Torre di Montalto

Torre di Montalto crowns Punta Penna above Baia di Ieranto. The 16th-century watchtower is one of the coastal defences that watched over the Sorrentine peninsula during the period of corsair raids. From the headland, the view extends across the bay toward Capri, Li Galli and the Gulf of Salerno.

Why it matters

The Torre di Montalto forms part of the coastal tower network of Massa Lubrense. The FAI identifies it alongside Torre Campanella as a surviving 16th-century defensive structure linked to the history of piracy and coastal defence.

What to notice

The tower stands at the end of a path branching from the route above Baia di Ieranto. From Punta Penna, the headland frames views of Capri, the Li Galli islands and the Gulf of Salerno. Below, buildings of the former Italsider limestone quarry, worked until the 1950s, now serve as FAI facilities.

Context and history

The tower was part of the 16th-century coastal warning system against corsair raids. It shares its setting with the former limestone quarry, abandoned in the 1950s. In 1987, Italsider donated the area to FAI to protect it from development. The headland's waters now form part of the Punta Campanella marine protected area, established by decree in 1997.