The Punta Palascìa lighthouse at Cape Otranto, the easternmost point of Italy, was built in 1867 on the rocky promontory in front of you. The approach experience is similar to taking a plunge: you'll be surrounded by all shades of blue, from the sea and the sky, and you'll find an Adriatic dominated by the lighthouse. It's a true monument of industrial archaeology.

The entire area has been protected since 2006 and is classified as a Site of Community Importance.

The history of this place is entirely immersed in its grand History. 

In 1480, the Ottomans attacked Otranto. That dramatic event coincided with a period of decline of the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples, which ruled over Puglia 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 Pùglia’s coasts. It was a long-term project designed to warn the inland cities of dangers. The system took at least a couple of centuries to become fully operational.

By that time, the world had changed. With the Unification of Italy in 1861 and the new routes made possible by the opening of the Suez Canal, the old watchtower system became one of the useful infrastructures for building modernity. New large ports and monumental lighthouses, like this one, emerged.

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 Bari, Torre San Giovanni in Ugento, and Tórre Sàn Fèlice in Vièste.

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.