Torre Trappola, Medieval defensive tower in Grosseto, Italy.
Torre Trappola is a brick tower near the Ombrone River with a truncated pyramid base and quadrangular section extending upward through two additional levels. The structure was designed to serve both defensive purposes and storage needs for goods and supplies.
The tower was built between 1413 and 1417 to protect a river port at the mouth of the Ombrone and to manage customs duties. The site included salt storage facilities and administrative buildings that emphasized the port's economic importance.
The tower was part of a defensive network that the Republic of Siena built along the coast to protect and control trade routes. Visitors can see how it functioned within a larger system of fortifications that reflected the city's economic power.
To reach the tower, you need to climb an external staircase that leads to an arched entrance portal on the raised ground floor. It is helpful to wear comfortable shoes, as the historical structures have uneven surfaces.
The tower originally stood at the seashore, but natural coastal changes have moved it roughly 4.5 kilometers inland from the present-day Mediterranean. This geographic shift shows how dramatically the landscape has transformed over the centuries.
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