The first information we have of Torriglia dates back to 972 but it is not about its castle. In that year Emperor Otto I also granted possession of the court of Torriglia to the abbey of Bobbio.
Thanks to this document we know that Torriglia was a “curtis”, therefore a series of plots of land probably with a small village in the centre. It was considered strategic by the abbey of Bobbio, which on the other hand controlled practically all the crossroads between the Tyrrhenian sea and the Po Valley of East and Central Liguria. We also know that a castle probably did not exist yet or, even better, no longer existed.

Visit Torriglia Castle and listen to the Torriglia audioguide 1 . We will take you back in the Summer of 972 AD, to Sant’Ambrogio in Milan, where you will discover the importance of that document for the story of Torriglia, and why the castle is no more.

http://www.liguriaheritage.it

Castello di Torriglia

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Il castello di Savignone, attualmente in rovina, fu un tempo fortezza e residenza padronale nonché oggetto di battaglie ed assedi. È anche un luogo di leggende. Si trova incastrato su un roccione di puddinga - denominato "Conglomerato di Savignone" - che sovrasta da un'altezza di 150 metri il comune di Savignone, nell'alta valle Scrivia.
Architettura
Il suo recinto murario è rafforzato a meridione dalla torre o bastione semicircolare e difeso naturalmente dall'altro lato dal precipizio.

La torre collocata all'estremo meridionale, è massiccia, con una pianta a "ferro di cavallo", cioè rettilinea verso l'interno e circolare verso l'esterno delle mura. Parzialmente intatta nei primi piani all'esterno, dove si apre con un finestrone al piano superiore e una cannoniera al piano dei sotterranei.

Questa tipologia, adatta a sostenere l'assalto delle prime bocche da fuoco era affine a quella delle quattro torri che affiancavano il vicino castello di Montoggio, nella ristrutturazione di quest'ultimo da parte di Sinibaldo Fieschi. In quel caso si trattava di quattro torri angolari, dal perimetro esterno a pianta curvilinea. Erano modi ripresi dalle ultime novità, in Genova quelle delle fortezze della Briglia e di Castelletto, nel Quattrocento. All'interno questa torre conserva ancora un tratto di scala e resti degli incavi dei camini ai piani primo e secondo.

Il castello è strutturato su due livelli in alzato, in base al terrapieno del bastione e agli ambienti sotterranei o seminterrati ad esso collegati, sfruttando il ripiano del roccione su cui si erge. In pianta al centro della cinta muraria sta il cortile, che corrispondeva alla piazza scoperta in cui si radunavano i militi. Ad esso si accede da una angusta scala che viene dai sotterranei.

Nella parte settentrionale del castello sono i resti dell'abitazione padronale, con finestroni ampi ad altezza elevata.

I sotterranei sono scavati nella puddinga e si articolano in un ampio stanzone che era riservato ai soldati, chiuso da due lati dal muraglione perimetrale, e in una cisterna per l'acqua.

Ultimi proprietari furono i marchesi Crosa di Vergagni, eredi dei Fieschi dal matrimonio di Nicolò e Carlotta Fieschi, oggi il castello è di propirietà comunale.

Sul lato sud è il torrione, strutturato su due livelli; a nord i resti dell'abitazione signorile, munita a grande altezza di piccole finestre; al centro, ciò che rimane di una piazzola per i soldati, raggiungibile attraverso una stretta scala proveniente dai sotterranei.

Oggi il castello resta ancora in rovina; all'inizio dell'estate 2013 l'Amministrazione Comunale di Savignone ha avviato i lavori di messa in sicurezza e di riutilizzo funzionale del castello; il restauro, che interessa il vano voltato d'ingresso, la corte e la torre a ferro di cavallo, è volto non solo a salvaguardare quanto rimane del rudere, sia dal lato storico che da quello strutturale, ma anche riqualificare l'edificio rendendolo al contempo idoneo ad ospitare eventi, mostre e manifestazioni, riconsegnando alla cittadinanza il simbolo del Comune.

Castello di Savignone

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

Castello della Pietra 

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

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.
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 was abandoned as a defensive post, and it was used as a prison.

In the seventies of the 20th century, after decades of neglect, the building was recovered and converted into an aquarium, hosting specimens of the marine fauna typical of these waters. At the closing of the aquarium, the fish were transferred to the Genoa aquarium.

https://www.italyscapes.com

the Dragonara Castle

Il castello sul mare è una postazione difensiva di Rapallo, nella città metropolitana di Genova, eretta a difesa dello specchio acqueo presso il lungomare Vittorio Veneto. È detto anche castello medievale con una definizione errata poiché la costruzione risale solo alla seconda metà del XVI secolo.

