Piazzetta dei Leoni , in the heart of the historic center, is one of the most evocative corners of ancient Liguria . It takes its name from the three stone lions placed here by the Costa counts in the 17th century. Once arranged in a triangle, their position has changed today, but their connection to the square remains intact.
The ancient cobblestone pavement also features the coat of arms of the Marquises Del Carretto , another noble family who left a profound mark on the city's history.
Behind the lions stands the Costa-Balestrino Tower , built at the end of the 13th century and later incorporated into the Medieval House of the Costas , the family's oldest residence. The base is made of Cisano stone , the upper part of 14th-century brick, crowned by Ghibelline battlements on three orders of Gothic arches . During a restoration in 1975, the 16th-century plaster that imitated the underlying stone was removed.
On the west side is the Palazzo Balestrino , an elegant Renaissance residence built in 1525. It originally stood on the area of the shoemakers' market , and later became the seat of the bishop thanks to the bequest of the last Marquis Del Carretto , who died in 1954.
The palace, first linked to the Costa family and then to the Del Carretto family , preserves Roman inscriptions inside and a coffered ceiling painted in the sixteenth century, visible from the square.
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