Welcome to Tórre San Felìce, one of the coastal towers in Pùglia, which stands guard over an extraordinary landscape and the city of Vièste, although it is located in a somewhat isolated spot compared to the town. By the way, did you know that Gargàno was once an island? From a geological perspective, it is not part of the Apennine mountain range. It was indeed an island, and if it no longer is, it's because over the millennia, the debris carried downstream by rivers filled the gap with the coast.

Just like an island, the position of Gargàno in the Adriatic Sea is strategic. If you look at Vièste on a map and try to imagine the routes of Byzantine merchants, passing pilgrims, Barbary pirates and Venetian spies, you'll immediately understand that this is a place to defend and control for anyone with a political agenda.

The tower exists precisely for this reason, and in the following listening points, we will tell you its history. It is one of the 122 watchtowers built from 1537 onwards by the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples, which then governed Pùglia.

Today, 74 coastal defense outposts are visible, and more than half of them are still standing. In this audio narration, you will find six of them: this one, Torre Pietra in Margherita di Savoia, Torre Calderina in Molfetta, the San Cataldo Lighthouse in Bàri, Torre San Giovanni in Ugento, and the Punta Palascìa Lighthouse in Otranto.

Thanks to the European project COHEN Coastal Heritage Network, much has been done for the knowledge and repurposing of these structures. Visiting them means discovering the paths that connect them, which also relate to the other coast of the Adriatic Sea. By sea, by train, or on foot, the coastal tower journey is an extraordinary travel project. Consider this: visiting a lighthouse or a coastal tower means preserving traditions and landscapes, discovering still relevant technological innovations, and listening to unexpected stories.