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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Farinole tower, built in 1562 under the authority of Genoa, is one of the first Genoese towers erected in Corsica. Funded by a local tax, it was part of a coastal surveillance network, visually linked to the towers of Vecchiaia (south) and Negru (north). Its role was to alert the inhabitants with light signals in case of threat, while offering a temporary refuge.

It is circular and typical of Corsican coastal towers, and consists of three levels: a blind base, a bay-drilled floor, and a mâchicoulis terrace (partly collapsed sea side). Two soldiers and one chief were stationed there until the end of the 18th century. A breach on the west side results from a subsequent drilling attempt.

Ranked a historic monument in 1993, the tower illustrates Genoese defensive architecture in Corsica. Built in limestone, it also symbolizes the burden placed on local communities to protect themselves from maritime raids, in an island context marked by conflict and piracy.

Today, the Farinole Tower remains a tangible testimony to the coastal defence strategies put in place by Genoa to control and protect Corsica, while reflecting the social and economic dynamics of the coastal villages of the time.

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