This unusual fort (also known as Forte San Giorgio) was commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I. It was built by Buontalenti and Don Giovanni de’ Medici at the end of the 16th Century to defend the city from enemy attack. It can be reached today thanks to restoration work carried out during the 1950s, from the east side of the Boboli gardens. The pathway around the perimeter of the fort gives visitors breathtaking views of Florence’s skyline as well as the Tuscan hills beyond.