A fortress for over a hundred years, erected by the Genoese against the insubordinate Sanremo, a prison for a further one hundred and thirty years once its original function was no longer relevant with the Unification of Italy, only a quarter of a century ago did the Santa Tecla Fortress embark on the road that has transformed it into a major cultural venue. Its whereabouts and its view of the port see it at the centre of Sanremo, while the transfer of the railway line further inland has reaffirmed its association with the urban setting. With the restoration of its terraces and interiors almost complete, its covered central courtyard, once a parade ground, offers citizens and tourists alike a large, brightly lit place full of smaller spaces of different sizes. Now open for exhibitions, conferences, ceremonies, live music, and visits for schools and families, Santa Tecla welcomes every kind of social and cultural activity, as if seeking to make up for a past of oppression followed by suffering.