In the 1540s, the fortifications of Messina were being modernized due to fears of the expanding
Ottoman Empire. Forte Gonzaga was built on the hill of Montepiselli, outside the city walls. It was able to defend the
mountainous landward approach to the city, and it also overlooked the
Strait of Messina. The fort was designed by
Antonio Ferramolino, a military engineer from
Bergamo. He was assisted by Francesco Maurolico, a native of Messina. It was named after the
Viceroy of Sicily Don
Ferrante Gonzaga, and was completed in 1545. The Ottoman threat was reduced after the Catholic victory in the
Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and the fort's importance began to decline. It saw use during the 1674–78 uprising against Spanish rule. Spain eventually lost Sicily in 1713, but invaded the island five years later during the
War of the Quadruple Alliance. During the invasion, the fort did not offer much resistance and was captured by the Spanish general Luca Spinola. Forte Gonzaga saw use in
World War II when it was used by German and Italian forces prior to the Allied invasion, and it was subsequently used by American forward observers to direct artillery fire during the invasion of Italy. It remained a military establishment until 1973, when the
Italian Army handed it to the municipality of Messina. ==Layout==