Forte del Varignano, Military fort in Porto Venere, Italy

Forte del Varignano occupies the tip of the headland that separates the Seno delle Grazie from the Seno del Varignano at Portovenere. The Republic of Genoa built the lazaretto and goods warehouse in the 1720s; its walls now enclose a barracks complex. The military zone also takes in the nearby, older Forte Santa Maria, begun in 1569, and a former coastal battery at Punta Castagna.

Genoa's Magistrato di Sanità resolved in 1656 to build a great lazaretto on the Varignano headland, but the pest hospital and goods warehouse were only erected in the 1720s, after plague outbreaks in Marseille and Toulon. A coastal battery of four guns stood beside it. In 1808 the lazaretto passed to the French navy and became the gulf's military command; it later served as a military hospital and prison, where Garibaldi was treated in 1862 and 1867.

The fort demonstrates how coastal communities organized their defenses and managed health concerns across centuries of maritime life. Visitors can observe how the structure's position and walls were designed to monitor and control the gulf's entrance.

The fort remains an active military facility with limited public access, so check ahead before planning a visit. The best views of the structure come from the water or from vantage points along the nearby coastline where you can see its walls and position.

The fort served as headquarters for specialized Italian Navy units trained in diving and amphibious operations, a role many visitors overlook. This more recent military function is less famous than its earlier role but shaped how the site was used throughout the 1900s.