Petition for construction 1585 (≈ 1585)
Inhabitants of Carbini ask for its construction.
1617
First written entry
First written entry 1617 (≈ 1617)
Tower quoted in a Genoese document.
1859
State of ruin
State of ruin 1859 (≈ 1859)
Ruined on the Napoleonic cadastre.
1995
Registration MH
Registration MH 1995 (≈ 1995)
Classified as a partial historical monument.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Tour (Case C 607): inscription by order of 24 January 1995
Key figures
Prosper Mérimée - Inspector of Historic Monuments
Describes the towers in 1839.
Origin and history
The Genoese tower of San Cipriano, located in Lecci, South Corsica, is part of the network of 84 coastal towers built under the Genoese occupation. These buildings, erected mainly between 1520 and 1630, were used to protect the coasts from barbaric raids. Their standardized architecture (bass vaulted room, garrison floor, crenellated platform) reflects a centralized defensive strategy, financed by local communities.
Mentioned in a 1617 text as existing, this tower was built after 1585, the date of a petition from the inhabitants of the Carbini stake demanding its construction. Ruined from the Napoleonic cadastre of 1859, it illustrates the decline of this defensive system after the 18th century. Prosper Mérimée, inspector of the Historic Monuments, noted in 1839 their key role in protecting populations, despite their gradual abandonment.
Ranked among the 31 Corsican towers listed in the Historical Monuments (decree of 1995), it symbolizes the Genoese military heritage in Corsica. Today, partly in ruins (taluted base and two sections of walls), it reflects the maritime tensions in the Mediterranean and the adaptation of island communities to external threats.
