Torre del Sasso, Watchtower in Tricase, Italy

Torre del Sasso is a partially ruined coastal watchtower on the crest of Serra del Mito at 116 meters above sea level in the municipality of Tricase. It has a truncated-pyramid base and a square upper body; remains of the impost show the upper chamber was covered by a barrel vault and faced with regular tuff blocks.

The tower is documented from 1584 and was part of a chain of coastal defenses against Turkish pirate raids. It was built during a period when such fortifications protected the Salento shores from repeated attacks.

The tower shows how Renaissance military builders designed coastal defenses with its original barrel vault. Visitors can still see the construction techniques of that period in the stone structure today.

The remains are accessible via marked trails within the Parco Naturale Regionale Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca nature reserve. You should wear sturdy shoes for the walk through the landscape and allow time to explore the surroundings.

Torre del Sasso stands on the crest of Serra del Mito at 116 metres above sea level, high above the coast rather than on the shoreline. From there it kept line of sight north to Torre Porto di Ripa and south to Torre del Porto di Tricase, so alarms could pass tower to tower. Its local dialect name is Turre du sassu.