Coastal towers in Salento

Salento is dotted with watchtowers which were constructed to sight seaborne invaders, including those coming from Turkey.[1] Many of the towers were built in the 16th century.[2] The towers come in a variety of designs, including a truncated cone, a truncated pyramid, a fortified masserie, a tower masserie, and a closed-courtyard Masseria.[3] After their initial function as lookout posts for sighting seaborne threats became redundant, many of the towers were either "abandoned or used as a place to store agricultural tools".[4] Subsidence has affected the tower structures.[5]

This is the list in a clockwise direction from the province of Brindisi and culminating in the Province of Taranto.

Province of Brindisi

Image Tower Name City Base Section Build Year
Torre Egnazia Fasano
Torre Canne Fasano
Torre San Leonardo village Pilone, Ostuni
Torre Villanova Ostuni
Torre Pozzelle Ostuni
Torre Santa Sabina Carovigno four-pointed star
Torre Guaceto Carovigno square
Torre Testa Brindisi
Torre Penna Brindisi
Torre Cavallo Brindisi
Torre Mattarelle Brindisi
Torre San Gennaro Torchiarolo

Province of Lecce

Image Tower Name City Base Section Build Year
Torre Specchiolla Lecce, fraz. Casalabate
40°30′22″N 18°06′56″E / 40.506228°N 18.115559°E / 40.506228; 18.115559 		square 16th century
Torre Rinalda Lecce
40°28′55″N 18°09′30″E / 40.4819°N 18.1583°E / 40.4819; 18.1583 		square 16th century
Torre Chianca Leccev
40°27′34″N 18°12′51″E / 40.4594°N 18.2142°E / 40.4594; 18.2142 		square 16th century
Torre Veneri Lecce
40°25′07″N 18°16′09″E / 40.4186°N 18.2692°E / 40.4186; 18.2692 		16th century
Torre San Cataldo Lecce
Torre Specchia Ruggeri Vernole
Torre San Foca Melendugno
40°18′08″N 18°24′18″E / 40.302129°N 18.405066°E / 40.302129; 18.405066 		square 1568
Torre Roca Vecchia Melendugno
40°17′18″N 18°25′40″E / 40.28843°N 18.427806°E / 40.28843; 18.427806 		square 1568
Torre dell'Orso Melendugno
40°30′22″N 18°06′56″E / 40.506228°N 18.115559°E / 40.506228; 18.115559 		square 1568
Torre Sant'Andrea Melendugno
Torre Fiumicelli Otranto
40°13′30″N 18°27′52″E / 40.224903°N 18.464351°E / 40.224903; 18.464351
Torre Santo Stefano Otranto
40°10′59″N 18°28′23″E / 40.1831°N 18.4731°E / 40.1831; 18.4731 		square 1567
Torre del Serpe Otranto
40°08′31″N 18°30′19″E / 40.141876°N 18.50525°E / 40.141876; 18.50525
Torre dell'Orte or dell'Orto Otranto 1565
Torre Palascia Otranto
40°06′27″N 18°31′12″E / 40.107422°N 18.519878°E / 40.107422; 18.519878
Torre Sant'Emiliano Otranto
40°05′27″N 18°29′47″E / 40.0906972°N 18.4963361°E / 40.0906972; 18.4963361 		circle 16th century
Torre Badisco Otranto
Torre Minervino Santa Cesarea Terme
40°03′58″N 18°28′48″E / 40.066083°N 18.479975°E / 40.066083; 18.479975 		circle
Torre Specchia di Guardia Santa Cesarea Terme
40°02′41″N 18°28′14″E / 40.0447°N 18.4706°E / 40.0447; 18.4706
Torre Santa Cesarea Santa Cesarea Terme
40°02′41″N 18°28′14″E / 40.0447°N 18.4706°E / 40.0447; 18.4706 		circle
Torre Miggiano Santa Cesarea Terme
40°01′50″N 18°27′00″E / 40.03044°N 18.45007°E / 40.03044; 18.45007 		circle 16th century
Torre Diso Castro
39°59′50″N 18°25′04″E / 39.9971561°N 18.4176866°E / 39.9971561; 18.4176866 		16th century
Torre Capo Lupo Diso circle 15th century
Torre Andrano or Porto di Ripa Andrano circle 16th century
Torre del Sasso Tricase
Torre di Porto Tricase Tricase
Torre Palane or Plane Tricase square
Torre Nasparo or Naspre or de Lissano Tiggiano 1565
Torre Specchia Grande Corsano circle
Torre del Ricco Corsano
39°52′03″N 18°23′38″E / 39.86745°N 18.393878°E / 39.86745; 18.393878
Torre di Porto Novaglie Gagliano del Capo
Torre Montelungo Gagliano del Capo
Torre Santa Maria di Leuca Gagliano del Capo
Torre dell'Omomorto or Uomini Morti Castrignano del Capo 1555
Torre Marchiello Castrignano del Capo
39°47′56″N 18°19′55″E / 39.7989°N 18.3319°E / 39.7989; 18.3319 		16th century
Torre San Gregorio Patu
Torre Vado Morciano di Leuca circle 16th century
Torre Pali Salve circle 16th century
Torre Fiumicelli or Torre Mozza Ugento circle 16th century
Torre San Giovanni Ugento
39°53′10″N 18°06′50″E / 39.88623°N 18.11378°E / 39.88623; 18.11378 		octagon 1563
Torre Sinforo or Sinfono Alliste 16th century
Torre Suda Racale 16th century
Torre del Pizzo Gallipoli 16th century
Torre San Giovanni la Pedata Gallipoli
Torre Sabea Gallipoli 16th century
Torre Alto Lido Gallipoli 1565
Torre del Fiume di Galatena (also called delle quattro colonne) Nardò square 17th century
Torre Santa Caterina Nardò 16th century
Torre Santa Maria dell'Alto Nardò 1569
Torre Uluzzo or Crustano Nardò 16th century
Torre dell'Inserraglio or Critò Nardò 1568
Torre Sant'Isidoro Nardò square 1565
Torre Squillace Nardò square 16th century
Torre Cesarea Porto Cesareo
40°15′25″N 17°53′31″E / 40.256944°N 17.891944°E / 40.256944; 17.891944 		square 1569
Torre Chianca Porto Cesareo
40°16′18″N 17°52′14″E / 40.271667°N 17.870556°E / 40.271667; 17.870556 		square 16th century
Torre Lapillo Porto Cesareo
40°16′51″N 17°50′25″E / 40.2808°N 17.8403°E / 40.2808; 17.8403 		square 1550
Torre Castiglione Porto Cesareo
40°17′13″N 17°49′10″E / 40.286944°N 17.819444°E / 40.286944; 17.819444

