A circular fortification more than ten metres across, held by a small garrison and armed with a battery of cannon: the Torrione was not there merely to watch the sea, but to shoot back. It was built along with the other towers of the area to spot the Turkish-Barbary pirates, the so-called Saracens, who worked their way up the Riviera di Ponente; after the church of San Rocco it is the oldest monument in Vallecrosia.
What to see
The layout is still legible: the circular masonry drum and, around it, what survives of the quadrangular enclosure that shielded it, now reduced to two sides. In the event of a landing, about a hundred people could take cover inside that wall: it was the first barrier, while the tower itself was the last place to shut yourself into. This was no simple lookout but an active defence, with guns trained on the beach.
The five towers are the symbol of Vallecrosia and all of them were born of the same fear. Raids from the sea, ever more frequent, pushed the coastal families to settle the hinterland and found sheltered villages such as Vallecrosia Alta; those who stayed by the shore relied on the towers. A second one still stands along the road linking the sea to the old village, and three more are built into the houses of the medieval core.
Visiting
The Torrione now stands inside the walls of the Sant'Anna religious institute, facing the sea and close to the railway line: it is not a monument you go into, but it is easy to take in from outside. The right spot is passeggiata Marconi, the Vallecrosia seafront, where the tower rises clear above the perimeter wall. The structure is in good condition; in some seasons it is almost entirely covered by the leaves of a climbing plant, which softens its military outline.
Our editors' tip
We go in the late afternoon, when the sun is low and comes in from the west: the masonry catches the raking light and the round volume reads far better than at midday. Then we drive up to Vallecrosia Alta along the road to the old village, where the second tower stands: in a few minutes by car, or a good hour on foot, you can put the whole system together and grasp the logic behind it, an eye on the sea and a refuge in the hills.