Tour de Porto

Tour de Porto
Coordinates 42°16′4.2″N 8°41′30.3″E / 42.267833°N 8.691750°E / 42.267833; 8.691750Coordinates: 42°16′4.2″N 8°41′30.3″E / 42.267833°N 8.691750°E / 42.267833; 8.691750
Built 1551
Type inscrit
Designated 22 June 1946
Reference no. PA00099100
Location of Tour de Porto in Corsica

The Tour de Porto (Corsican: Torra di Portu) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Ota (Corse-du-Sud) on the west coast of the French island of Corsica. The tower sits at an elevation of 45 m in the Golfe de Porto.

The construction of the Tour de Porto began in around 1551. It was one of a series of coastal defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to stem the attacks by Barbary pirates.[1][2] The tower was one of the earliest towers built on the west coast of Corsica. The design of the tower is unusual in being square rather than round. It is owned by the department and in 1946 was listed as one of the official historical monuments of France.[3]

Notes and references

  1. Graziani, Antoine-Marie (2000). "Les ouvrages de défense en Corse contre les Turcs (1530-1650)". In Vergé-Franceschi, Michel; Graziani, Antoine-Marie. La guerre de course en Méditerranée (1515-1830) (in French). Paris: Presses de l'Université Paris IV-Sorbonne. p. 110. ISBN 2-84050-167-8.
  2. Istria, Daniel; Harnéquaux, Mathieu. "La protection du littoral : un enjeu majeur aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles". Sevi - Sorru Cruzzini - Cinarca (PDF) (in French). Centre Régional de Documentation Pédagogique de Corse. p. 20.
  3. "Monuments historiques: Tour génoise de Porto" (in French). Ministère de la culture. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
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