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Origin and history

The Genoese tower of Erbalunga was built in the 16th century on a rock advanced at sea, at the entrance of the small port of Erbalunga, in the municipality of Brando. It was part of the network of coastal towers built by the Republic of Genoa to protect Corsica from barbaric raids, especially Turkish. Partly destroyed, it is now classified as a Historic Monument since 1995.

Erbalunga, a medieval village around which a fief was established in 1438, was a major port on the island from the twelfth to the eighteenth century. The tower, rebuilt in the late 16th century, served both as a watchtower and as a symbol of Genoese power. Its strategic location allowed to control maritime access and to communicate with other towers, such as those of Lavasina and Sagr, via light signals.

Over the centuries, the tower suffered damage, especially during the Franco-Genoese conflicts of the sixteenth century. In 1556 it was bombed by 77 gunshots during a Franco-Turkish expedition led by Sampiero Corso. Despite its gradual degradation, it remains an emblematic vestige of Genoese military architecture in Corsica, testifying to the struggles of influence in the Mediterranean.

The village of Erbalunga, with its historic districts such as Torre, Cima or Scalu, developed around this tower and its port. Today, the ruined tower still overlooks the navy of Erbalunga, recalling its maritime and strategic past. Its ranking among the Historic Monuments underscores its heritage importance to the region.

The Erbalunga Tower is part of a larger set of four Genoese towers that Brando counted, including those of Sagr, Poretto and Lavasina. These buildings illustrated Genoa's desire to control the Corsican coast, while serving as refuges and surveillance points for local populations. Their decline coincides with the end of the barbaric threat and the gradual integration of Corsica into the Kingdom of France.

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