Civico Museo Archeologico e della Città di Savona

Located in the Priamàr Fortress, the museum presents artifacts from the Byzantine era to the Middle Ages, including ceramics and archaeological finds.

Planning your visit

The Priamar is a sixteenth-century Genoese fortress built on the headland at Savona, and it was constructed with a specific purpose: to dominate a rival city. Genoa had defeated Savona and built the fortress over the town's own cathedral and oldest quarter, which were demolished to make room — an act of deliberate humiliation.

The Civic Archaeological Museum within it displays what excavation of that buried quarter has recovered: a Byzantine-era necropolis, medieval structures, and a substantial ceramics collection covering Savona's own production, which was significant in the Renaissance and after.

The fortress later served as a prison, holding Giuseppe Mazzini among others.

Savona is a working Ligurian port and cruise terminal, with far fewer visitors than the Cinque Terre or Portofino down the coast.

Bookable options include guided visits to the museum. Current availability is listed below.