THE CETARA'S CALLING CARD: THE VICEREGAL TOWER
The Viceregal Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Cetara, an ancient, small fishing town characterized by an unspoiled charm.
by Annalisa Russo
The Tower, perched over the sea, frames this lovely town, so small but at the same time so full of history and traditions. It is definitely one of the jewels of the Amalfi Coast!
Symbol of the cultural identity of Cetara, it has an articulated structure that consists of three parts: a cylindrical tower, dating back to the Angevin period, a double height tower, dating back to the Viceregal period, and an upper part that is characterized by two raised floors used for housing purposes.
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The Tower of Cetara
The Tower of Cetara
The Tower looks to be the fruit of different historical stratifications that began in 1300. At that moment, there was the necessity to defend the territory from the pirates who came from the sea. So, the Angevins ordered the construction of a watchtower. When the War of the Vespers broke out (1282-1302) the centers of the Amalfi Coast were in danger and later, because of the Conspiracy of the Barons in 1460, the fortification became a prison.
The Viceregal Tower, instead, was built in 1567 by Camillo Casaburi at the behest of Pedro de Toledo after the Turkish raids of 1534 and 1544. These towers are different from the Angevin ones because they are massive and built on a fixed pattern with a square shape and a truncated pyramid structure that gave the possibility to settle the cannons on the 4 sides. Moreover, this tower had a culverin, a trebuchet, and embrasures.
The two raised floors used for housing purposes, at last, date back to 1800, the moment when this fortification passed into the hands of private individuals. This period lasted about 200 years until the municipality of Cetara bought and converted the tower in a civic museum, inaugurated in 2011 and divided into 4 sections: the pottery museum of Ugo Marano, an artist from Cetara, the permanent exhibition dedicated to the works of art of Manfredi Nicoletti from Maiori who represents the Amalfi Coast and the META, the first multimedia museum that shows the small town of Cetara and some of the paintings of Costaioli, a group of local artists who create a technique that was similar to the Parisian impressionism. In the end, there is also the first tavern museum dedicated to fishing and Colatura di Alici, the pride of this small town.
The particularity of this tower consists of some stratifications belonging to different historic periods which, however, did not lead to the demolition of the other constructions belonging to previous periods. Wonderful from any point of view, from the sea this fortification is spectacular!
- The ferry service Travelmar will allow you to reach Cetara by sea, enjoying the sun, the sea, and the exceptional views of the Amalfi Coast. For info visit www.travelmar.it
- If you are looking for an unforgettable location for your wedding, this Tower is the place for you.
- For any further information and reservations: www.torredicetara.it
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