Castello di Spotorno, Medieval castle in Spotorno, Italy

Castello di Spotorno is a stone fortress perched on a hilltop overlooking the Ligurian coast, featuring robust defensive walls and arched openings. Multiple vantage points built into the structure allowed occupants to monitor approaching vessels and threats from the sea.

The castle belonged to the bishops of Savona by 1180. It was demolished at the start of the 13th century and rebuilt in 1218, then destroyed again in 1227 by the people of Noli and Segno, allies of Genoa. Rebuilt in its quadrangular form between the 14th and 16th centuries, it passed to the Municipality of Savona in 1333 and to the De Loterio family in the second half of the 16th century, who held it until World War I.

The name Spotorno appears in the 1180 record of the fortress among the feudal properties of the bishops of Savona, the diocese that held the site before the town commune. The De Loterio family kept the castle from the second half of the 16th century until the First World War. Today the ruined walls stand on the hill above the town, protected by the Soprintendenza since 1933.

The castle stands in ruins on a hill north of the town, so the walk up involves a climb; the site has been under heritage protection since 1933. There are no guided tours or opening hours recorded in the sources, so check locally before setting out.

The castle passed to the De Loterio family in the second half of the 16th century, who kept it until the outbreak of World War I. It has been under protection by the Soprintendenza ai Beni Architettonici since 1933 and now stands in ruins on the hill above the town.