The Two Towers of Castiglione della Pescaia

At the mouth of the river Bruna into the Tyrrhenian Sea stand two towers – a blue and a red lighthouse. The towers show seafarers a safe way into the harbour of Castiglione della Pescaia, a fishing and bathing resort on the southern Tuscan coast.

The outer walls are tiled with small, square, colourful, and shiny tiles. Where wind and weather have damaged the surface, white or – depending on the duration of exposure – dirty, angular patches are visible. Together with the light grouting, this gives the cylindrical surface an interesting pattern, reminiscent of so-called “pixelated” digital images.

The red lighthouse is located directly at the end of the kilometre-long sandy beach. This stretches from the rocks near Rocchette to the promenade of the modern lower town, which is overlooked by the medieval old town and the fortress. This viewpoint is accordingly popular. Visitors often sit on the circular bench around the base of the lighthouse. To reach the blue tower, however, you either need a boat for the few metres across to the other riverbank or you take the longer route a few hundred metres over the next bridge in the town centre, set back slightly inland. Therefore, the blue tower often suffers from loneliness compared to its counterpart. However, you won’t encounter Saruman or Sauron* at either of the two towers.

In times when the Maremma was unsuitable for settlement due to malaria, the harbour had purely strategic importance for the Tuscan rulers from Pisa or Florence. Nowadays, in the afternoons, local fishermen sell their catch at the pier, and ample berths are available for yachts, sailing boats, or motorboats.

*the lords of the two towers from The Lord of the Rings.

More pictures of Castiglione della Pescaia in the Tuscany Gallery.