Savona between Priamar, museums and the Ligurian coast

Savona combines fortress history, art, harbour life and the Ligurian coast. Particularly characteristic is the Fortezza del Priamar, a large 16th-century military fortress on the coast. Its complex features paths, ramparts and balconies overlooking the sea, mountains, city and harbour.

Culture and history

The Palazzo della Loggia within the Fortezza del Priamar houses the Civic Archaeological Museum and City Museum of Savona, as well as the Sandro Pertini and Renata Cuneo Museum. The Civic Archaeological Museum and City Museum presents an exhibition on two floors centred around ceramics and introduces the most important archaeological sites discovered to date in the Savona area. A Byzantine necropolis dating from the 4th to the 7th century AD can also be seen. The Umbrella Hall presents excavations of Savona’s medieval cathedral.

Ceramics tell the story of different periods and connections: imported ceramics are considered evidence of the intense maritime trade of medieval cities in the Mediterranean region, while local ceramic production has been documented since the late 12th century AD. The Ceramics Museum displays more than 1,000 works across four floors, from the Renaissance to contemporary design, and also includes ornate pharmacy vessels from the former San Paolo Hospital in Savona.

The Palazzo Gavotti was built over medieval structures and transformed into a Renaissance palace at the end of the 16th century. Since 2003, it has housed the collections of Savona’s Pinacoteca Civica. The museum has lifts, is accessible to people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and features tactile 3D reliefs.

The Cathedral Treasury Museum is located in the rooms of the former Masseria and preserves paintings, sculptures, goldsmith’s work and sacred vestments. These vestments belonged to the bishops of Savona; they include a chasuble belonging to Cardinal Vegerio from the 15th century. The oldest item in the museum is a reliquary cross from the mid-13th century. The underground rooms of Priamar were created during the fortress’s period of use between 1542 and 1943 in several construction phases.

The monumental cathedral complex of Savona comprises the cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, the Cathedral Treasury Museum and the apartment of Pope Pius VII. Savona’s Sistine Chapel was begun in 1481 as a funerary chapel for the parents of Pope Sixtus IV. Between 1762 and 1764, it was restored and converted from a Renaissance funerary chapel into a Baroque church. The cathedral contains an ornate 15th-century baptistery, while the presbytery has wooden Renaissance choir stalls.

The 50-metre-high Brandale Tower contains rooms with paintings, sculptures and panels tracing history from the Middle Ages to 1800. From its summit, the view extends over the harbour, city and Ligurian coast towards Genoa and Portofino. The municipal museum system MUSA distributes its collections across several locations and covers archaeology, art, sculpture, local history and technology. The MUSA network connects museums in Savona’s historic city centre with the museums of Priamar Fortress.

Sea, harbour and coast

Savona’s Old Harbour is lined with historic palaces, medieval towers and artisans’ workshops. Boat trips along the Ligurian coast are offered from the Old Harbour. A kayaking route begins at Fornaci Beach or Savona’s tourist harbour and offers views of Priamar Fortress from the sea.

At Savona’s western end lies Zinola Beach, a 1.2-kilometre-long sandy beach with shallow, calm Mediterranean waters. There are several free public beach sections as well as nine bathing establishments. This provides different types of beaches for different days by the water: free public sections and managed bathing establishments, along with a coastal route offering views of Priamar from the sea.

The Savona–Vado Ligure passenger port offers year-round direct ferry connections to Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica, as well as selected destinations in Spain, Malta and North Africa. Savona is also the official port of the cruise company Costa Cruises. Bus routes 7, 7/ and 30 operate between Savona railway station and the harbour.

Routes and special discoveries

Màr offers guided tours of the monumental Priamar complex and the fortress’s underground passages. Tours of the Priamar museum complex can be conducted in English, French and German upon request. The Civic Archaeological Museum and City Museum of Savona offers a route with Braille labels and touchable archaeological objects for blind and visually impaired visitors.

The Museo del Santuario offers creative educational workshops. The Ceramics Museum also organises seminars and workshops for children. The All About Apple Museum welcomes visitors every weekend in Savona at Piazza De André. As an interactive museum, it presents the development of personal computers using functioning objects.

The “Savona città dei papi” route connects the Pinacoteca Civica, the cathedral’s cultural heritage and six oratories in the city. An urban walking route follows an ancient Roman road from Savona along Via Ranco and, after a turnoff, leads downhill towards Albissola Mare. The path named after Chiara Luce Badano begins on Via Scotti and climbs the green hill to the Madonna degli Angeli chapel. From the summit of the Chiara-Luce-Badano path, the view extends over Savona and its gulf to Vado Ligure and beyond. The different routes and viewpoints can be considered separately according to the city’s history, fortress, coast and hills.

Local flavour

Local culinary specialities include Panissa. It can be served cold in cubes or fried as thin slices, known in the dialect as Tavelette or Fette.

Other linked places are: Bardineto, Castelbianco, Cosseria, Mioglia, Albenga, Bardino Nuovo, Borgio Verezzi, Ceriale, Cisano Sul Neva, Finale Ligure, Laigueglia, Loano, Pietra Ligure, Stellanello, Varazze, Vellego, Vezzi San Giorgio, Garlenda, Andora, Varigotti, Spotorno, Spinetta, Savona, Celle Ligure, Alassio, Piani, Bardino Vecchio, Quiliano, Balestrino.

Casanova Lerrone, Magliolo, Erli, Pero, Albisola Superiore, Villanova D'albenga, Calice Ligure, Vezzi Portio, Cairo Montenotte, Rialto, Giusvalla, Noli, Orco Feglino, Piana Crixia, Stella, Vendone, Vado Ligure, Millesimo, Villalunga, Bossaneto, Albissola Marina, Bergeggi, Calizzano, Toirano, Castelvecchio Di Rocca Barbena, Dego, Zuccarello, Testico, Carcare, Bormida.

Altare, Dogli, Borghetto Santo Spirito, San Bartolomeo, Coasco, Ortovero, Vara Inferiore, Bormida-Genepro, Carbuta, Campochiesa, Menosio, Pallare, Borghi, Ellera, Sassello, Nasino-Borgo, Brasi, Voze, Marina di Andora, Gorra, Teglia, San Pietro D'olba, Tovo San Giacomo, Pontinvrea, Capitolo-costa, Pianazzo, Palo-pataré and Ranzi.

For the overarching travel overview: Liguria.