Fortezza di Sarzanello, Medieval fort in Sarzana, Italy
Fortezza di Sarzanello is a medieval fort in Sarzana, built on a triangular plan with three circular towers that reach the same height as the surrounding walls. A deep defensive moat runs around the entire structure, and a stone bridge crosses it to reach the entrance.
The fort first appears in written records in 963, when Emperor Otto I granted it to the Diocese of Luni. It changed hands several times over the following centuries and was expanded and altered as needs changed.
The fortress works as a national museum today, where visitors can see how military buildings changed over several centuries in Italy. The differences between the construction phases are visible directly on the walls and towers.
The fort is easy to reach on foot by taking the pedestrian path called Montata di Sarzanello, or by the alternative route from Via San Francesco. Both paths are marked and manageable in normal footwear.
When Napoleon's troops received orders to demolish the fort, they ran out of time before they could carry out the task. That oversight is the reason the structure still stands today in its original form.
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