Rating
4/5 (based on Google user reviews)
User Reviews
Jakub LBC (12 months ago)
Nothing special.
Nothing special.
Antonio Riggio (12 months ago)
Castle of the '500 rich in history, from which you can admire the city and the Strait of Messina. The place is made accessible thanks to the commitment and dedication of the volunteers of the Gonzaga association. I hope that the administration invests to enhance this artistic and cultural asset so that it can become an obligatory destination for tourists.
Castle of the '500 rich in history, from which you can admire the city and the Strait of Messina. The place is made accessible thanks to the commitment and dedication of the volunteers of the Gonzaga association. I hope that the administration invests to enhance this artistic and cultural asset so that it can become an obligatory destination for tourists.
Pan Damon (2 years ago)
I sincerely hope the association that manages it will be able to keep the fort open more often. At the moment there is relatively little to see, but a lot to discover. Well worth a visit and reassess. They should put in the entrance fee and reinvest that money to restore the rest of the structure, because it deserves.
I sincerely hope the association that manages it will be able to keep the fort open more often. At the moment there is relatively little to see, but a lot to discover. Well worth a visit and reassess. They should put in the entrance fee and reinvest that money to restore the rest of the structure, because it deserves.
Riccardo Samperi (3 years ago)
In the 1540s, the fortifications of Messina were being modernized due to fears of the expanding Ottoman Empire. Forte Gonzaga was built on the hill of Montepiselli, outside the city walls. It was able to defend the mountainous landward approach to the city, and it also overlooked the Strait of Messina. The fort was designed by Antonio Ferramolino, a military engineer from Bergamo. He was assisted by Francesco Maurolico, a native of Messina. It was named after the Viceroy of Sicily Don Ferrante Gonzaga, and was completed in 1545. The Ottoman threat was reduced after the Catholic victory in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and the fort's importance began to decline. It saw use during the 1674–78 uprising against Spanish rule. Spain eventually lost Sicily in 1713, but invaded the island five years later during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. During the invasion, the fort did not offer much resistance and was captured by the Spanish general Luca Spinola. During the Sicilian revolution of 1848, the fort was captured by rebels, who used it to bombard the Real Cittadella which was still in Bourbon hands. Forte Gonzaga saw use in World War II, and it remained a military establishment until 1973, when the Italian Army handed it to the municipality of Messina. There are plans to restore the fort and turn it into a museum and conference centre.
In the 1540s, the fortifications of Messina were being modernized due to fears of the expanding Ottoman Empire. Forte Gonzaga was built on the hill of Montepiselli, outside the city walls. It was able to defend the mountainous landward approach to the city, and it also overlooked the Strait of Messina. The fort was designed by Antonio Ferramolino, a military engineer from Bergamo. He was assisted by Francesco Maurolico, a native of Messina. It was named after the Viceroy of Sicily Don Ferrante Gonzaga, and was completed in 1545. The Ottoman threat was reduced after the Catholic victory in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and the fort's importance began to decline. It saw use during the 1674–78 uprising against Spanish rule. Spain eventually lost Sicily in 1713, but invaded the island five years later during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. During the invasion, the fort did not offer much resistance and was captured by the Spanish general Luca Spinola. During the Sicilian revolution of 1848, the fort was captured by rebels, who used it to bombard the Real Cittadella which was still in Bourbon hands. Forte Gonzaga saw use in World War II, and it remained a military establishment until 1973, when the Italian Army handed it to the municipality of Messina. There are plans to restore the fort and turn it into a museum and conference centre.
Maxi 929 (5 years ago)
Forte Umbertino
Forte Umbertino
