Fortezza del Priamar
Rising dramatically above the port on a sandstone promontory, the Priamar is the defining silhouette of Savona's skyline. Built by the Genoese in 1542 on the ruins of the old medieval city, it now houses two museums and some of the most atmospheric courtyards on the Ligurian coast.
History carved in stone
The Genoese demolished Savona's entire medieval centre to build this fortress as a show of dominance after defeating the city in 1528 — a fact that still stings in local memory. Walking its ramparts you are literally treading on the ghost of a lost city.
Inside the walls, the Museo Archeologico 'Luigi Bernabò Brea' displays finds from prehistoric Ligurian settlements through to Roman Savona, with a particularly striking collection of Bronze Age artefacts recovered from the surrounding hills.
Art and a famous prisoner
The fortress also contains the Museo d'Arte Sandro Pertini, named after the former Italian president who was imprisoned here by the Fascist regime. The collection spans modern and contemporary Italian art, including works donated by Pertini himself.
Don't miss the Cappella Sistina del Priamar — a small Renaissance chapel within the walls that predates the more famous Roman chapel and was a direct inspiration for Julius II when he commissioned Michelangelo's ceiling.
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