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Origin and history

The Genoese Tower of Losso, also known as the Tower of L'Osse, is a round military construction built in 1520 on the eastern coast of Cagnano, in Cap Corse. It was part of a network of ten coastal towers imposed by Genoa on local communities to protect themselves from barbaric incursions. Its original name, Torre dell-Aquila, evokes either the eagle or the fisherman's balbuzard (acula di mare in Corsica), a frequent marine raptor in the region. The excavations of his foundations revealed skeletons, explaining his later name of "Losso tower" (losso meaning "bone" in Corsican).

The tower rises on three levels surmounted by a crenelated terrace, with a round road equipped with mâchicoulis on the top floor. An underground dug in the rock served as a reserve for weapons and powders, accessible by a stone staircase. The tank in the foundations allowed the garrisons to resist the seats. Like other Genoese towers, it housed soldiers who were tasked with alerting in the event of approaching enemy ships, providing refuge for local populations. The tower is now owned by the Société des Sciences Historiques et Naturelles de la Corse and has been listed as a historical monument since 1926.

Its strategic location, at the extreme southeast of Cagnano, allowed it to monitor the coast between Porticciolo and Pietracorbara. It illustrates Genoese defensive architecture in Corsica, marked by local materials (stone, lime, lauze) and a structure adapted to topographical constraints. The tower also bears witness to the permanent tensions in the Mediterranean between the 16th and 17th centuries, where Ottoman and barbaric raids threatened coastal villages. Its current state of conservation reflects successive restorations, although some interior developments have disappeared.

The Tower of Losso is part of the wider history of Cape Corsica, a region then under Genoese domination and organized in pievi (civil and religious parishes). Cagnano, integrated into the stake of Luri, was a fief of the lords Da Mare before passing under direct control of Genoa in the sixteenth century. The construction of these towers was part of a policy of militarization of the coast, financed by local communities under duress. Their decline coincided with the gradual pacification of the Mediterranean and the integration of Corsica into the Kingdom of France in 1768.

Today, the Losso Tower remains a symbol of Corsican defensive heritage, attracting visitors for its architecture and panorama of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its relative isolation and its state of private property, however, limit its accessibility, although its classification as a historical monument ensures its preservation. It is an essential milestone in understanding the maritime and military history of Cape Corsica during the Renaissance and modern times.

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