In 1747 people started talking about defensive towers for Genoa, although nothing was done to build them.

In 1811, the French projected three model "towers" with a square floor plan, they were different in dimensions, quartering and armaments. These forts were destined to support the coastal batteries, or rather to the protection of the maritime calls. The idea of the "model towers", which were never actually constructed in Genoa, nor in Liguria, was presumably taken up by General Bentik in 1815. These constructions were supposed to be built on the inside of the walls, "to resist the onslaught of the enemy in the case that they broke through the first line of defense". The erection of some of these began in a circle in Valpolcevera and between Fort Richelieu and Santa Tecla. In the end, of these constructions, (which were abandoned and only having built the ground floor) there is no trace.

In our city, the Sardinian Kingdom, after 1817, began projects and initiated constructing towers with a circular floorplan. Of these there exist two models, the small ones and the large ones, deriving from the same idea. The diametre was conditioned by the size of the construction site. Of the small towers, of which three are in the Valley of the Bisagno, and four in the Valpolcevera, the only one which was partially completed was the one of Zerbino. Numerous towers between Mount Ratti and Mount Fasce were also projected, however, by cancelling this "line", they were begun and terminated with only the towers of Quezzi, Mount Ratti and San Bernardino in use.

The small ones were supposed to be provided with trap-doors (to defend them from eventual enemy assaults), tanks, warehouses and ammunitions, and a descreet garrison. These served to defend the foot of the wall. They could also defend themselves with cannons, and gunmen positioned on the Cinta, and at another time they were connected by means of galleries to the base of the wall.

In 1824 these constructions were criticised, because there wasn´t need to "invocate a council ... foreign aide and help". The criticisims referred to ideas based on "modern" traces of Montalembert, which were beginning to take hold in Austria and Germany. Successively, the same idealist architect, identified as the Major Giulio Andreis, criticised himself: he realises, in fact, that the tower system he idealised only reppresented a "way to have warnings of the avancement of the enemy", and that it had only been conceived only because of its low cost and speed of construction. And also because of these things, the construction of the towers was suspended in 1825. Nor were the three on Mount Ratti initiated, of which the Superiore, which would be then encircled by the fort.

The small towers are identical. Probably, second to the original project, they were supposed to be the same (except for the size) as the large towers.

In the Val Bisagno there was the Zerbino tower. Although it was the most complete, it was never utilised in a military scope. Nicknamed "Diviar" in 1930, it was demolished six years after to make way for the "Scuola della Giovane Fascista" (The School for Young Fascists).

The next is the San Bernardino Tower. It is followed by the tower of Sant Erasmo, now completely suffocated by vegetation, and left half-finished. The last is Sant Simone, or the Chiappe, of which the construction was interuppted at the ground floor; it is ivaded by greenery.

Four towers exist in Valpolcevera. The first, called Monticello, is in the same conditions as the Chiappe tower and is situated in Via ai Panci di Fregoso.

The second is that of Granarolo, a few hundred metres away. This is the best preserved and most complete, although, even here the top floor and terrace are missing. The third is that of Monte Moro, which can be reached by going up Via Bartolomeo Bianco. Even in this case, only the foundations and first floor were built. The last, a little further away, is the tower of the Bombe, of which only the foundation with the partitioning wall were constructed.

According to some sources, the towers are connected by underground tunnels. This question is spoken of in more detail on the page "The Mysteries of the Genoese Forts".

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