Castello Doria (Portovenere)

The Castello Doria crowns the rocky spur high above the village of Portovenere, the largest and most commanding of the town's monuments. Begun by the Genoese in the 12th century and largely rebuilt in its present form during the 16th, it is a masterpiece of military architecture, its great sloping bastions and terraced ramparts designed to withstand cannon fire while guarding the approaches to the Gulf of Poets. Visitors reach it by climbing the steep stepped lanes that thread up through the village from the harbour, a short but demanding walk. Inside, the fortress is largely open space rather than furnished rooms, and the reward is the series of terraces and the vaulted former barracks, from which the view opens over the whole gulf: the pastel tower-houses below, the Church of San Pietro on its point, the island of Palmaria across the strait and, on a clear day, the Cinque Terre coast. It is the highest accessible viewpoint in Portovenere. A visit takes around an hour. The castle keeps roughly daily hours that vary by season, with a midday closure, so calling ahead to confirm is wise, and a small fee is paid at the booth, usually in cash. The ramparts and the panorama over the gulf are the photographs to seek, best in the clear light of late morning. Quieter than the harbour below, the castle is a rewarding climb in this corner of eastern Liguria and pairs naturally with the walk out to the Church of San Pietro.