Castles and surroundings in La Spezia

1. Castle of Arcola
Arcola Castle stands on top of the Hill, overlooking the plain of the river Magra, Sarzana and its construction, according to some sources dates back to 1128 at the hands of the Obertenghi-quoted then writing of those years as a donation to the monastery of Saint Venerius of Tino and then passed to descendants Malaspina. Over 1200 was prey to numerous sieges and attacks, including that of the Republic of Genoa to the conquest of the feud; the assaults of the Serenissima fell to carpet the castle that was rebuilt from scratch and converted into feudal Palace. From the consequences of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire's expansionist Mania bombings of early ' 800, the small town of Arcola with her proud Castle, then restored over the years, are proud witnesses of the Ligurian and Italian history. Even today, majestically dominating over the Valley and visitable, seat of the municipality of Arcola.

2. Bonassola Castle and the remains of the Tower Ardoino
The increasingly frequent pirate raids resulted in half of the 500 at the meeting of the inhabitants of Bonassola Montaretto and St George in the Church of Framura to discuss the erection of a strongpoint, laying the groundwork for the construction of a tower at the marina of Bonassola. Just below San Giorgio are the ruins of this ancient artifact defensively, built by local men from 1544 and so named because the Ardoino were at that time the Lords of the place. A few years later, the report on the possible building of the castle was given to the Genoese Senate decided to build on a hill behind the village. During the 19th century, now no longer necessary for defensive purposes, it was transformed into a small cemetery.

3. Calice al Cornoviglio-Doria Castle Malaspina
The castle of Calice al Cornoviglio has ancient origins but do not know the exact date of her birth. During the early Middle Ages the fiefdom passed to the branch obertengo degli Estensi and later the ubiquitous Malaspina who, in the 13th century, found themselves facing the attacks of the Bishop of Luni. During the 13th and 14th century feudal property underwent several changes of ownership until Azzone Malaspina of Lusuolo. The contention between the different branches of the family to rule over the chalice was rudely interrupted in 1416, by the employment of troops of the Republic of Genoa, delivered to the Fieschi. The Castle has been over the years always object of desire and strife between the two Ligurian families until 1772, when it was permanently ceded to Pietro Leopoldo Grand Duke of Tuscany-as they say: between the two litigants, the third enjoys! By proclamation of the unification of Italy, town hall until 1993 and recently became seat of the Pinacoteca "David Baca", home of the little Museum "Pietro Rosa" of C.E.A. (Centre for environmental education), and the Museum of beekeeping»

4.Castelnuovo Magra-Castle of the Bishops of Luni

Built by order of Bishop Henry from Fucecchio in the late 13th century as a mansion,was transformed into a military fortress by the Florentines and by the Genoese in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today remain clearly visible the "Turrris Magna" great tower and the smaller round tower, connected with the remains of the perimeter walls-in fact the Castle fell into disuse once lost its defensive function and was dismembered by the inhabitants in order to get building material for homes. But, for more than a year, the tower is back to old glory, after a restoration project and is now home to numerous exhibitions vertically inside.

5. Costa, fraction of Framura-Carolingian Tower
The watchtower of the Carolingian era (sec. IX) as well as the parish church of St. Martin were the subject of much research; represents one of the most typical examples of military architecture, so poor as full of charm. It was clearly originally a watchtower, and sporadic resistance, if any, against raids that the location and the history of the area are attributed to Saracen raids. A building of extraordinary strength, the late Roman Empire and the early middle ages and suggesting a date related to the Carolingian age roughly (more or less, sec. IX), later-Let's say between one thousand and eleven hundred to the tower was leaning against the Church of San Martino, monastic then certainly source subject, in the second half of the century. XII, to the Diocese of Genoa. And from building works necessitated by this link, which – incidentally – is a very rare piece of architecture in Italy (the churches with steeple faced are quite popular in southern France), can be born the folk tradition that sees in the toponym Framura the memory of Solferino that murano ' ... A summary essay of excavation, carried out in the late 1970s under the floor, highlighted a rectangular Tomb chest without equipment, with roof slates, below the ground, not dated, but totally compatible with any attribution for an indeterminable time in the high middle ages.

