Castello Brown

Castello Brown
Castello Brown, as seen from the harbour
LocationVia alla Penisola
16034 Portofino, Genoa
Italy
Coordinates44°18′07.48″N 9°12′51.50″E / 44.3020778°N 9.2143056°E / 44.3020778; 9.2143056
AreaLiguria
Built400 AD; expanded 1557; converted to villa from 1867
ArchitectGiovanni Maria Olgiati
Architectural style(s)
OwnerCity of Portofino
Location of Castello Brown in Northern Italy

Castello Brown is a historic house museum located above the harbour of Portofino, in northern Italy. The site has been used for military defence since Roman times. As a Genoese coastal fort, it was once called the Castello di San Giorgio.

After the region became peaceful in the early 19th century, the Castello was abandoned. Some decades later, it was purchased by the English consul, who remodelled it into a comfortable villa. His descendants held the property until 1949, when it was sold to an English couple who restored several ruined sections. In 1961, the Castello was sold to the City of Portofino, which now opens it to the public.

The castle served as the setting for Elizabeth von Arnim's 1922 novel The Enchanted April, and scenes from the 1991 film adaptation were filmed on site.