Province of Taranto

Image Tower Name City Base Section Build Year
Torre Colimena Manduria square
Torre Saline Manduria
Torre San Pietro in Bevagna Manduria four-pointed star
Torre Borraco Manduria
Torre Moline Maruggio
Torre Ovo Torricella
Torre Canneto Lizzano
Torre Zozzoli or Sgarrata administrative island of Taranto, between Pulsano and Lizzano
Torre Rossa or Sasso Taranto (destroyed)
Torre Castelluccia Pulsano
Torre Saturo Leporano
Torre Lama Taranto
Torre Capo San Vito Taranto
40°24′45″N 17°12′11″E / 40.4125°N 17.2031°E / 40.4125; 17.2031
Torre Rondinella Taranto
Torre Tara Taranto
Torre Saline or Lo Lato Castellaneta
Torre Mattoni Ginosa

References

  1. ^ Gabellone, F., Ferrari, I., Giuri, F., & Giuri, P. (2019, December). Architectural survey and analysis of the costal tower of S. Maria dell’Alto in Nardò (Lecce, Italy). In Proc. 2019 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (Florence, Italy (pp. 254-258).
  2. ^ Mastronuzzi, G., & Sansò, P. (2014). Coastal towers and historical sea level change along the Salento coast (southern Apulia, Italy). Quaternary International, 332, 61-72.
  3. ^ Schipa, E., & Venneri, A. (2016). The fortification system along the coastline of Salento peninsula: the metamorphosis of fortified masserie and coastal towers. In Giorgio Verdiani (ed.), Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean XV to XVIII Centuries (Vol. IV). Didapress. pg.107-111.
  4. ^ Schipa, E., & Venneri, A. (2016). The fortification system along the coastline of Salento peninsula: the metamorphosis of fortified masserie and coastal towers. In Giorgio Verdiani (ed.), Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean XV to XVIII Centuries (Vol. IV). Didapress. pg.107.
  5. ^ Margiotta, S., & Sansò, P. (2025). Historical Evolution of the Salento Leccese Coastal Landscape (Southern Apulia, Italy). Geosciences, 15(2), 66.

See also

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