The wind is cold atop the Priamar Fortress complex. While the sun is out, making for a beautiful day, January sends a chilly breeze flowing over the stone battlements and down to the city below. I walk around slowly, alternating my view between the Mediterranean and the city of Savona, marveling at the vastness of both the fortifications and the sea.
The small hill on which stands the mighty fortress has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age, based on archaeological findings. Pre-Roman civilizations used it, and while the Romans themselves mainly opted for other spots nearby, the original fortress that once stood here was constructed by the Byzantines during their reconquest of the Italian peninsula.
But it is the Genoese who made Priamar what it is today. After conquering the city in 1528, Genoa razed the existing fortress and its religious buildings both inside and around, and a new and stronger fortification was constructed. That is what visitors see today, the 1542 (with subsequent add-ons) Priamar Fortress.
Today’s Savona is a larger city than it once was, with a population of about 60,000, and it spreads on all landward sides of the fort. Its old harbor still welcomes boats, and a new cruise terminal welcomes modern visitors who don’t take the train from nearby Genoa as I did. (Genoa is anywhere from 35 to 80 minutes away depending on whether one gets the local train or the express.) But regardless of what transportation mode was used, or the duration of visit, guests in Savona are probably looking to experience history, something this city offers in spades.
Within the Priamar Fortress is a small archaeological museum. It keeps more limited hours than the fortress itself, and is the only portion with an entrance fee. But a short video and a series of exhibits outline the historical significance of the site and the city as a whole, making it a worthwhile visit.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of the museum is an excavated room containing Byzantine tombs. The skeletons within have long since been removed, but the tent-shaped burial chambers provide a clue as to the importance of the fortifications to that earlier empire.
Those earlier Christians built a cathedral within the fortress. Today, Santa Maria di Castello, which dated back to 887, is merely a series of ruins which are currently being excavated. The Genoese destroyed both that cathedral and another set of religious buildings just outside the modern walls during their construction of the current fortress.
As a result, today’s cathedral in Savona is the product of a 16th century conversion of a pre-existing Franciscan church and monastery. The interior is pretty, though not especially noteworthy. But a side chapel just off the remnants of the monastery cloister has a fun story.
In 1480, Pope Sixtus IV, who hailed from Savona, commissioned a chapel within what was still the Franciscan church to honor his parents and to house their remains. You may recall another chapel Sixtus commissioned, one in Rome, that was named for him: the Sistine Chapel. So yes, Savona has the other Sistine Chapel. Today’s iteration has an entrance fee, and is a rococo makeover given to the chapel by a Genoese doge.
One of the most interesting aspects of Savona’s history is its ceramic industry. It is thought to have started in roughly the 12th century with local artisans here and in the neighboring coastal towns imitating Greek and Roman ceramics they had found. (Some of those early finds are in Priamar’s museum.)
Well, the ceramics took off, and over the centuries, Savona ceramics became so famous that during the 1925 Paris World’s Fair, Savonese ceramicists had their own exhibition within the art deco section of the fair. Those, as well as earlier and more recent creations, can be found in Savona’s Museo della Ceramica.
Here, five floors (seriously, it is huge) of a former papal palace – still with some original frescoes – house one of the coolest and most unique art collections I’ve seen recently. From traditional ceramic vases in the “standard” blue and white to ceramic sculpture to modern masterpieces, one needs at least an hour to do justice to this true local art form.
Prior to the Genoese conquest, Savona was an independent city-state, part of the Holy Roman Empire. While none of the city’s walls still stand, one defensive tower does. Torre Leon Pancaldo is named for a local sailor who was part of Magellan’s circumnavigation. It is thought to have been built around 1400, with the name obviously coming much later. While Priamar Fortress is larger and more impressive, the tower has remained the symbol of the city, where it stands just outside the cruise terminal to welcome visitors.
If all this wasn’t enough for a single day in Savona, the city is also known for a small citrus fruit called the chinotto. Imported from China (hence the name) in the 16th century, a chinotto is a thick-skinned bitter orange. Bar Besio has been making marmalade and confections from the fruit since 1860. I highly recommend the chinotto spritz, homemade chinotto syrup and prosecco.
Standing atop Priamar Fortress at the end of my day in Savona, I look down at the city, its fine palaces, and its ancient towers. I marvel at the fact that basically everyone in Genoa who heard I was coming here to write about the city questioned my decision, as though there was nothing to offer visitors. And I reaffirm that yes, there is absolutely reason to spend a day here.
Whether you are coming in for a day on a cruise ship and don’t want to make the journey into Genoa, or are based in the big city and want to take a day to see a new place, Savona and its history are sure to bring you as much joy as they brought me.
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