Torre Santa Maria dell'Alto, Renaissance coastal tower in Nardò, Italy.
Torre Santa Maria dell'Alto is a Renaissance defensive tower perched on a rocky cliff above the Ionian Sea, standing 51 meters high. The structure features a truncated pyramid base with a square plan and arrow slits built into its sides.
The tower was built between 1569 and 1598 on orders from Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo to defend the Salento peninsula from sea raids. In the 18th century, the defensive structure was converted into a hospital for cholera and plague patients arriving from Turkish and Barbary vessels.
The tower served as a coastal sentinel for centuries and remains a landmark in the regional landscape today. Visitors can observe the marks of this extended role in its weathered stone walls.
The tower is located within Porto Selvaggio Natural Park and welcomes visitors who can climb to the upper levels and enjoy coastal views. The site is best visited during calm weather, as the cliff is fully exposed to the open sea.
Few sources mention that the tower served as a quarantine station in turbulent times, receiving the sick from merchant ships before cargo could enter the harbor. This medical function is little known today, though it shaped life in the region for centuries.
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