Torre Santa Maria dell'Alto, Renaissance coastal tower in Nardò, Italy.

Torre Santa Maria dell'Alto stands on a rocky spur at 51 m above sea level, not 51 m tall. Its square, slightly battered truncated-pyramid base is separated by a string course from the upper level, which has a door, corbelled cornice, battlements and ten arrow slits on all four sides. A large three-arched tufa staircase gives access.

The tower was erected in the second half of the 16th century on a plan by the Spanish viceroy Don Pietro da Toledo, who organised a coastal control system for the Salento peninsula; the Neretine master Angelo Spalletta completed it in 1569. In the early 18th century it lost its defensive role and, according to documents of the time, became a lazzaretto for the care of the sick. It was later bought by the Puglia Region and included in the Porto Selvaggio park.

Local legend calls it Torre della Dannata after a noblewoman who, forced into a marriage she refused, threw herself from the top into the sea below; her laments are said to be heard on full-moon nights. Another tale tells of a pirate who hid a treasure inside and cursed anyone who tried to take it.

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.

The tower's nickname, Torre della Dannata, comes from a legend that a young noblewoman forced into marriage threw herself from the top into the sea below; her laments are said to be heard on full-moon nights. Another tale tells of a pirate who hid a treasure inside and cursed anyone who tried to take it.