Torre Santa Cesarea, Renaissance tower in Santa Cesarea Terme, Italy.

Torre Santa Cesarea is a stone tower on the eastern coast of Salento that shows typical features of Renaissance architecture with thick walls built to withstand attacks. The structure is positioned to give clear views of the sea and surrounding landscape.

Torre Santa Cesarea was built in the 16th century on the orders of Charles V, together with the other coastal watchtowers raised against Saracen raids by sea. It kept visual contact with Torre Specchia di Guardia to the north and Torre Miggiano to the south, exchanging optical signals to sound the alarm. Between 2012 and 2014 a conservative restoration, made necessary by weathering, secured the structure and the two surrounding rooms.

The tower's other name, Torre del Belvedere, comes from the wide view it once commanded over the Salento coast. It kept visual contact north with Torre Specchia di Guardia and south with Torre Miggiano, exchanging optical signals to raise the alarm. The wooded hill around it was planted only in the early decades of the 20th century; old photos and postcards show the slope bare, so the tower could be seen from any observation point.

The tower stands on a hill 90 m above sea level, above the built-up area, and is reached on foot through the pine and holm oak woods planted in the early 20th century. It has visual contact with Torre Specchia di Guardia to the north and Torre Miggiano to the south.

The tower stands 90 metres above sea level, yet old photographs and postcards show the hill was once bare, so it could be seen from any observation point. The pines, holm oaks and wild olives around it were planted only in the first decades of the last century.