Top 5 Castles around Borghetto Di Vara

Levanto Castle was a defensive building located between Salita San Giorgio and Salita al Castello in the southern part of the historic center of Levanto, in the province of La Spezia. The site is part of the town's ancient walls. HISTORY: According to some historical sources, the existence of a defensive building in the then Levanto village was documented and confirmed as early as 1165, during the Malaspina rule in the area. Around the 13th century, a document attests to its presence under the name "Castello di Monale." The current building, however, dates back to the rule of the Republic of Genoa, and therefore to the second half of the 16th century[1], perhaps a reconstruction from scratch on the site of the pre-existing medieval castle; the reconstruction of the town's old walls is documented. With the creation of the Captaincy of Levanto in 1637, it served as the temporary seat of the Captain and, subsequently, as a prison until the fall of the Genoese Republic under Napoleonic rule in 1797. In the second half of the 19th century, it was sold to the state and, after conservative restoration between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it remains privately owned today. SOURCE: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Levanto

The name Calice al Cornoviglio combines two distinctive elements of the village: "Calice," of uncertain origin but perhaps derived from the Latin calix (cup), referring to the site's concave shape, and "Cornoviglio," the mountain (561 m) that overlooks the village and lends its name to the entire ridge. This toponym appears in medieval documents and recalls the village's ancient connection with the surrounding Apennine territory. Calice was long ruled by the Malaspina dello Spino Secco family, who built a strategic castle there, documented since the 11th century and modified several times over the centuries. Today, the fortress houses the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Chestnut Documentation Center, two testimonies to the profound intertwining of history, spirituality, and the territory's resources. A short distance away is the parish church of Santa Maria Lauretana, an elegant 18th-century Baroque building with exquisite decorations and a polychrome marble high altar. The village comes alive throughout the year with traditional events such as the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto (September), the Chestnut Festival (October) and various summer festivals, which highlight the historical and cultural roots of the place.

Cinque Terre is the name given to five neighboring communities on the Italian Riviera. These coastal villages are known for their colorful houses, cliffs, vineyards, and charming restaurants and cafés! The towns are easily accessible by train or boat.

Overlooking the city, to the south of the town, connected on one side to the church of S. Andrea and on the other to the small city port, along two splendid walks, stands the castle of Levanto, of which there is evidence thanks to an initial document dating back to 1165, when the building belonged to the Malaspina family. Further documentary confirmation of the construction, there called the castle of Monale, dates back to the following century. The current appearance of the fortification dates back to the second half of the 16th century, most likely the work of the Genoese; in this period the ancient walls were also renovated, still accessible today in some sections. When, in 1637, the headquarters of the Captaincy of the Republic of Genoa was placed in Levanto, the castle became the residence of the Captain; subsequently used as a prison, it fell into disuse after the capitulation of the Genoese Republic itself in 1797. During the 19th century, the public domain ceded it to private individuals - to whom it still belongs - while the various renovation cycles that brought it to its current shape date back to between the 19th and 20th centuries. Architecturally simple, the fortification consists of a circular-based tower and four quadrangular-shaped walls. North-east façadeThe external patrol walkways, embellished with Ghibelline-style battlements in the tower part and Guelph-style battlements in the body part, are supported by round brick arches based on corbels in sandstone typical of the area.

Suggestive place, with a very talkative sacristan who takes care of the whole place.

The original tower is part of the medieval city wall of Levanto around 1200. It served to protect against the Pisans.

Viewpoint over La Spezia beautiful church and castle ruins