Forte Sangallo, also called the Fortress of Nettuno, stands on the coast at Nettuno, close to the sea and west of the medieval borgo. It was built quickly from 1501 by Pope Alexander VI and his son Cesare Borgia, as part of a wide programme to strengthen places the family wanted to secure. Its task was to defend Nettuno, then considered the granary of Lazio, from raids by Barbary corsairs. The design, though not clearly documented, is attributed to Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, the Borgias' trusted architect; his brother Giuliano and the military architect Baccio Pontelli have also been suggested.
What to see
The plan is square, with corner bastions whose flanks are rounded into so-called orecchioni, very thick walls without battlements and a tall sloping base. The covered gun positions are on two levels, hidden where curtain walls and bastions meet, following an innovative model of the Sangallo, perhaps used here for the first time to ensure grazing fire along the walls. At the centre rises an imposing keep, enlarged later; a drawbridge leads to the inner court, with an arcade of round arches.
After the Borgias the fort passed to the Colonna in 1503, to the Apostolic Camera in 1594 and to the Borghese in 1831. In 1931 it belonged to Baron Alberto Fassini, who hosted Queen Marie of Romania and Princess Ileana there; in 1997 it was bought by the municipality.
Visiting
Today the fort hosts conferences, art exhibitions, the Guerre & Pace FilmFest, the Allied Landing Museum and the Antiquarium, with archaeological, historical and artistic material from the Nettuno area. Opening times and tickets should be checked with the municipality.
Our editors' tip
After the Allied Landing Museum, devoted to the battle of Anzio, you can complete the story at the American war cemetery, built in Nettuno after the Second World War.
