, but constituting until the end of the eighteenth century an enclave among the greatest fiefs of the Fieschi and Spinola families; under his jurisdiction were Torre di Vobbia, Pareto in Val Brevenna and Gordena in Alta Val Borbera. Later it became the property of Botta Adorno. In 1797, French troops arrived in the Apennines and, at the behest of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Feudi Imperiali were suppressed. The manor was thus abandoned by the last charismatic castellan, Michele Bisio, and after a few years it was set on fire thus decreeing its progressive ruin. The bronze of the cannons was taken by the bishop of Tortona and then used for the fusion of the bells of the church of Santa Croce in Crocefieschi.

The ruins of the ancient castle remained however owned by the Botta Adorno until 1882 when it was ceded to the Cusani Visconti family. On May 21, 1919 the owner Luigi Riva Cusani sold it to Giovanni Battista Beroldo di Vobbia. The Beroldo family then donated it to the Municipality of Vobbia in 1979.

Particular and fundamental characteristic for the autonomy of the castle is the cistern dug in the rock at the foot of the "torrione" (natural rocky spur) west, where the rainwater of the roofs were conveyed, also by means of collecting channels dug into the rock, still partly visible; the cistern is next to the central hall under whose floor there is a second cistern.

Since 2008 the castle has been managed by the Antola Park Authority which, through the "Castello della Pietra" Cooperative, organizes guided tours in the period April-October and a program of historical events in the summer period, during which a refreshment point that promotes the typical products of the Park.
The castle is divided into two bodies set at different heights. It is accessed from the avant-corps whose three floors have been restored with a metal grid structure. From the top floor of the avant-corps you pass to the large central hall with a square plan and vaulted ceiling. With the remaking of the roof an attic was restored, reachable both from the central compartment and from the walkway.

https://www.histouring.com