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Origin and history

The tower of Faotea, also known as the "Faotea", is a genoese tower built in the 17th century on the town of Zonza, in South Corsica. It is part of a network of six towers built between 1589 and 1591 to protect the Porto-Vecchio area from barbaric raids. Its construction began on 2 June 1592 under the supervision of Antonio Pellerano and Antonio Belmosto, with a guard of 50 men to secure the construction site.

In 1651 the tower was attacked and taken by the Turks, its captured defenders and its installations burned. An inventory of 1672 reveals his armament: an out-of-use cannon, a mascolo, a spingardo, four muskets and four weapons of hast. After repairs, it remained in service until the early 18th century, before being assigned to the Bridges and Chaussées in 1857. It became a ruin and was restored between 1979 and 1989 thanks to public and private funding, including the Conservatoire du littoral.

Classified as a historic monument, the Faotea Tower symbolizes the Genoese effort to control the Corsican coast. Its typical architecture includes a cistern, a guard room and a crenellated terrace. Today, it reflects the Mediterranean conflicts of the 16th-17th centuries and the adaptation of local populations, such as the shepherds of Alta Rocca, who used the coastal plain for winter transhumance.

The tower is located at Punta di Fauca, near the small navy of the same name, on a territory marked by geographical contrasts: granite mountains (Incudine Mountain, 1,483 m) and coastal plain. This site, integrated into the municipality of Zonza, was a strategic point to monitor the Tyrrhenian Sea and protect neighbouring hamlets like Pinarello or Taglio Rosso.

Historical sources, including weapons inventories and attack reports, highlight its role in a broader defensive system. The tower of Pinarello, built in 1591 and also attacked in 1652, completed this device. The two towers illustrate the persistent tensions between Genoa, barbaric privateers and local communities, often victims of looting despite these fortifications.

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