The Tower of the Moor: An Icon of History and Mysticism in Ortona.
The Tower of the Moor, once a majestic defensive structure in the heart of a picturesque medieval town, continues to captivate history and architecture enthusiasts to this day. Although it no longer stands, this tower has a fascinating story.
The Tower of the Moor: An Icon of History and Mysticism in Ortona
Description
The Tower of the Moor in Ortona is located in the Acquabella area and can be reached through the former Sangritana railway that connected Ortona to San Vito Marina. Viceroy Don Pedro Perafan De Ribeira, Duke of Alcalà, wanted the Abruzzo coastline, like other coasts of the peninsula, to be equipped with a series of coastal towers. These towers were not only meant to raise alarms in case of enemy raids but also to repel such incursions, as they were equipped with garrisons and cannons.
In 1563, based on a report by Governor Marco Antonio Piscicello, De Ribeira ordered the construction of six towers at the mouths of the rivers Foro, Mucchia, Moro, Sangro, Penna, and Saline. These towers were positioned at a distance from each other to maintain visual communication. Many of them were built at the river mouths, which served as landing points and sources of freshwater.
In 1598, the Marquis of Celenza, Carlo Gambacorta, Governor of the Abruzzo region, conducted a census of the towers in Abruzzo, "Vista delle torri d'Abruzzo," currently preserved in the National Library of Paris. It contains sketches, plans, descriptions, positioning, and various observations.
"The Marquis proposed to appoint a Spanish officer to command the coastal towers and ensure that the garrisons performed their duty. He had observed that the coastal surveillance service was not consistently carried out by the soldiers. Instead of staying on guard, they often left the towers to engage in other more lucrative activities. Even the nighttime patrols were not carried out correctly because the horsemen exhausted their animals by making them work in the fields during the day, so they could only ride for a short time at night."
The Tower of the Moor is one of the 16 observation towers built against pirate raids on the Abruzzo coastline. It has a square shape with a stepped base, approximately 12 meters on each side, and two floors. The walls were constructed using local materials such as generally limestone and river pebbles. According to the description from the 1598 visit by the Marquis of Celenza, Engineer Carlo Gambacorta stated:
"There was... a piece of iron that faces the mentioned river, a bell to signal, and two muskets of the corporal. Two ladders are necessary, which will require an expense of about fifteen carlini."
From this description, it can be inferred that the entrance was elevated, and a retractable ladder was needed to access it and then reach the terrace. With the decline of pirate raids from the sea, the towers gradually lost their military function, although some were reportedly manned in the 18th century. The tower is now a ruin and was covered by vegetation for a long time, in a state of abandonment. Once cleared from the surrounding vegetation, an hypothetical reconstruction was made considering the visible architectural elements.
Author
Light Designer in everyday life, a traveler in my second life. A believer in the philosophy of solo travel, just to do as I please. I photograph and explore anything within my sight.
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