To defend against enemies and Barbary pirate raids, watchtowers and imposing castles were built, which we can still admire along the coast and inland.
Zoagli
The eastern Saracen tower is now owned by the municipality and hosts cultural events and exhibitions, while the 16th-century western tower is incorporated into Canevaro Castle.
Lavagna
Torre del Borgo, originally built as a watchtower and defense structure, is now the Civic Tower, with a splendid “Genoese-style” garden, and houses a museum dedicated to the slate art gallery, “Black Stone of Lavagna”.
On the top floor of the gallery are displayed ceramic finds discovered during the latest restoration campaign of the Tower and the Alloisio Civic Archaeological Collection.
Sestri Levante
The Doganieri Tower now hosts exhibitions and displays of artworks.
Rapallo
The ancient seaside castle is undoubtedly the symbol of Rapallo and was declared a National Monument by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. It was built by the sea in the 16th century to defend the town from Saracen raids and its interior is open to visitors, often hosting photographic, painting, numismatic, philatelic, modeling, and mycology exhibitions. It is also home to the famous cartoonist exhibition held annually in Rapallo.
Santa Margherita Ligure
The Castle was built in 1550 at the foot of the hill where the famous Villa Durazzo-Centurione stands, following a decree by the Senate of the Republic of Genoa to defend against frequent Saracen pirate attacks. It was reinforced several times until the early 17th century. From the 18th century, it lost its importance due to the end of pirate invasions and was nearly demolished. It was restored after World War II and dedicated to the memory of the fallen of the Great War.
Camogli
Castel Dragone or Dragonara is an imposing irregularly shaped structure from the 12th century, built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea to defend the town from devastating Saracen and Turkish pirate raids. It is topped with a wide, squat tower with domed round guard posts at its corners, equipped with loopholes. Over the centuries, the castle was used as a prison and later as a supply warehouse.
In 1950, it was restored, and two loggias and a hall were added to the lower area.
Chiavari
The Castle was built between 1146 and 1147 to defend the fortified town of Clavari (now Chiavari) and the surrounding valley. It witnessed and took part in wars and sieges, being damaged and rebuilt several times during the fierce struggles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. It was further fortified with walls, seven gates, and fourteen watchtowers. When its defensive role ended, it was partially demolished. Today, the upper tower, a fortified parade ground on the opposite side, and two cisterns for water during sieges remain. Only some parts of the wall survive.
Varese Ligure
The Fieschi Castle is located in the northern part of the so-called “Round Village”. It was built by the Fieschi feudal lords in the Middle Ages to defend Varese Ligure. The structure mainly consists of two towers built between 1435 and 1472. Although privately owned, it is made available for events and exhibitions.
Santo Stefano d’Aveto
The Castle stands in the main square of the village, surrounded by the highest peaks of the Ligurian Apennines. The imposing structure, built with local stone, has an irregular pentagonal shape with towers at the corners (four main ones protected by wedge-shaped bastions at their bases, and a smaller fifth tower likely used only for watch purposes). A taller round tower once stood within the walls, of which only the base remains. Inside, the various administrative and military activities of the fiefdom took place in rooms within the walls themselves (including lodgings for the Podestà and guards, a chapel, an armory, stables, a mint, a prison with a torture chamber, a court, and a bakery), spread over three floors, accessed by colonnaded walkways (now collapsed and unrecognizable). A well, still visible in the center of the courtyard, provided water supplies. The entrance door, relatively small, is about three meters high and was accessible via a wooden drawbridge protected by a wooden guard post. Attacked and looted in 1796–97, the castle was later used to store agricultural materials and then abandoned. Its internal structures (starting from the round tower) collapsed into the parade ground, and large cracks appeared in the bastions and walls. A series of timely restorations completed in the early 2000s ensured the site’s preservation, sealing cracks and clearing most debris from the courtyard. A metal staircase, reminiscent of the original bridge, allows access to the structure, which is closed to the public by a gate (though the interior can still be observed).
