San Vito watchtower in Polignano a Mare, with the full moon rising over the Adriatic Sea

San Vito Tower stands on the coast north of Polignano a Mare, a short distance from the abbey of the same name. It formed part of the Adriatic coastal defence and watchtower network, helping to protect the abbey from raids by sea. It is also known locally as the “Saracen tower”, a name referring to the raiders it was built to defend the coast against. The tower has a square plan and a compact structure, with only a few openings in its stone walls. Today, a low dry-stone wall marks the boundary of the tower grounds, surrounded by uncultivated land and low scrub. The photograph was taken from a drone flying at low altitude and facing east. The tower stands on the left of the frame, beside a flat rock shelf extending into the sea. As the sun sets, a pink band colours the sky above the horizon while the full moon rises over the Adriatic.

San Vito tower, watchtower, Saracen tower, coastal towers, full moon, moonrise, Polignano a Mare, San Vito, Apulia, Bari