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Origin and history

The Genoese tower of Campomoro was built in the 16th century to defend the bay against the incursions of the barbaric pirates, who ravaged the Corsican coast. Commanded by the Republic of Genoa after the bag of Sartene in 1583, it was erected under the direction of Carlo Spinosa between July 1585 and May 1586. With a diameter of 16.50 meters, it is the largest of the island and is distinguished by its fortified star enclosure, designed to withstand attacks.

The tower played a dual role: maritime surveillance and commercial traffic control in the Gulf of Valinco. It housed a permanent garrison, a cistern, a guard room equipped with a fireplace, and an armed platform with a snare. Machicoulis and a door raised five metres from the ground reinforced his defense. Its strategic location, at the foot of a sheltered bay, made it a key point for the security of local populations, who had folded into the land to escape the razzias.

After centuries of military use, the tower was transferred in 1986 to the Coastal Conservatory by Bradi's Lorenzi family, and was classified as a historic monument in 1992. Restored and open to the public since 1989, it now houses an exhibition on barbaric raids in Corsica between the 16th and 18th centuries. Its unique architecture, combined with its history of Mediterranean piracy, makes it a symbol of Corsican defensive heritage.

The bay of Campomoro, formerly Roman refuge and the presumed den of Moorish pirates, owes its name to this turbulent history (Campu moru, "Camp of the Moors"). The tower marked the gradual return of the inhabitants to the coast after the pacification of the coast. In the 19th century, the town of Belvedere-Campomoro was structured around this site, mixing pastoral heritage, agriculture and, later, tourism.

The excavations and archival documents, such as the plans of 1779 at the Archives du Génie de Vincennes, reveal details of its layout: three cannons, a bread oven (out of service from the 18th century), and a spatial organization designed for autonomy. The tower illustrates the adaptation of the Genoese to maritime threats, while at the same time testifying to the cultural exchanges and conflicts that shaped pre-modern Corsica.

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