Torra di Roccapina, genoese coastal defence tower in Corsica

Torra di Roccapina is a ruined circular Genoese tower on the Cappu di Roccapina headland in Sartène, Corse-du-Sud. Its rough stonework rises in three levels: a blind basement, a middle floor with a door, and a terrace whose corbels have been replaced by brackets. A large breach opens on the upper right side, and the top edge is broken and uneven.

The tower was built around 1609 by Giovanni de Cauro as part of a defense system that the Genoese established from the 1500s onward to watch for pirates and enemy ships along the coast. It was officially recognized as a historical monument by France in 1994 and remains protected heritage today.

The tower takes its name from the rocky headland and nearby beach in the area. It demonstrates how coastal communities built their defenses as part of daily life, with guards stationed here to keep watch over the waters and warn of approaching dangers.

From the N196 Ajaccio–Sartène road, take the signed lane to Roccapina beach; a large boulder marks the start of a small path that climbs to the tower in about half an hour. The ground is rough and uneven, so wear sturdy shoes.

The breach in the upper right of the tower is a single large opening, not two: the top edge above it is broken and uneven, and loose pale stones lie piled at the foot of the tower on its lower right. The interior preserves a dome over the first-floor room and a shaft dropping into the cistern.