Savona (Liguria): what to see


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What to see in Savona, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the Palazzo della Rovere, the Duomo and the Priamar Fortress.


Tourist information

Located at the mouth of the Letimbro torrent, in a flat area, Savona is the provincial capital of Liguria, as well as a maritime, commercial and industrial center of the Riviera di Ponente, with significant port facilities.

Founded around the fourth century BC, in Roman times it was an ally of the Carthaginians and had a great commercial importance, mainly due to its favorable geographical position.


In 109 BC, having moved the most important traffic and trade towards the center of Vado, the city experienced a period of profound economic crisis, which lasted until the end of the Roman Empire, when it finally managed to recover, becoming a port node and military of the Byzantine government.

In medieval times commercial relations with the Mediterranean countries were intensified and, in 1191, when it became a free municipality, it entered into competition with Genoa.

Between ups and downs, the disagreements lasted between 1226 and 1528, the year in which Genoa buried its port structures, causing the consequent decline of the inhabited center.


The Palazzo della Rovere, located in the square of the same name, was erected in 1495 on a design by Giuliano da Sangallo and on a commission from Giuliano della Rovere, who later became Pope with the name of Julius II.

With a triple-order external appearance, the building includes an internal courtyard with remarkable Renaissance forms.

Not far away is the Brandale Tower, dating back to the twelfth century and with base open by two arches.


In the premises of the medieval Palazzo del Carretto Pavese Pozzobonello, in via Quarda Superiore, there is the civic art gallery, which contains works made by artists who lived in the period between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries, including Vincenzo Foppa and Donato di Bartolo, as well as an interesting collection of local ceramics produced by Savonese craftsmen between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

What see

In the nearby via Consoli there is the baroque church of Sant'Andrea, built in the seventeenth century and with frescoes by Sigismondo Betti inside.

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Not far away is the tower of San Pancaldo, of fourteenth-century origin and dedicated to the companion of Magellan.

In front of this tower begins via Paleocapa, which is the main street of the city.

The Cathedral of Savona, located in the homonymous square, is dedicated to the Assumption and dates back to the sixteenth century, built on the spot where the ancient Church of San Francesco once stood.

Inside the cathedral's three naves there is a Renaissance font and a fifteenth-century marble crucifix, located to the right of the entrance next to the remarkable "Coronation of thorns" by Maragliano.

Next to the church is the Sistine Chapel, commissioned by Sixtus IV, with a facade that has partially preserved the original Renaissance aspect and an interior in Romanesque style, derived from an eighteenth-century renovation.

To see the sepulchral monument of Leonardo della Rovere and Luchina Monteleone, work by Govanni and Michele de Aria, executed in 1438.

In via Manzoni is located the remarkable oratory of Santa Maria di Castello, dating back to 1544 but later renovated several times.


The interior, characterized by an eighteenth-century rococo style decoration, houses the polyptych by Vincenzo Foppa Madonna and Saints, made in 1490 by Ludovico Brea.

The Priamar fortress, located at the top of the homonymous hill, was built by the Republic of Genoa in the sixteenth century.

Between 1830 and 1831 it was Mazzini's prison that made the drafting of the guidelines relating to his Giovine Italia.

In the lower part of the fortress there is the public garden, from which you can enjoy an excellent panoramic view towards the sea.

"SAVONA" Top 16 Tourist Places | Savona Tourism | ITALY (March 2024)


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