Scola Tower, Sea fort in Porto Venere, Italy.
Scola Tower is a pentagonal fortress located on the northeastern tip of Palmaria Island with massive walls four meters thick. The structure displays military architecture featuring narrow gun ports and a compact design built for coastal defense.
The Genoese Republic built this tower in the early 1600s to guard the Ligurian coastline from attack. During the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress was heavily damaged and saw occupation by several powers.
This tower was part of a coastal defense network that protected trade routes and fishing grounds from pirates. The structure shaped how coastal communities organized themselves and how they remember their maritime past.
The tower is reachable only by boat from Porto Venere, with tours offered primarily during summer months. Visitors should book in advance and watch weather conditions, as rough seas can affect the trips.
The fortress was originally designed for just eight soldiers and ten cannons, a surprisingly small garrison for such a solid structure. Despite its modest scale, it played an important role in the defensive system against attackers.
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