The Palidoro tower, also known as the torre Perla, is a coastal tower of the Agro Romano, in the locality of Palidoro in the comune of Fiumicino, north of Passoscuro, in the metropolitan city of Roma Capitale.
What to see
The tower, square in plan and about 20 metres high, dates from the period of the Saracen invasions and was built on the ruins of a Roman villa. It was one of a group of coastal towers raised between the eighth and ninth centuries, which served to sight enemy ships approaching from the sea.
It was restored between 1562 and 1563 on behalf of the arcispedale di Santo Spirito in Sassia, which gave it its present appearance. Near the tower, on 23 September 1943, the vice-brigadier of the Carabinieri Salvo D'Acquisto, gold medallist for military valour, was shot.
Visiting
The tower is in the locality of Palidoro, north of Passoscuro, in the comune of Fiumicino. The sources consulted give no hours or arrangements for access to the interior: check with the Comune of Fiumicino.
Our editors' tip
The sources point to a dedicated site, «Sulla Via delle Torri», for the other coastal towers of the area: the Palidoro tower is one of a group.
