Up to the early 1900´s instead of the road, Corso Italia, there were many magnificent cliffs. There were small walkways, sided by the high retaining walls of the villas, starting from Via Albaro and terminating at the sea. The area between Punto Vagno and San Giuliano, was served by a walkway. The construction of Corso Italia irrepairably damaged the romantic site that was Marinetta, the area in front of Fort San Giuliano.

The primitive fortification in the area of San Giuliano was the Batterie Sopranis, constructed in the late summer of 1745 on the cliffs near the sea. In 1818 a project was presented to reinforce the structure of the Villa Sopranis, with the idea of stopping enemy attacks and disembarkments. The idea, which was immediately excecuted, was successfully billeted in favour of the fort and realised between 1819 and 1832 (the realisation of the actual fort was initiated in 1827 and ended in 1836).

The fort was in part surrounded by a moat, and two barracks. The main entrance is situated in the northern barrack, and today can be seen clearly from Via Gobetti, and which conserves, still in working order, the original closing system for the drawbridge. A gallery of scarp and another of counterscarp which are still conserved (and connected to a strange legend) encircled almost the entire complex. Over the years, the structure has undergone substantial modifications and mutilations, of which the ones visible from Corso Italia are the most obvious. Around 1937 along the side facing the sea, there were constructed numerouns anti-aircraft posts. It also became a site for torture and death sentences: on the dawn of March 3, 1944, six partisans were killed, one of which was Giacomo Buranello. Immediatly after the Second World War, the anti-aircraft equipment was demolished, leaving a large empty space. It was successively assigned to the Regione Carabinieri Liguria. The fortification, with the inauguration on May 13, 1995, became the headquarters for the Comando Provinciale Carabinieri di Genova, and for this reason it cannoit be visited.

 Other Images:

  Fort San Giuliano, before the demolitions for the construction of Corso Italia.

  The fort seen from Corso Italia, around 1925 (the same point of view of the preceeding photograph).

 The construction of the anti-aircraft equipment in the fort.

  The anit-aircraft equipment inside Fort San Giuliano in a moment of calm.

  The operation of a German piece from 88 for the anti-aircraft equipment of the fort.

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