The Story

The Santo Cotrubbo Tower is located along the coast of Puglia, in the Gallipoli area, and is part of the system of coastal towers built to defend the territory from pirate and privateer raids, a constant threat between the 16th and 17th centuries. At that time, the Kingdom of Naples, under which Apulia fell, was particularly exposed to attacks by Saracen pirates and Ottoman fleets. To counter this threat, it was decided to create a coastal defense network composed of strategically placed watchtowers, often within sight of each other, so as to quickly communicate the approach of enemies through visual signals, such as fires or smoke.

The Santo Cotrubbo Tower was probably built in the 16th century, in line with the defense initiatives promoted by Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, viceroy of Naples under Charles V, who was one of the main proponents of the construction of coastal towers throughout the Kingdom of Naples.

Over time, technological progress and the decline of the pirate threat in the Mediterranean gradually made coastal towers obsolete. As early as the 18th century, many of these structures were abandoned or used for new purposes.

The Santo Cotrubbo Tower was no exception, and once its defensive function ended, it was adapted to a new role related to agricultural management of the land. During this period, the original construction underwent changes, only partially visible today. On the elevations of the tower, traces of the rooms that were once attached to the structure can still be seen. Blocks of carparo stone from these rooms were found on the surrounding land, with traces of plaster still present.

Although it is not possible to accurately reconstruct the entire original complex, historical and archival research conducted at the District Notarial Archives of the Province of Lecce has confirmed the existence of a separate room, which today constitutes the kitchen of the property. Moreover, it was ascertained that, in an earlier historical phase, the tower belonged to the Diocese of Gallipoli.

In particular, notarial acts of 1845 testify to the purchase of the rustic estate and tower by the “Venerable Seminary of Gallipoli.” These documents describe a “seeded and vine-covered farm, with centuries-old olive trees.” Later, in 1887, a “Testament of Division of Stables” describes the estate as “oiled and seeded, with rural houses, stables, oven, floor of the old millstone and pilings in poor condition, well and clearing with pile of cloths, surrounded by dry stone walls for 922.20 linear meters.”

By 1887, the tower was in a state of disrepair. At the time of purchase by the current owner, the structure was largely collapsed or damaged by time and erosion, but it still retains traces of its ancient history and the transformations that have taken place over the centuries.

The Santo Cotrubbo Tower is part of a vast network of coastal towers in Puglia, which includes other historic structures such as the Sabea Tower, the Alto Lido Tower, and the famous San Giovanni Tower.

Each of these towers had a strategic function, and their main purpose was to create a barrier of defense against maritime incursions, protecting not only the coasts but also inland towns and agricultural fields.