Castrum Perticae (Fortezza bizantina di Sant'Antonino)

Castrum Perticae is the Byzantine fortified settlement on the height of Sant'Antonino above Perti. Its walls and towers, together with the later Romanesque church, preserve a long sequence of occupation in Finale's inland landscape.

Why it matters

The fortress developed in the second half of the sixth century, during Byzantine control of coastal Liguria. Finds from excavations show connections with Mediterranean trade and supply networks: imported goods came from North Africa, Spain and the eastern Mediterranean, alongside Alpine soapstone vessels.

What to notice

The first defensive circuit included a gateway, an arch-supported wall-walk and a substantial square tower with narrow, internally recessed windows described as mushroom-shaped. Further curtain walls and rectangular towers strengthened the ridge by the early seventh century. Natural cliffs protected the eastern side. The church of Sant'Antonino represents a later religious phase within the fortified site.

Context and history

Bronze Age occupation preceded the Byzantine settlement. The castrum of Perti was named in Emperor Frederick I's diploma of 1162, while the Romanesque church dates to the eleventh century. Excavations undertaken between 1982 and 1998 by the Museo Archeologico del Finale clarified the fortifications and recovered material illustrating the site's long-distance connections.