It was built to defend the port of Messina, but it was also meant to establish a strong garrison in the city to prevent the population from revolting, as had happened a few years earlier in 1674.

[3] During the Sicilian revolution of 1848, the rebels did not capture the Cittadella, although they succeeded in taking over Forte Gonzaga and a number of other fortifications in the city.

The rebels bombarded the Cittadella, but Bourbon troops held out until a relief force arrived in September 1849 and crushed the rebellion.

[4] Following the capture of the fort, the people of Messina demanded its demolition, but the new government saw its importance and the damage sustained in the sieges of 1848-49 and 1860-61 was repaired.

The remaining parts of the fort were occupied by the military once again during World War II, and the structure was damaged by aerial bombardment.

[3] Porta Grazia, the fort's main gate, was relocated to Piazza Casa Pia dei Poveri in 1961.