Tower of Manfria in Gela
The Torre di Manfria di Gela stands out on a rocky hill close to the sea.
The Torre di Manfria was part of the coastal defensive system built in the second half of 1500 at the behest of the Sicilian parliament. of repeated attacks by Barbary pirates. The defensive system was commissioned by the Viceroy Marco Antonio Colonna who commissioned the Florentine architect Camillo Camilliani, expert in the construction of military buildings, for the design.
The Tower of Manfria has a quadrangular plan and two communicating floors. On the ground floor there were tanks and the depot, on the first floor there were the lookouts and on the terrace there was the artillery. The lookout staff consisted of three elements: a corporal and two soldiers, the "torrari". Access to the tower was via a rope ladder that was withdrawn in case of danger.
