Falcone Fort

The fort’s long history began in 1548, when Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned the renowned military theorist Giovan Battista Bellucci, known as “il Sanmarino”, and architect Giovanni Camerini to design and plan the new settlement. The city of Portoferraio was conceived as a unified project, designed in every detail as a military stronghold capable of withstanding attacks and sieges: straight, orthogonal streets to allow easy troop movement; Forte Falcone and Forte Stella guarding the heights; the Linguella Tower watching over the harbour; the city walls and strategic buildings within, all under the close supervision of Cosimo himself. Following Camerini’s death in 1570, architect Buontalenti took over, completing and expanding the fortifications — particularly in the area known as the “Land Attack Front”. The overriding aim was to secure the Tuscan coastline and the vital maritime trade routes. The result was immediate: the corsair fleets of Barbarossa and Dragut Rais, having ravaged other Tuscan island towns, deemed the new Portoferraio impregnable and withdrew from the Archipelago.

The defensive layout remained virtually unchanged until the 18th century, when Medici rule gave way to the Lorraine dynasty. As defensive needs evolved, the mid-slope bastions were reinforced — again mainly along the “Land Attack Front” — and the so-called “Avanzate” (advanced outworks) were added beyond the existing walls. Military use of the fort ended in relatively recent times: a first restoration in 1994 opened a 500-metre walkway along the bastions, and in 2011 the “Land Attack Bastion” was also opened to the public. Today the fort is home to the permanent exhibition Cosmopolis – Portoferraio in the Medici era, inaugurated in 2013 and spread across five rooms. Through paintings, documents, coins, maps and plans, it tells the story of the Medici city from its foundation in 1549 to the early 18th century.

Among the highlights are paintings by Giuseppe Maria Terreni — owned by the Uffizi Gallery and on long-term loan to the Municipality of Portoferraio — showing the city’s appearance in the 18th century. A walk through the magnificent architectural complex designed for Cosimo de’ Medici, from the Fortresses to Forte Falcone, is a unique experience: hidden corners, panoramic views over Portoferraio and the sea at every turn.