Torra di Nonza, Genoese defensive tower in Nonza, France

Torra di Nonza is a square tower of grey-green schist built on the site of a 12th-century castle at 167 metres on the Monte, the cliff top above Nonza. It has three storeys, a guardiola and a crenellated terrace with three bartizans. The stonework is weathered and uneven, and a small sculpted figure is mounted beside the ground-level door.

The site held a castle of the Avogari lords in the 12th century, destroyed by the Genoese in 1489. In 1760 Pascal Paoli ordered a square schist watchtower built on the summit, on the castle's footprint at 167 metres. In 1768, during the war between Paoli's Corsica and France, a lone commander held the tower and convinced the French he had a garrison behind him, winning military honours and free passage to join Paoli's troops.

Locals call it Torra di Nonza in Corsican, and the name Torra also marks the spot on the cliff where the Avogari lords built a castle in the 12th century. The present tower, built on that castle's site, is sometimes called a Pauline tower because Pascal Paoli ordered its construction in 1760.

The tower is reachable by following paths through Nonza village and offers views across the coast and surrounding mountains. The walk to reach it requires some sure-footedness, as the trail becomes steep and rocky in places.

The site became the scene of an unusual 1768 negotiation when a single commander deceived the French by pretending to command a large garrison. This tactic allowed surrender on honorable terms for those defending it.