Traces of the fortification past from poor ruins: the extreme case of Torre Flavia

Abstract

[EN] The robust network of towers along the Mediterranean coast has seen very various destinies, from well-preserved to reused, to damaged, to partially or destroyed. The case of Torre Flavia, along the coast of Lazio, Italy, stands between those reduced to ruins. Torre Flavia is a medieval coastal defence structure. It was restored and fortified by Cardinal Flavio Orsini in the XVIth century. The Allied bombing in 1943 severely damaged the tower, destroying the upper floors. Today, cannon openings resembling windows remain visible. In addition, this tower's specific position clearly shows how natural events may consume the original robust building into poor remains. This tower may be seen as a symbol of the long run of human events and the evolution of warfare, with this building standing for a long time on the seaside until the new weapons of the aerial war strongly damaged it. In the present proposal, a virtual reconstruction from the ruins will be attempted starting from the digital survey of the remains, from the analysis of the available sources, and interpolating reference models. In this way, a possible original aspect of this unlucky tower will be produced to support a better knowledge of this architecture.