Un presidio spagnolo nella Liguria del XVII secolo: Finale e le sue fortificazioni

Even today the remains of the three fortresses of Castel Gavone, Castel S. Giovanni and Castelfranco loom above the heights of Finale Ligure. Built in different time and historical contexts, they are witnesses of the transformation occurred in Finale Ligure from the late Medieval to the Modern Age. This paper focuses on this last timeframe and on the changes that took place on the whole fortress system during the 70s of the 17th century. These events are intertwined with one important figure of the Duchy of Milan: the military engineer Gaspare Beretta. The paper is based on the existing literature and sheds further light on the defense system through a deep analysis of manuscripts of the Ambrosian Library and two unpublished drawings. The goal is to open new research horizons and, together with the recent reuse project of Castelfranco, to renew the interest in this Cultural Heritage.