Torre dei Quattro Canti, Medieval tower in Noli, Italy.

The Torre dei Quattro Canti is a brick tower that rises where four streets meet in central Noli, displaying Gothic architectural details. Its red walls reach about 38 meters high and command the medieval intersection with their solid presence.

The tower was built around 1200 when Noli established itself as a maritime trading republic expanding its naval strength. Of the roughly 72 defensive towers originally built over the centuries, only eight structures remain standing today.

Families who invested in the republic's naval ambitions earned the privilege of building towers, which became symbols of their wealth and standing in the community. Walking through the streets around this tower, you can sense how these structures once defined the hierarchy of Noli's medieval society.

The tower stands at the crossing where four streets meet in the old centre of Noli, a short walk uphill from the coastal road and the beach. The surrounding alleys are narrow and partly stepped, so the crossing is reached on foot only; allow a few minutes to walk there from the town's main square.

The name refers to the four corners where streets meet at the tower, not to four separate streets. Look at the base: the tower is set into the corner of the block, so each face looks down a different lane of the old town.