Welcome to Torre Pietra, erected around 1537 by order of Viceroy Don Pedro de Tolèdo, to defend the coast and inland waters. As we will explain in the following audio segments, this area has always been surrounded by marshes and wetlands.

In reality, Torre Pietra was originally called the "Tower of the Stone Point." It extended into the sea for about 4 kilometers, on the San Nicolào de Pètra promontory. The strip of land slowly sank; this, too, gives you the idea of a landscape in constant struggle with erosion and the force of the waters.

The tower is part of a sighting system developed after the Ottoman conquest of Otranto in 1480. If you find a way to reach the coasts of Salento, we will tell you the whole story. In any case, that event coincided with a period of decline in the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples, which ruled Pùglia at the time. Another phase began, and the new reign of Charles V - a completely different, modern, and centralized power - decided to build 122 watchtowers along Puglia’s coast. It was a long-term project conceived to warn the inland cities of dangers. The system took at least a couple of centuries to become fully operational. 

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 Calderina in Molfetta, the San Cataldo Lighthouse in Bari, Torre San Giovanni in Ugento, the Punta Palascìa Lighthouse in Otranto, and Torre San Felice in Vieste.

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.