San Michele Tower
Built between 1689 and 1691, Torre San Michele has always served to defend the city and its salt. In 1691, Count Michelangelo Maffei, who had already built the Magazzino Torre warehouse for salt storage, had this imposing building constructed to counter pirate attacks.
The main function of the tower was defence: at the top was a parade ground for signalling attacks by brigands and looters and for defending the precious resource of salt stored in the warehouse.
With a square plan measuring 13.5 metres on each side, a height of 22.5 metres and walls 3 metres thick, the tower was a veritable fort, with numerous openings, windows and loopholes equipped with short- and long-range weapons. The tower could also accommodate the guards who resided there, making it an independent building equipped with fireplaces, external water collectors, showers, drainage systems and other utilities.
