Tower of the Tonnara dell'Ursa in Cinisi
Rino Porrovecchio - CC2.0
The tower of the Ursa tuna trap in Cinisi, also known as the Ursa tuna trap, is a watchtower that was part of the system of coastal towers in Sicily.
The tower was in visual connection with the Pozzillo Tower and the Torre di Isola delle Femmine d, to the east, and with the Torre Mulinazzo to the west.
The toponym Ursa could derive from the Arabic marsah¸ which means port, or from < em>ìrsa which means dock.
The first news of the tonnara complex, now used as a resort, dates back to 1401 when it was the property of the abbey of San Martino delle Scale. The tower was built in 1569 by order of the Abbey of San Martino, so the complex of the tonnara became a fortified baglio with two or three dammusi.
The tower has a square planimetric layout. The entrance is through an ogival arch and also represents the main entrance to the beam of the tonnara, which has a square plan, with an internal courtyard surrounded by thick walls. To the left of the tower is the rivellino, from which movements inland were controlled, with a walkway, loopholes and machicolations. The ground floor room of the tower has a barrel vault, and it is assumed that it originally served as a cistern. On the first floor there is a large square room with an iron walkway that rejoins it with the patrol path placed on the perimeter walls. The external door is flanked by an oblique slit which was used to control its access. The side facing the open sea has two oblique slits. A stone ladder built into the external walls allows you to reach the roof.
