The Torre del Ricco is a 16th-century tower that is part of the complex system of coastal towers erected in the mid-16th century to defend the Salento coast from the constant invasions of Saracen pirates. We are in the municipality of Corsano, in the province of Lecce, and this tower, of which only a few ruins remain, stood on the eastern coast of Salento, on the beautiful Adriatic Sea. The Torre del Ricco communicated to the north with Torre Specchia Grande and to the south with the Torre del Porto di Novaglie and overlooked a rock overhanging the sea. The surrounding landscape is typical Mediterranean scrub with the presence of classic wild onions, thyme and rosemary. The vegetation seems to completely engulf this ruin that once upon a time represented a system of sighting and defence for the local populations. Through some research, we realise how the Torre del Ricco appeared in a circular shape at the base, only to be divided by a kerb and take a different shape towards the end. Although little or nothing remains of this tower, the roots and history it represents deserve to be mentioned and analysed as a place of historical and architectural interest of all respect, and which, in its present state, is reflected in the blue of the beautiful surrounding landscape that only the Adriatic Sea can offer. So if you are passing by, don"t forget to pay your respects to the Torre del Ricco... happy holidays
Last update: 10/10/2022, Tonio Viva