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Torre del Bicchiere and Torre di Lazzaretto

The old depictions document four round towers, dating back to the Roman period. Two are at the ends of the island, two more at the ends of the moles. The only one still standing is the one on the north mole, known as Torre di Lazzaretto. In 414 AD the towers are mentioned by Rutilius Namatianus. The towers served as beacons, quite possibly with fires at night. Evidence is lacking for a tall lighthouse between the two towers on the breakwater.



Francesco Scoto, Il nuovo itinerario d'Italia, Roma 1699.

The Tower of the Beaker, named after its shape, on the south mole was destroyed by the World War II bombing. The lower floor of the Roman tower had been preserved till then, later pierced by cannon loopholes. It had an outer diameter of 16 metres. The masonry was opus mixtum, but the reticulate fields of small tufa stones were framed by small blocks of sandstone instead of bricks.



Torre del Bicchiere on a photo taken in the early 20th century.
Photo: Quilici 1993, fig. 7.



Torre del Bicchiere on a photo taken before the Second World War.
Photo: Quilici 1993, fig. 8.

The Tower of the Lazaret, named after adjacent buildings, on the north mole survived World War II, albeit damaged. Its floors too had been pierced by cannon loopholes. It has an outer diameter of 20 metres and the preserved height, before the war, was 12.5 metres. The masonry is again opus mixtum, partly with tufa blocks, partly with bricks (it is however a mixture of Roman and post-Roman masonry, with the use of different mortars). A building was standing against it, again partly Roman, partly post-Roman. The foundation was made of very large travertine and sandstone blocks (2.1 x 1.2 m.).



Torre di Lazzaretto on a photo taken before the Second World War.
Photo: Quilici 1993, fig. 9.



Torre di Lazzaretto.
Photo: Quilici 1993, fig. 12.