Tower of San Ciprianu | |
Native Name: | torra di San Ciprianu |
Native Language: | Corsican |
Designation1: | Monument historique |
Designation1 Date: | 24 January 1995 |
Built: | 1589 |
Coordinates: | 41.6267°N 9.3458°W |
Map Relief: | yes |
The Tower of San Ciprianu (Corsican: torra di San Ciprianu|link=no or Corsican: torre di San Ciprianu, in Corsican pronounced as /ˈtɔrra di ˈsan t͡ʃipriˈanu/, in Corsican pronounced as /ˈtɔrrɛ/; Italian: torre di San Cipriano|link=no;) is a Genoese tower located in the French commune of Lecci, Southern Corsica. The tower sits at an elevation of 57 m and guarded the entrance to the port of Porto-Vecchio.
The construction of the tower was begun in 1589. It is one of a series of coastal defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to stem the attacks by Barbary pirates.[1] The design of the San Ciprianu tower is unusual in being square rather than round. The tower is privately owned and in 1995 was listed as one of the official historical monuments of France.