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Vignazza Tower ( it, Torre Vignazza) is a 16th-century
Vignazza Tower is a quadrangular structure, three stories high. It was constructed in 1544 to patrol Cape Schisò and the coast south of Port Schisò against the raids of the
The Comune of Giardini Naxos
Towers in Sicily Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan City of Messina Towers completed in 1544 1544 establishments in Italy
coastal
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
watchtower
A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
in Giardini Naxos
Giardini NaxosSometimes spelled as Giardini-Naxos. However, the official form as used in the statuto comunale'' is not hyphenated. ( scn, Giaddini; English language, English translation: Naxos Gardens) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of M ...
, Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, southern Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. Today, the tower is in good condition.
History
Vignazza Tower is a quadrangular structure, three stories high. It was constructed in 1544 to patrol Cape Schisò and the coast south of Port Schisò against the raids of the Barbary corsairs
The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. This area was known in Europe a ...
who were led by the Turkish corsair Barbarossa Kheir-ed-Din to attack and plunder the small fishing villages on the coast. When an enemy ship was sighted, the guardian of the watchtower sent out smoke signals to alert the villagers and other watchtowers of the imminent threat. There were many watchtowers such as Vignazza constructed along the Sicilian coast.
Vignazza Tower is located in the Recanati area of Giardini Naxos and is annexed to the archeological park. Its interior is occasionally used for exhibitions and performances.
References
External links
{{commons category, Vignazzi Tower (Taormina)The Comune of Giardini Naxos
Towers in Sicily Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan City of Messina Towers completed in 1544 1544 establishments in Italy