Castello San Giorgio, Medieval castle and archaeology museum in La Spezia, Italy
Castello San Giorgio is a fortress on a hilltop with two main structures, including a sturdy defensive tower and ancient walls overlooking the Gulf of La Spezia. Today it houses an archaeology museum with objects from the surrounding area that tell of early settlement in this coastal landscape.
The fortress was founded in 1262 and underwent several rebuildings over the centuries as a military stronghold. Since 1873 it was converted into an archaeology museum documenting the early history of the region.
The museum displays burial goods and sculptures from ancient times that reveal how people lived and honored their dead in this region. These objects come from caves and excavations nearby, showing the trade connections and social organization of Lunigiana's earliest inhabitants.
The climb is easy to manage since two public elevators lead directly to the fortress, one from Via Indipendenza and another from Via XX Settembre. Inside the museum you can walk at your own pace and explore the different rooms with exhibits.
The museum holds burial goods from natural caves, showing that people here conducted collective burials during the Copper Age. These finds date from about 6000 years ago and are among the oldest evidence of human settlement on this coast.
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