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The Wall, Gates and Donjons of Sarzana

The city has the atmosphere of a fortress city, due to the continuous fortification works built to defend the sought-after strategic position of the old city. Sarzana lies at the crossroads of important ways of communication such as the Via Francigena and this made it much sought-after and the centre of disputes by the Florentines, Genoese, Pisans, the rulers of Lucca and any other ruler over neighbouring lands.

The city wall, built during the first half of the XIII century, incorporates a series of donjons (“torrioni” in Italian) to provide access to the city: Torrione Testaforte to the south west, Torrione Genovese and Torrione Stella to the north and Torrione San Francesco to the north east. Torrione Testaforte is joined to the Cittadella via a communicating way that tops the Porta Romana city gate, the southern access to the city. From the opposite side, via what is now Via Mazzini you arrive at the other city gate, Porta Parma. This access is the ring that joins two other “torrioni”: Torrione Genovese, also called S.Giorgio, and Torrione Stella. Saint George who slew the dragon can still be seen on the rampart of the former, as a symbol and witness to the presence of the Genoese in the city. A few metres from the gate there is a cobbled road called Via Torrione Genovese, that follows the old wall as far as Piazza San Giorgio, the old seat of the custom house. Opposite Via Torrione Genovese, follow Via Torrione San Francesco to reach the donjon of the same name.

Torrione Genovese

Torrione San Carlo

Porta Romana

Torrione San Francesco

Torrione Testaforte

Porta Parma

La Cittadella (Fortezza di Firmafede)

Fortezza di Sarzanello

Le Mura ed i Torrioni