All'interno è presente anche una piccola cappella dedicata a san Gaetano costruita nel 1688 con la caratteristica cupoletta con campana, ben visibile all'esterno del castello.

È il simbolo della cittadina rapallese ed è stato dichiarato monumento nazionale italiano dal Ministero dei Beni Culturali.
L'edificazione del castello di Rapallo è legata ai fatti storici che interessarono l'allora borgo marinaro il 4 luglio del 1549. Quel giorno Rapallo subì l'assalto e il saccheggio da parte del pirata turco Dragut che, oltre ai danni provocati dallo sbarco in tre punti diversi della costa, culminò con il rapimento di ventidue fanciulle del luogo, in seguito fatte schiave dai pirati saraceni ad Algeri.

La Rapallo della seconda metà del XVI secolo non disponeva di un'adeguata difesa di mura e le uniche postazioni difensive erano costituite dalle torri di avvistamento poste sulle alture e dalle alte case nella zona della marina. Lo sbarco, che avvenne nell'oscurità notturna, fu pertanto rapido e facile per la flotta dell'ammiraglio turco.

Assoggettato al dominio della Repubblica di Genova (alleata e protettrice di Rapallo dopo l'atto di dedizione della comunità rapallese nel 1229), le truppe genovesi e quelle locali (queste ultime di numero esiguo) nulla poterono contro i pirati arrivati dal mare. Genova tuttavia incaricò il capitano Gregorio Roisecco, comandante delle truppe arrivate da Genova, di valutare la situazione difensiva del borgo rapallese. Questi suggerì alla comunità (e alla repubblica) l'edificazione di un castello o di una postazione difensiva per il controllo di questa parte occidentale del golfo del Tigullio.

Castello di Rapallo 

The Mackenzie Castle (Italian: Castello Mackenzie) is a historical manor in the Castelletto quarter of Genoa, northern Italy. It is an example of Gothic Revival architecture.

History
The castle was built on a pre-existing country villa, in turn located on the site of the 16th century Genoese walls.

Built in 1893-1905, it was designed in Gothic revival style by Art Nouveau architect Gino Coppedè under commission by Evan Mackenzie, an insurance broker, whose family lived here for 26 years.

In 1956 it was declared a national monument. Thirty years later it was acquired by American collector Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. The restoration works he commissioned remained unfinished, and in 2002 the castle was sold to the Cambi auction house which commissioned the restoration to architect Gianfranco Franchini. The manor was opened to the public in 2004 and is now used as a public space for scientific or cultural exhibitions.

The Mackenzie Castle

The Castello di Punta Pagana is a 17th-century fort located on the homonymous Punta Pagana, within the grounds of Villa Pagana in Rapallo, within the Metropolitan City of Genoa in Italy. It is located west of San Michele di Pagana, close to the boundary with Santa Margherita Ligure. The fort was originally built by the Republic of Genoa, and today it belongs to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta along with the rest of the villa.

Together with the Castello di Santa Margherita Ligure to the west and the Castello di Rapallo [it] to the east, it formed part of the Genoese coastal defence system for the protection of villages on the western Tigullio gulf.

History
Construction of the fort began in April 1625 by the Republic of Genoa, the capitaneati of Rapallo, Recco, Chiavari and the podesterie of Moneglia and Sestri Levante. Its construction became necessary due to the open hostilities between Genoa and Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, which raised fears of a Piedmontese land or sea attack.

The fort cost over 50,000 lire, and construction work progressed rapidly thanks to new taxes that allowed for the purchase of the material and paying workers' salaries. Construction was well underway by December 1625, and the moat and drawbridge were ready by 1627. The fort was fully completed and commissioned by the Republic of Genoa on 28 July 1631. It was armed with enough weapons, ammunition and gunpowder for a sudden attack.

Fortunately for the inhabitants of the nearby village of San Michele di Pagana, the area was never attacked by pirates or enemy soldiers and the fort never saw use. In 1644, the Genoese senate ordered the castellan to abandon the fort and send all military equipment inside on a galley to Genoa.


