The primitive Genoese batteries, built around the middle of the XVII century and placed, almost exclusively on the walls, were simple gun postations in barbette, generally posted on wheeled gun mounts, near the piece there were usually cannon balls. This formation of "Classic Battery" changed around the middle of the XIX century. With a new scheme, most of the permanent batteries were adapted. In the 1880s there was tension with France after the so-called customs wars. These problems greatly preoccupied our government, which, around 1889, hurriedly constructed a number of small fortifications or, in the case of already existent structures, modified and reinforced them. These new fortifications are all rather similar; this demonstrated the hurry that the government had in building them in the shortest time possible, and stopped them from "wasting time" in researching architectural solutions and certainly visual effects.

Let's see the birth of some of the small batteries inside forts San Martino and San Giuliano (the D at the beginning indicates that the construction no longer exists):

San Martino Battery, armed with 4 howitzers of 24 GRC (Ret)

San Giuliano Battery, armed with 6 howitzers of 28 at indirect laying

or on particularly strategic positions:

D Eastern San Benigno Battery armed with 6 cannons of 32 GRC (Ret)

D Western San Benigno Battery armed with 4 cannons of 24 GRC (Ret) (these two were in the area where the Barracks of the same name were demolished)

D San Simone Battery armed with 6 howitzers of 28 GRC (Ret)

Granarolo Battery armed with 10 howitzers of 24 GRC (Ret)

Angeli Battery armed with 8 howitzers of 28 GRC(Ret)

D Cava Battery armed with 8 cannons of 24 Long GRC(Ret)

Stella Battery or dalla Scuola, armed with 6 cannons of 9

Vagno Battery armed with 4 cannons of 24 Long GRC (Ret) and 2 cannons of 9 BR (Ret);

Strega Battery, on the Walls of the same name, divided in

D Strega Alta Battery (Upper Strega Battery) armed with 6 howitzers of 24 GRC (Ret)

D Strega Bassa Battery (Lower Strega Battery), armed with 5 cannons of 32 GRC (Ret).

The common objective was the defense of the open sea and the port of Genoa.

In the case of Fort Belvedere the House-Fort was demolished, and there was a complete modification in the structure, divided in two batteries

Belvedere Inferiore Battery (Inferior Belvedere Battery), or rather the ex-fort, armed with 6 howitzers of 28 at direct laying,

Belvedere Superiore Battery (Superior Belveder Battery), new, opposite the sanctuary armed with 4 howitzers of 24 GRC (Ret).

The scope was to defend the open sea.

On the conflict embankment one can find the gun emplacements on which the guns were systemised, frequently in couples. The pieces, mounted on gun mounts of defence, were placed on metallic emplacements fixed to the floor of the gun mounts. The emplacement consisted of cast-iron "rock" stopped at less than a metre from the parapet, and in an iron wheel held by cast-iron "cushions". On the wheel tracks ran the posterior wheel of the gun mount allowing the piece to change the direction of its laying. The postations were seperated by the crosspieces, constructed in stonework which externally presented a covering of grassy terrain, destined to host, inside, the ammunition reserve. At the sides of the firing line, two domes of range-finders were positioned.

The ammunition storehouses were situated far from the firing line. The gunpowder warehouse contained, in closed cases placed on dividing walls, all the gunpowder necessary for the armament of the entire battery. The area was surrounded by an air space of security; illumination was possible because of glass-covered niches, where a lamp with a parabolic reflector was placed. To transport the material to the embankment, there was a small, wheeled wagon up to the corridor, from here to the pieces lift trolleys were used, even antique hoists which worked with a crank. Besides the gunpowder stores, the batteries had deposits for the empty cannon balls, of rooms for the loading of projectiles and for cartridge drills. On the other side of the postations, there were sometimes small buildings which hosted various deposits and warehouses.

The surviving batteries between the coastal ones built in the mid 1600s and those of the 1700s were reinforced and modified, using a common structure--various gun emplacements were divided by reserves.

The garrison was periodically taken (probably daily or weekly) from other city barracks. Some of these had a brief lifespan while others were utilised even in the second world war, with the appropriate modifications.

These small fortifications are neither historically nor architecturally important, and are mostly unknown, and yet, at the time of their use, they were armed with cannons that were considered modern, and gave, along with the forts,their contribution to the much decayed military power of Genoa in the early 1900s.

The constructions still existent are unfortunately inaccessable, because they are in private hands or still in military zones. The structures of the 1800s were, in any case, modified during the last World War for anti-aircraft equipment. The only things that remain are the stonework.

 Other images

  Cava Battery: air view (about 1920)

 San Martino Battery: the remains of the structures from the 1800s

 Vagno Battery: the antique structures, suffocated by modern buildings.

 Vagno Battery: panoramas of the Fifties (1, 2)

 San Simone Battery: drill in 1900

 San Simone Battery: that which remains of the antique structure: the access gate

 San Simone Battery: the remains of a heavy machine gun postation of 1940

 Angeli Battery: drill in 1899

 Angeli Battery: drill in 1900

 Angeli Battery: maintenence of the howitzers in 1913

 Angeli Battery: today

 Angeli Battery: today: corridor reserves

 Angeli Battery: today: artillary storage

 Angeli Battery today: access to powder magazine

 Angeli Battery today: corridor to the reserves with binary for projectiles

 Angeli Battery today: street of access to firing line.

 Belvedere Battery inferiore in the '70s

 Belvedere Battery inferior today; particular

 Belvedere Battery superior today: warning to the artillary men

 Belvedere Battery superior: figures in the reserves used as rooms for punishment.

 San Benigno Battery during the drills of 1900

 San Benigno Battery photo in memory of the howitzer

 San Benigno Battery: servents at the piece

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