The last of the Circeo’s coastal towers to be built, in the third decade of the 17th century, completing the anti-pirate defence system begun in the previous century at the wish of the papacy. Unlike the first four towers, ordered directly by Pius IV in 1562, Torre Vittoria was built when the promontory’s defences were already well established, ideally closing the chain of coastal lookouts running from Torre Paola to Torre Cervia.
Torre Vittoria was built in the late 1620s on a site already built on by the ancient Romans. In documents and records its name often appears as Santa Vittoria, Torre di San Felice or Torrenova; it was probably named after the victorious battle of Lepanto or, according to other sources, after a victorious fight against pirates. It has a square base, 9 metres on each side, oriented with one corner towards the shore to better deflect projectiles. Its very wide base is shaped like a slope, on which rise two floors topped by a gun platform. The first floor housed a storeroom and a cistern for collecting rainwater, while the second floor was the living quarters. To make the tower impregnable, the architects designed a very special staircase with a gap of over two metres between flights, well protected by a drawbridge. The tower was the scene of countless battles. The most memorable took place in 1808 when, in the middle of the night, answering a call for help from a Livorno “tartane” loaded with wine, the tower’s garrison attacked the English frigate pursuing the Ligurian vessel. Overwhelmed by the artillery, the English withdrew and called in seven more ships of their fleet as reinforcements. In the heat of the battle the tower was hit countless times, and its walls still bear serious scars, but its strength was not affected: it scattered the entire enemy fleet and badly damaged one ship, which sank off the coast of Caprolace.
