TOWERS AND CASTLES
FIUZZI TOWER
Built in the 16th century during the reign of Charles V under the viceroyalty of Naples, Fiuzzi Tower was part of a larger coastal fortification program designed to protect against Turkish invasions. Among all the watchtowers along the Tyrrhenian coast, Fiuzzi was considered the most efficient — standing 12 meters tall and well equipped for any threat.
It was connected to a lookout tower at the western end of Dino Island and could communicate with it in times of danger. Also known as the “Cavallara”, the tower was accessible by horseback and could accommodate a platoon of 12 guards. Perched on the Fiuzzi cliff, one of Praia’s most scenic areas, the tower blends into the rocky landscape. One side faces the clear, crystalline sea, while the other overlooks a pine forest and Mediterranean vegetation.
FRONTONE TOWER
Located on Dino Island, the Frontone Tower is square in shape and of Norman origin. It was later used during the Angevin and Bourbon periods as a lookout post to defend the coast from frequent invasions. Not to be confused with the Torre di Dine or Dina at Capo Scalea, this tower could host eight men and a corporal.
It stands on the island’s western tip (Frontone Point) at 73 meters above sea level. From its position, one can admire spectacular views of the Gulf of Policastro, along with nesting herons, peregrine falcons, and countless yellow-legged gulls.
FUMARULO FORT
The Fumarulo Fort, built upon an older tower dating partly to the 16th and partly to the 17th century, was designed as a defense post against Turkish raids. Constructed by Father Tommaso Nappi and later inherited by his nephews, it was in use as early as 1850 when the sub-prefect of Paola requested funds to maintain it as a coastal guard post.
Despite receiving only 9.60 ducats from the Municipality of Aieta, the fort remained active. In more recent times, it served as a boarding school, a middle school, and a high school. Today, it has been repurposed for tourist accommodation, with apartments privately owned by families from northern Italy.
CASTLE OF THE MARQUISES COSENTINO OF AJETA
Like a falcon’s nest atop the hill, the Castle of Praia a Mare rises majestically in the Fiuzzi area, nestled between the Saracena Valley and the vast plain of the town. With its fortified design and commanding location, the castle watches over the stretch of sea between the Gulf of Policastro and the coast of Vibo Valentia.
This Norman military structure likely dates back to the 12th–13th centuries and the Angevin period. It is believed to have been built by Charles, Duke of Calabria, son of Robert of Naples, in the 1200s as a defense against the Aragonese.
Built on a small rise 91 meters above sea level in the Foresta locality, the castle faces Dino Island and occupies a central position in the Fiuzzi Bay. Its powerful masonry dominates a hillside descending toward the sea, with the western edges of the Pollino massif behind it. The castle was part of Aieta’s larger defense system, along with the Tower of the Ship, Fumarulo Tower, Fiuzzi Tower, Dino Island Tower, San Nicola Arcella Tower, and Capo Scalea Tower.
The layout follows classic medieval architecture: a rectangular plan with two cylindrical corner towers connected by fortified walls and crowned with battlements. Though originally Norman, the structure also shows Swabian-era renovations.
In 1806, it served as a military garrison for the mounted coast guard (cavallari). Once owned by Riccardo di Lorya, lord of Aieta and appointed military captain by Frederick II, it later passed to the Cosentino family of Aprigliano, who purchased the Feud of Aieta in 1571 for 13,000 ducats.
By the 1700s, the Cosentino family sold the fief to the Spinelli family for 111,850 ducats, but the castle itself was already in the hands of the Giugni family of Florence, long-time administrators of Aieta.
In the early 1950s, Alessandro Cosentino, firstborn of the Marquises of Aieta, returned to Calabria to explore his roots. He decided to restore the castle to its original character. The family’s coat of arms still adorns the entrance. Inside, the architecture speaks for itself: white cement floors, lime-plastered walls and vaults, and minimalist furnishings integrated into the stone structure.
Surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and tall cypress trees, the castle offers a shaded, serene atmosphere. Now privately owned, it serves primarily as a summer hospitality residence.