Part of the fort's walls.
The castle was subsequently garrisoned by local soldiers, and it became the headquarters of the Commissariato di Sanità di Rapallo (Health Commissariat of Rapallo). The Bombardment of Genoa by the French fleet in 1684 caused fears of another attack, so the fort was rearmed. However, no attacks occurred, and the fort was finally abandoned in 1705. It later became private property, forming part of the grounds of the nearby Villa Pagana.

The fort has belonged to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since 1959, when the last owner of the villa passed on the entire property to the Order.

Castello di Punta Pagana 

The Castello di Santa Margherita Ligure is a 16th-century fortress in Santa Margherita Ligure, within the Metropolitan City of Genoa in Italy.
History
The fortress is located at the foot of a hill on which the Villa Durazzo-Centurione [it] now stands. It was built following a resolution by the Senate of the Republic of Genoa in 1550, and it was meant to defend against raids from the Barbary pirates. It was designed by Antonio de Càrabo, who was also responsible for the construction of the Castello di Rapallo [it]

Construction began in 1550 and it was completed by September of the same year. Various structural interventions and armament upgrades took place until the early 17th century. After pirate attacks ceased in the 18th century, the fort lost its military importance and only some repair and maintenance works were undertaken.

In the 19th century, there were plans to demolish the building twice: first to build a new municipal building after Rapallo was established as an independent municipality, and then to enlarge the adjacent Calata Vittorio Emanuele. It was restored after World War I and it was dedicated in the memory of the fallen in that war.

Castello di Santa Margherita Ligure 

In addition to visiting an enchanting town for its geographical position and the mountain activities that can be done, visiting Santo Stefano d'Aveto means having the possibility of admiring a castle in excellent condition, so we can truly understand the dynamics of a Medieval village.

It seems to have been dropped from on high into the centre of the basin at the base of mount Maggiorasca such is the perfect harmony between its structure and the surrounding environment. The position of the castle was instead intelligently chosen because it allowed control of the roads which, crossing the Apennines, led to Emilia. Some sources date the construction to a period before the 12th century, but unfortunately we do not have enough documentation to confirm this date, even though remains of the original structure have been found. These remains are probably from the renewal that was carried out during the 15th century when the castle was a fundamental control point for the Po roads.

The castle that presents itself now is an interesting pentagonal structure with ramparts on four of the five perimetral corners. In ancient times the arms square could be reached, an area onto which the different rooms on the ground floor open, using drawbridges that were easy to lift in case of attacks.

Some documents come to our aid for the period after the 16th century however. These documents were found in the State Archive of Parma and thanks to them it is possible to speculate on the existence of a castrum, namely a fortified construction for warning or defence. In addition, it seems that the Lords Malaspina had a “domus” for the village administration operations, namely a residential home and a defence tower to control the traffic going to and coming from Lombardy or Emilia. This castrum, which was merged over time into the dominions of the Republic of Genoa, no longer in its original form but already equipped with a ravelin that simplified defence, was then restructured into the shape we can now enjoy.

A castle, the events of which are surrounded by a sort of mystery because of the lack of documents that speak of it. This is the story of Santo Stefano d'Aveto castle. Visit it and, thanks to the audioguide 2 you can listen to its story!
http://www.liguriaheritage.it

Castle of Santo Stefano d'Aaveto

Castello Brown is a house museum located high above the harbour of Portofino, Italy.

The castle's site is well suited for harbour defence, and appears to have been so used since the 15th century. According to the Record Office of Genoa, cannon batteries were constructed on the site in the early 16th century, and military engineer Giovanni Maria Olgiati [it] drew up plans for a full fortress circa 1554. The resultant castello was completed by 1557, and, in 1575, was instrumental in turning back an attack on the town by Giò Andrea Doria. The structure was enlarged from 1622 to 1624, and survived in this form for a century and a half. The little tower was destroyed in 1798 by an English attack during Napoleon's Ligurian Republic. The castello was abandoned after the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

In 1867, the structure was purchased for 7,000 lire by Montague Yeats-Brown, then English consul in Genoa. He engaged the architect Alfredo D'Andrade [it], and with advice from his artist friend and fellow-consul James Harris the fort was transformed to a comfortable villa without substantial alteration in its general form.[1] His descendants held the property until 1949, then sold it to an English couple, Colonel and Mrs. John Baber, who restored several ruined sections, until they in turn sold it in 1961 to the City of Portofino.

Elizabeth von Arnim wrote her book The Enchanted April at the castello in 1922. The 1992 movie was also filmed there.