Spianata Castelletto

Spianata Castelletto, officially belvedere Luigi Montaldo, occupies the site where for centuries the Castelletto fortress stood: destroyed and rebuilt several times, it was finally razed to the ground by the people in 1849. From the mid-19th century the area was divided into plots and built up with elegant palazzi, and the square became one of the most famous viewpoints in the city: your gaze runs from the roofs and bell towers of the old town to the Porto Antico, all the way to the Lanterna. From piazza del Portello, a short walk from via Garibaldi, the historic public lift from the early 20th century rises to a glazed Liberty-style kiosk. If you'd rather walk, you can climb the old lanes of the centre on foot.