South of Brindisi , Torre Mattarelle—built in the 16th century and the last of the coastal towers in this area, a testament to the defensive system of the Kingdom of Naples— has finally collapsed. As reported in an article by Francesco Ribezzo Piccinin for *Il Quotidiano di Puglia*, the structure was located within the Saline di Punta della Contessa Regional Nature Park and had been in a state of neglect for years. Its collapse was caused bycoastal erosion, exacerbated by the terrain’s morphological characteristics.
Photographer Raffaele Capone was the first to document the collapse, posting a video on his Facebook page, *Il Falco della Puglia*. In the post, Capone highlighted the loss of the tower and raised a question about the protection of historical and cultural heritage, noting that erosion and the terrain’s natural contours left no room for the structure.
“I’ve never understood who decides—and how—what to save and preserve of our historical and cultural heritage and what not to,” writes Raffaele Capone on his Facebook page. “Anyone from Brindisi and the surrounding areas who is at least my age will remember Torre Mattarelle in the southern part of the city. Unfortunately, coastal erosion and the terrain’s morphology left this structure with no chance of survival. But what I wonder is: why do public authorities in Italy—especially in the south, whether political, cultural, or otherwise—have so little interest in safeguarding historical landmarks like this coastal tower? It’s truly a shame to lose such treasures forever. P.S. Now you can take down the road signs that gave directions on how to get there.”
As Il Quotidiano di Puglia further reports , Torre Mattarelle was part of a system of coastal towers built along the shores of the Kingdom of Naples to counter Saracen and pirate raids. The towers served as lookout, defense, and communication posts: from the top, it was possible to monitor the sea and, generally, maintain visual contact with the two adjacent towers. In case of danger, light or smoke signals allowed for the rapid transmission of a message or a request for help.
The loss of the Mattarelle Tower leaves yet another piece of historical evidence entrusted to memory and photographic documentation. The structure’s disappearance also draws attention to the vulnerability of the coastal heritage, which is exposed to natural phenomena that can compromise historic buildings already marked by neglect. The tower’s collapse thus highlights the need to monitor historic sites exposed to erosion and to take action, whenever possible, before deterioration and natural phenomena render their loss irreversible.
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| In Brindisi, coastal erosion is erasing Torre Mattarelle, built in the 16th century |
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