Located in one of the most panoramic points of Genoa, on a hill overlooking the ancient city and the port, Castelletto is an ancient fortress. It has been the focal point of the city fortifications as well as a usual reference for medieval iconography of the city for four centuries.
The first mention dates back to 952, but the reports of its real defensive function occurs with the construction of a tower, surrounded by a moat, in 1162, when it became part of the first circle of the walls,  built to face the descent of Barbarossa.
In 1402, at the time of French domination, Marshal Boucicaul had the fortress rebuilt by incorporating the old tower within a second round of walls with defensive towers.
Castelletto became the symbol of foreign oppression and when Genoa reconquered its freedom in 1528, destroyed the bastions and the ancient fortification became a powder keg partially abandoned.
Only in the nineteenth century the Savoys rebuilt it, but during the 1849 uprisings, the population razed it to the ground definitively. Today the site where it stood is a middle-class residencial area and a panoramic view point where you can admire one of the most beautiful views of the city.