| The Savignone castle was built in 1207 by the Tortona local government and it was given the jurisdiction of the area as well as other properties of the Bishops. From here it was given to the Marabotto di Bavari, which was a family that was very close to the Marquis of Gavi, and finally it was given to Guglielmo Spinola. Because of the contrasts that Spinola had with the Republic of Genoa, the podestà Corrado di Concesso conquered the Savignone castle as well as others. During the 13th century it came into possession of the Fieschi family. The castle has many steep walls and it has a tower with a circular base and a bastion that is located towards the mountains. It is located on top of a rocky hill and it dominates the town. |
The defensive structure is simple yet effective. The tower, the bastion, and a cliff were enough elements to consider the castle impregnable. The stronghold also had a sophisticated communication system through the use of signs that the watch towers used. |
The castle of Savignone was used to control and it was a administrative reference point for the nearby towns. Its majestic structure represented a symbol of prestige and power of its lords. Between the 15th – 16th century many castles began to decline because the tastes and needs of the feudatory’s turned towards the new aristocratic palazzi. Today, the castle still shows its importance as well as numerous features of its original aspect.
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