Torre San Leonardo, Coastal tower in Ostuni, Italy.

Torre San Leonardo is a square coastal tower built in 1569 by the Aragonese near Ostuni, at the northern edge of the Terra d'Otranto. Its lower seaward base is the only original part, a truncated pyramid; the rest was heavily remodelled when the tower became a private dwelling in the 19th century. It stands within the regional park of the coastal dunes from Torre Canne to Torre San Leonardo.

The site was a Roman posting station, Mutatio ad Decimum, on the Via Traiana between Egnazia and Torre Santa Sabina. In 1567 the master builder Scipione Lopes of Gallipoli received 100 ducats to build the tower, which was finished in 1569 with a square plan to hold several cannons. It marked the northern border of the Terra d'Otranto and was armed from 1579.

The tower reflects how local people organized coastal defense over centuries, with its position and structure showing the constant vigilance needed against sea raids. The stone walls and their orientation reveal the reality of living under threat from the water.

You can reach the tower by following the coastal road from Ostuni, with parking available near Via della Torre. Early morning or late afternoon visits work best for comfort and photography, avoiding the strongest sunlight.

The site was already a Roman road station, the Mutatio ad Decimum, where horses were changed on the Via Traiana between Egnazia and Torre Santa Sabina; the Bordeaux Itinerary lists it among its stops. The tower itself was finished in 1569 by the master Scipione Lopes of Gallipoli, who received 100 ducats on account on 9 October 1567, and its square plan allowed several cannons. Only the lower truncated-pyramid base on the seaward rear side keeps its original form.