6. Levanto-Castle
The existence of a castle in the village dates back to 1165, when probably it was property of the Malaspina. In 1637, with the establishment by the Republic of Genoa of the captaincy of Levanto, was temporary headquarters of Captain and subsequently used as a prison, until 1797, when it fell to the Republic. An ancient tradition says that the Castle left of underground passages: one arrived on the beach just below it; the other came up near the Church of the Annunciation, after going through all the village underground.

7. Castle of Riomaggiore
The Castle of Riomaggiore tomorrow around the small medieval village from the top of the Hill. The construction of the first defensive works was begun in 1260 by the Marquis Turcotti who then ceded its properties on the coast to Nicolò Fieschi, who after a few years, in 1276, moved to the Republic of Genoa, who completed the defensive system of Riomaggiore. Currently the entry to the interior space is placed between the two towers, while a narrow external stair leads to the one overlooking the village, on which lies a large clock. Over time the Castle suffered not only the normal wear and tear from the elements, but a change in its use that has altered the original plant. In fact, at the beginning of ' 800 the inside was filled with Earth and that space was intended to Riomaggiore cemetery until a few decades ago.

8. Castle Orbetenghi Monterosso
«The castle of Monterosso, is situated on a rocky spur that separates the old town from the farthest Fegina, dominates the large stretch of sea. The castle was under the rule of the Marquis Obertenghi around the year 1000. Monterosso was assigned to the Ligurian Republic together with the castle in 1254 and was fortified with several works both of defense against barbarian invasions, both of offence against the Republic of Pisa who had achieved control of the Gulf. After nearly two centuries, in 1545 Monterosso was sacked by marauding Turks who burned houses and brought with them women and children. The actual castle today are observable some towers and city walls, the remains of the Citadel, and in part a sea, the walls with some battlements that are meaning the Castle knew the possession of any noble Ghibelline family. In the XVI century Monterosso was defended by thirteen towers, of which only three towers in the Castle, the medieval tower today steeple of XIII century Church of San Giovanni, in white and green serpentine, and the Aurora Tower, located at the tip of the promontory of the Hill of San Cristoforo, and indeed at the heart of borgo nuovo (Fegina) and borgo vecchio (Monterosso).

9. Sarzana Firmafede fortress or Citadel
The citadel built by the magnificent Lorenzo de ' Medici in the year 1488 at the site where was an ancient fortress fabbricatavi by Pisa in the year 1262, called firm faith. The old castle was demolished by the Florentines the year 1487, once that they had recovered. On the morning of 22 July 1487 Lorenzo il Magnifico entered Sarzana and immediately ordered that it be torn down the old fortress to build a new, grandiose, a sign of his intention to hold the town as a bulwark of his lordship. He died five years later and his successor, Piero, ceded to Charles VIII, who was passing with his army for the city and to the Banco di San Giorgio. The Citadel gradually lost importance with the advent of firearms and for the political changes. Genoa held in prison and remained so until after World War II. During this last war many citizens found shelter during the bombing and for some years remained very precarious conditions, IDPs still lack decent housing. Now is the cradle of numerous cultural, artistic and scientific activities including the Festival of the mind.

10. Varese Ligure-Castello dei Fieschi
Strategically located between the roads that connected the trans Liguria with Emilia and Piedmont, stands on the site of a Byzantine settlement, whose remains were found beneath the Castle. Other fortifications were numerous in the area until the Fieschi took control over the entire Alta Val di Vara by the end of the thirteenth century and kept it, with ups and downs, until the failure of the "congiura dei Fieschi" against the Doria of Genoa-when the House was defeated and his lands were confiscated by the Republic of Genoa. Meanwhile had founded a fortified according to precise architectural rules: the village had elliptical and consisted of stone houses, equal to each other, built on the edge of the central square, surrounded by arcades where they opened the warehouses; These consisted of vaulted rooms, along with a staircase leading to the House in the upper floor.

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The medieval heart of Cinque Terre and surroundings

10 extraordinary castles to visit

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