Torretta del Sinarca

On the coastal plain between Capalbio and the sea, the Torretta del Sinarca stands as a blunt, purposeful quadrilateral of stone and river pebble. Eleven metres to a side, it tapers upward in a truncated pyramid to a height of about twelve metres, its profile unadorned but for three corbelled machicolations per side, which once supported the parapet. The masonry, a robust mix of river cobbles and stone bound with mortar, speaks to a purely defensive logic.

The tower rises over two floors. The lower was a stable; the upper, an armoury doubling as a dormitory for soldiers. Access was via a timber ladder through an opening cut in the barrel-vaulted ceiling. Two narrow windows, one facing the sea, the other the entrance, offered a watchful eye in both directions. The roof terrace, reached by a retractable ladder through a trapdoor, completed the lookout. A 1963 restoration rebuilt the stone and brick facing of the openings and machicolations, and added a small adjoining structure and merlons, tidying a history of vigilance.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.