Castel Gavone and the castles of Finalborgo

The Strada Beretta

The road dates from the Spanish period in the 17th century, when the Marquisate of Finale was the Duchy of Milan’s outlet to the sea. It follows the ridge from Porta Mezzaluna up to Castel Gavone and Perti, and from there continued inland. It has been known as the Strada Beretta since 1666.

The first stretch, from Piazza del Tribunale, is easy to spot thanks to the brick strip down the middle; it then becomes a steep cobbled lane between dry-stone walls, olive trees and Mediterranean scrub. Early on you will also see the “VP” waymarks of the Via del Purchin. It gets hot in summer: set off early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and carry water.

Castel San Giovanni

After a five-minute climb, about 500 metres from the village, you reach the fort the Spanish built in the first half of the 17th century around a medieval tower, to a design by the Lombard engineer Francesco Prestino. It was enlarged between 1674 and 1678 under Gaspare Beretta. In 1713, when Finale passed to Genoa, the Genoese partly demolished it.

From 1822 the Savoy government used it as a prison, until the early 20th century: around the cell doors you can still see prisoners’ graffiti scratched into the slate. A late 20th-century restoration opened it to visitors. Entry is free; the fort hosts exhibitions and events, and the terraces look over the rooftops of Finalborgo, the bell tower of San Biagio and the valley towards the sea. Opening hours vary, so check before you go.

Castel Gavone and the Diamond Tower

Back on the Strada Beretta, a signposted turning with an information panel leads to the path for Castel Gavone, on the spur of Becchignolo hill that protected the north side of the town. Allow 20–25 minutes from the village.

History

The castle is first recorded in 1128 and was the fortified residence of the Del Carretto marquises. In the war against Genoa of 1447–1450 it was handed to the Genoese by treacherous mercenaries; Galeotto Del Carretto escaped by climbing down the walls. In December 1450 Giovanni I recaptured the town and rebuilt the castle, with a chapel of Saint George dated 1461.

Around 1490 the Torre dei Diamanti was added: its blocks of Finale stone are cut into pyramids, “diamond points”, and it is one of the most original examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy. In the 16th century the castle gained a new outer wall with four corner towers, designed to withstand artillery. After Genoa bought Finale in 1713, the Genoese mined the castle and blew it up in the early 18th century; the Diamond Tower survived.

How to visit

A recent restoration, funded by the EU, made the ruin safe while leaving the marks of its destruction visible. The interior can only be visited with an archaeologist, by booking with the Museo Archeologico del Finale; you pay the guide on the day. Tours are cancelled in the rain and the site is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. The schedule changes with the seasons: check the museum website or MUDIF, Finale’s museum network.

Perti: Sant'Eusebio and the Five Bell Towers

Beyond the castle the road climbs to Perti, the hill hamlet beneath the Rocca di Perti, one of the historic crags of Finale climbing. There are two churches worth seeing here.

• Sant’Eusebio: all that remains of the medieval church is the 11th-century Romanesque crypt, its vaults resting on four pillars, one of them set on a small Roman votive altar. The apse was rebuilt with a polygonal plan in the 15th century and the bell tower is decorated with majolica bowls and Spanish azulejo tiles.
• Nostra Signora di Loreto: the church “of the Five Bell Towers”, named for its five slender spires. It has a central plan inspired by Brunelleschi’s Florentine models and was built in the second half of the 15th century in the Del Carretto circle.

Interior visits are guided and must be booked through the archaeological museum. From Perti you return to Finalborgo the same way, downhill. By car, Perti is reached from the road to Calice Ligure.

Practical tips

• With small children, stop at Castel San Giovanni: it is close and the walk is short.
• For the full route allow 3–4 hours including visits.
• Do the walk in the morning and the museum in the afternoon, or the other way round in the hot months.
• For the rest of the town, beaches included, see our guide to Finale Ligure.