Walls, towers and gates Puglia Imperiale

Torre Pietra takes its name from the fact that it was located in front of the coastal site of San Nicolao de Petra which little by little went down permanently. It rises on an important stretch of coastline as the seat of the medieval center that over the centuries has moved into Margherita di Savoia. Its function was mainly of sighting and defending the coastal part of the area.

Porta Marina, built between 1751 and 1753, was one of the 7 entrances of the city, located in the homonymous square. It represents the only remaining heritage of the entire city walls. The building has two facades decorated with an arch dominated by the Bourbon coat of arms.

The Gate of St. Andrew, also known as “The Arch of Frederick II”, was erected in the eleventh century. It was built by the citizens of Ancona as a symbol to show their loyalty to the famous emperor. This is also evidenced by the epigraph on the façade. The style of the current structure is late Renaissance and was conferred on it by the restoration of the 16th century.

The Saline Tower, also called Torrione, was built by the architect Evangelist Menga da Copertino. It is characterized by its height of 12.67 meters with the function of sighting and customs service linked to the extraction of salt. Below, the Tower was used as a warehouse for artillery and telegraphic service during the 19th century.

Next to the church of San Donato, there is one of best preserved medieval towers built from the municipality on which stood a public clock. The Tower was the tallest building after the bell tower of the cathedral.

Torre Casieri is a mausoleum dating back to the first century. The structure, better to say, what is left of it, has a square plan built in opus testaceum. The plant consists of three distinguishable levels, and inside is the tomb chamber. Over the years, the structure has undergone several changes.