Torre dell'Alto

On the cliffs of Santa Caterina, Torre dell'Alto stands above the coast within Porto Selvaggio park. Built in the second half of the sixteenth century, the tower served as a coastal lookout and later, around 1706, as a lazaretto for people recorded as “Turchi seu Schiavi.”

Why it matters

Torre dell'Alto is one of seven coastal towers recorded in Nardò's territory and a clear example of the defensive chain built along the Salento shore. From its rocky spur, the tower commands views along the coast, linking it visually to neighbouring watchtowers. Its later use as a lazaretto adds an unusual chapter to the history of these military structures.

What to notice

The tower's square plan rises as a truncated pyramid in local carparo limestone. Ten piombatoie sit below the merlons, and an external staircase on three tuff arches leads to the upper level. The interior includes two rooms and a cistern; the upper rooms once housed the cavallari, mounted guards who patrolled between towers. Local stories associate the cliff with the “salto della capra” and with prisoners thrown into the sea, but these remain legends rather than documented events.

Context and history

After the 1480 sack of Otranto, coastal defence relied increasingly on a chain of fortified lookouts. In 1532–35 Charles V ordered towers to be built within sight of one another. Torre dell'Alto's first documented construction record is from 1575, when Nardò paid master builder Angelo Spalletta and foreman Lupo Antonio Mergola; repairs were recorded through at least 1598. The wider defensive programme also involved orders concerning armaments. The tower later served as a lazaretto and was recorded as dilapidated by 1820. It now forms part of the Porto Selvaggio landscape.