Torre dell'Aia

Torre dell'Aia was a defensive tower in Popoli Terme, rebuilt in 1497 under Restaino Cantelmo and remembered in the name of a historic quarter.

Why it matters

The tower formed part of the Cantelmo-era defences of Popoli. Although the structure no longer survives intact, historical records and an engraving preserve evidence of its form and place in the town's development.

What to notice

A nineteenth-century image shows a sloping base, a projecting redondone and a cylindrical upper storey with machicolations. The tower's name remains attached to one of Popoli's historic quarters and its civic toponymy.

Context and history

Restaino Cantelmo rebuilt the tower in 1497 as part of a programme of defensive works. The structure was associated with a later villa and was destroyed during Allied air raids in 1944. Its legacy survives in the quarter name and historical documentation.