Forte Stella

Forte Stella is one of the Medici fortifications built to defend Portoferraio. Its five-pointed plan rises above the harbour, and its history includes a bronze bust of Cosimo I de' Medici by Benvenuto Cellini, now held at the Bargello in Florence.

Why it matters

The fort formed part of the defensive system of Cosmopoli, established by Cosimo I in 1548. Designed by Giovan Battista Bellucci and Giovanni Camerini, it worked with Forte Falcone and the Torre della Linguella to protect the harbour and the Piombino Channel.

What to notice

The five-pointed star plan reflects the military architecture of the cannon era. Within the fort are traces of its former working spaces, including a chapel, cistern and soldiers' quarters. A lighthouse was built on the summit in 1788 under Grand Duke Leopoldo.

Context and history

Cellini's bronze bust of Cosimo I was installed over the entrance in 1557 and removed in 1781 by order of Grand Duke Leopoldo I of Lorraine. It was sent to Florence and is now in the Bargello. Later rulers modified the fort, which eventually left state ownership in the twentieth century.