Construction of Genoese towers 1520-1630 (≈ 1575)
Main construction period in Corsica.
1730
Census of 120 towers
Census of 120 towers 1730 (≈ 1730)
Initial number before current selection.
1839
Inspection of Merimée
Inspection of Merimée 1839 (≈ 1839)
Report on the state of the Corsican towers.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Prosper Mérimée - Inspector of Historic Monuments
Described the towers in 1839.
Canari - 17th century historian
Listed the towers by coast.
Origin and history
The Genoese tower of the Parata is one of 84 genoese towers recorded in Corsica, mainly built between 1520 and 1630 under Genoese occupation. These buildings, financed by the inhabitants, were designed to defend the coasts of the barbaric pirate raids. Their standardized architecture, with a vaulted lower room, a garrison floor and a crenelated platform, allowed effective resistance with few men.
According to Prosper Mérimée, inspector of historical monuments in 1839, there were 85 such towers at the beginning of the 18th century. Their distribution, described by historian Canari in the seventeenth century, showed a concentration on the western and eastern coasts. Most, built on a single model, reflect a centralized defence policy, although some, such as that of Nonza (1757), are after the Genoese period.
These towers, often isolated, played a key role in monitoring and protecting local populations. Their access by an external staircase, removed in case of attack, strengthened their defensive function. Today, 31 are listed as historic monuments, and only two, including the Seneca Tower, are listed, demonstrating their heritage importance.
