The hilltop fortress that gives Portofino its skyline stands a ten-minute climb above the harbour via the stepped path 'Salita San Giorgio'. Built by the Genoese in the 16th century, it later served as a private mansion for British consul Montague Yeats-Brown, who transformed it with a neo-Gothic interior and terraced Mediterranean gardens. The views down over the horseshoe harbour and the coloured houses below are the best in Portofino.
Castello Brown
A story
The castle was sold to the British consul Montague Yeats-Brown in 1870 for 7,000 lire — a pittance for a medieval fortress. Yeats-Brown had first spotted it from the sea while sailing his vessel Black Tulip and was so captivated he simply bought it. Among his guests at the refurbished villa were Lord Carnarvon, the Egyptologist who would later finance the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.