Forte di Gavi Reopens After €4M Restoration with Wine, Art, and AI

The Forte di Gavi, a 17th-century fortress in Piedmont, Italy, reopens to the public on July 11 after a four-year, €4 million restoration funded partly by the PNRR (€2.4 million). Originally a medieval castle, later transformed by the Republic of Genoa into an impregnable three-level military machine, and then a prison, the site now embraces accessibility and cultural inclusion. Director Filippo Masino of the Musei Nazionali del Piemonte oversaw the removal of architectural barriers. A historic vineyard on the Bastione San Tommaso has been regenerated with the Consorzio Tutela del Gavi, producing 150 bottles of Gavi DOCG wine to be sold for social projects. The new multimedia installation, designed by architect Bernardo Bocchino, includes immersive cells, tactile maps, a 3D model, a replica 17th-century cannon for the visually impaired, and an AI-reconstructed story of a British officer's escape. The reopening also launches the exhibition 'Fammi un quadro del sole. Omaggio a Emily Dickinson' and the first edition of Fortissima Parade (until October 4). Contemporary art interventions include IDEM Studio's installation 'Air – Un'improvvisa attesa' and Truly Design's modern altarpiece in the chapel. The fortress is now linked strategically with the nearby Roman archaeological site of Libarna, which will undergo new excavations and a museum space in the next two years.