Salento, Torre Chianca - Lecce:
Torre Chianca is a coastal tower of Salento located on the Adriatic coast a few kilometres from the municipality of Lecce, in Apulia. Not to be confused with the homonymous Torre Chianca in Porto Cesareo on the Ionian side of Salento, this tower rises about 20 metres from the sea to a height of about 2 metres. In its current state, Torre Chianca is in a state of neglect, now reduced to a ruin, almost swallowed up by the greenery of the typical Mediterranean scrub, in a total embrace with the surrounding landscape. Built in the 16th century to defend the coast from attacks by Saracen pirates, Torre Chianca is cylindrical in shape with a diameter of about 12 metres and originally communicated with Torre Veneri to the south and Torre Rinalda to the north. Torre Chianca gave its name to the Lecce marina, which in summer is populated by tourists and holidaymakers thanks to the crystal-clear waters of a wonderful sea but above all to a stretch of coastline rich in white beaches and places of historical interest, welcome to the Salento.