Forte del Santissimo Salvatore, Military fort in Messina, Italy

Forte del Santissimo Salvatore is a fortified military structure on the San Raineri peninsula with thick defensive walls, bastions, and gun emplacements positioned strategically. It commands views of the Strait of Messina and the surrounding coastal waters from its elevated location.

The fort was completed in 1546 to a design by Antonio Ferramolino, a military engineer from Bergamo, after Charles V ordered Messina's defences modernised during his 1535 visit. The medieval monastery of the Santissimo Salvatore was demolished, but the church and the tower of St. Anne were kept and built into the new structure. The gunpowder magazine exploded in 1549, destroying the church.

The name comes from the Archimandritate of the Santissimo Salvatore, a monastery demolished by order of Charles V so the harbour entrance could be fortified; it was rebuilt where the Regional Museum now stands. The medieval tower of Sant'Anna was kept and built into the fort, and its base can still be made out inside. The bronze Madonna della Lettera on the 35-metre stele, switched on from Rome by Pius XI in 1934 via a Marconi device, is the city's patron saint.

The site functions as part of an active Italian Coast Guard base, so access to different areas varies. Plan your visit in advance by checking what sections are open to visitors and the best times to explore.

A statue of Madonna della Lettera was installed at the fort's highest point in 1934 and remains a landmark for the area. Inside, exhibition halls display items recovered from the 1908 earthquake that devastated the city.