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It is small and perched on a rocky outcrop which is only accessible from one side, but, visually speaking, it is positioned perfectly compared to the other coastal towers of the Golfo degli Angeli (Gulf of Angels).

It is small and perched on a rocky outcrop which is only accessible from one side, but, visually speaking, it is positioned perfectly compared to the other coastal towers of the Golfo degli Angeli (Gulf of Angels). The Torre del Prezzemolo tower can only have been used as a lookout, yet it speaks to a long and glorious history, during which it changed its name many times. In official documents, it is identified as the Torre di Capo Bernat - named after the spur on which it stands - the Torre della Safa, the Torre di Santo Stefano del Lazzaretto, the Torre Vecchia (Old Tower) and the Torre della Prajola. For the Spaniards, who built it some time after the middle of the 16th century, it was actually the torrezilla (turret). Today, almost by way of retaliation, it has ironically stolen its name from another structure, one which no longer exists, which was located in the nearby cape of Cala Fighera. The small tower was part of a complex of coastal fortifications built between the hills of Sant’Elia and San Bartolomeo during the 16 century in order to protect the city from raid by Muslim pirates and corsairs. The Torre del Prezzemolo, in particular, watched over the beach below, the Lazzaretto area and the nearby salt pans. It was restored towards the end of the century and in the early 17th century, and, when the nearby Torre di Calamosca came into full operation, it was abandoned, disappearing from official records until 1772. It was then put back into commission as a rifle post and to support a light infantry company. But its greatest moment of glory came about in 1793, when it fought off a French raid with the help of a battery of cannons, preventing the opposition from landing on the beach. The ships, which were also hampered by the mistral, were then finally pushed to the west, near the Foxi tower. After that, the tower was never used again and was abandoned, only being restored in 1916, while the rock on which it stands was shored up in the second half of the 20th century to prevent it from crumbling apart. The structure has a truncated cone shape, currently 11 meters high and four and a half metres in diameter. While in operation, it only housed two wardens. An open hatch in the dome provided access to the outdoor terrace, originally covered by a 'half moon', a canopy and roof tiles in the shape of a semicircle. The only opening is the entrance, made with piers and a stone architrave. From its summit, 45 meters above the sea, one could see up to 23 kilometres away. It is no coincidence that it is now an attractive vantage point, especially at sunset, when the scenery on the western side of the Golfo degli Angeli will leave you breathless. From the tower you can walk or cycle to two other military fortifications on the hill: the C-135 anti-aircraft battery, from the 1930s, and the fort of Sant'Elia, known as the Sant'Ignazio fort, from the end of the 18th century.

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