Fortezza del Tocco, 16th century fort in Acireale, Italy

Fortezza del Tocco is a fortress on Sicily's coast built with stone walls between 1592 and 1616 as part of a regional defense network. The structure features bastions and elevated positions designed to monitor and protect the shoreline from seaward threats.

Architects Camillo Camilliani and Vincenzo Geremia designed this fortress following a pirate raid on Acireale in 1582. Construction began to protect the coast from future maritime attacks.

The fort's name comes from the Tocco hill on the Timpa lava ridge above Santa Maria La Scala. Its large cannon fired one shot at each sighting of pirate ships, warning the population of Acireale below. The portable cannon added by Vincenzo Geremia in 1624 was moved in 1834 to the Pinacoteca Zelantea, where it is still displayed.

The fort stands on the Timpa, the lava ridge above Santa Maria La Scala, inside a nature reserve managed since 1999 by the Region of Sicily's forestry authority. The site is open to the public; the approach is on foot along the reserve paths, so wear shoes suited to uneven volcanic ground. The walls give wide views over the coast toward Capo Mulini.

The fortress's final artillery pieces were moved to Pinacoteca Zelantea di Acireale in 1834, where they remain on display today. These cannons tell the story of its military importance and can still be seen in the museum.