4 Best Sights in Italy

The origins of this imposing military fortress perched on a rocky hilltop above Gavi are rather murky, but it’s thought to have first been built atop the ruins of a 10th-century castle before being enlarged between the 16th and 18th centuries. The fortress was used as a military prison during both World Wars, and today you can take a 45-minute tour to learn about its history, as well as tour the courtyards, guards’ towers, and other rooms. Tours leave every hour from 8:30 to 4:30 Wednesday to Saturday and from 9:30 to 5:30 on the first Sunday of the month and public holidays. Even if you don't see the inside of the fort, the area around it offers stunning views of the town of Gavi and the Alto Monferrato hills below.

Visible from the street, the Porta Magna (1460), an impressive Renaissance gateway designed by Antonio Gambello, was the first classical structure to be built in Venice. It is guarded by four lions—war booty of Francesco Morosini, who took the Peloponnese from the Turks in 1687. The Arsenale is said to have been founded in 1104 on twin islands. The immense facility that evolved—it was the largest industrial complex in Europe built prior to the Industrial Revolution—was given the old Venetian dialect name arzanà, borrowed from the Arabic darsina'a, meaning "workshop." At the height of its activity, in the early 16th century, it employed as many as 16,000 arsenalotti, workers who were among the most respected shipbuilders in the world. The Arsenale developed a type of pre–Industrial Revolution assembly line, which allowed it to build ships with astounding speed and efficiency. The Arsenale's efficiency was confirmed time and again—whether building 100 ships in 60 days to battle the Turks in Cyprus (1597) or completing one perfectly armed warship, start to finish, while King Henry III of France attended a banquet.

Dating from the 13th century, La Rocca (The Fortress) has a plaque commemorating writer Ludovico Ariosto's brief tenure here as commissar general for the Este. Ariosto (1474–1533) wrote the epic poem Orlando Furioso (1516), among other works. You can only see the impressive walls and great entryway of the fort from the outside.

Built to both defend and control their new possession after the Sienese conquered Massa Marittima in 1335, the Fortezza dei Senesi crowns the upper part of town. Just inside the imposing Sienese gate is the so-called Tower of the Candle Holder, a massive bastion that is connected to the outer walls by the Arco Senese, a high-arched bridge. A visit to the tower gives access to the arch and to the upper city walls, where commanding views open before you.