The two great fortifications on Argentario are Forte Filippo overlooking and protecting Porte Ercole, and this one, Forte Stella, further up the western coast and overlooking the sea and coastline all the way south to Civittavecchia. They were both built by the Spanish to guard the State of the Presidi, Italian territory held by the Spanish for 150 years after the Republic of Siena was defeated in the mid 16th century. Orbetello was the capital, ruled by Spanish viceroys, and the Iberian influence of much local architecture comes from this period.

Forte Stella was part of the extensive network of watchtowers and fortresses build to protect the coastline from raiding and invasion, and has a distinctive shape and construction with one fortress built inside and on top of another one. The outer fortress has a massive four sided pointed shape, accessible by only a single long ramp, and the inner fortress on top of it is six point star with very thick and high walls below the battlements and sentry points at the top. For extra points, it used to be surrounded by a moat, too, but happily these days the fortress is fully renovated, open to the public, and hosts exhibitions and cultural events every summer…