The fortress was built by the Republic of Genoa in 1542-44, designed by the Lombard architect Giovanni Maria Olgiati, both to protect its territory from possible attacks from the sea and from the Savoy state, and, above all, to keep the recently subjugated city of Savona under control.
Just nine months after work began, the military structure was operational, so much so that, with the construction site still open, a first garrison was established there in April 1543. To make way for the mighty ramparts, which enhanced the strategic position of the rocky promontory of Priamàr, one of the most important districts of the late medieval city was destroyed, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria di Castello, the Bishop's Palace, the Dominican Convent and the district of the same name, the ten oratories of the confraternities and the three city hospitals.
Since 1956, systematic archaeological excavations, conducted every year by the International Institute of Ligurian Studies (IISL), are gradually bringing to light what remains of the ancient settlement, which is gradually being enhanced both in the Civic Archaeological and City Museum (continuously updated by the IISL) and in the staging of the evocative archaeological areas inside and outside the Fortress.
Today, the Fortress of Savona on the Priamàr is the most impressive fortified structure in the whole of Liguria.
The profound transformations documented in the monumental complex of the Priamàr correspond to the main stages in the history of the city. A visit to the monumental complex, located where the first inhabited nucleus of Savona stood, allows visitors to retrace the entire history of the city through an exciting itinerary that winds its way through the entire Fortress. The guided visit begins at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Savona.