Fortress of Guaita
Fortress of Guaita is located in the city of San Marino in San Marino. Built in the 11thcentury upon a stone mountaintop, the First Tower castle sits on one of three peaks overlooking San Marino. Guaita is the oldest of the three towers constructed on Mount Titano, and it once served as a prison. The fortress was rebuilt several times until the 15thcentury. The Second Tower is located at the highest point and houses a museum in the Cesta Castle, which boasts over 1,550 weapons dating from the medieval period to modern day. The Second Tower was built in the 13thcentury upon the remains of an earlier Roman fort. The Third Tower was built on a small summit in the 14thcentury and served defensive purposes as a lookout tower. The Third Tower called Montale also served as a prison until the 1970’s and is not open to the public. The fortress has a central tower with two rings of walls and corner towers. The outer ring is adorned with battlements that were used in the 15thcentury during the war between San Marino and the Malatesta family from Rimini. The fortress also has a 16thcentury bell tower. Fortress Guaita is a World Heritage Site and is open to the public.
