The Agulla de Pola and the 10th-century fortification

The Torre de Cala Salionç, also known as Agulla de Pola, is a structure in the municipality of Tossa de Mar. It is a semi-circular watchtower with a small protuberance on the front, which can be dated to the 16th century. This tower is built upon a much older quadrangular fortification from the middle of the 10th century, around the year 966. It forms part of the Inventari del Patrimoni Arquitectònic de Catalunya.

The tower was situated in a vital defensive and strategic point, allowing for direct visual contact with the Castell de Tossa. These defensive axes were not chosen at random but were absolutely premeditated and studied. The defensive systems were programmed to fulfill a double purpose of defense and vigilance.

In the year 966, there were already constructions on the Pola rock, likely of a defensive and watchtower character. The rock was a natural location with strategic value, an easily defensable nest very appropriate for building fortifications or castles. The rock de Pola likely ensured the defense and protection of the residents in the northeast part of the area. In 1218, the name Puig de Guàrdia Pola appeared in the establishment of a large forest area to the east of Tossa. At that time, the rock de Pola, along with the Castell de Sant Joan de Lloret de Mar (1079) and the Castell de Sant Joan de Blanes (1001), were the most advanced points of the Selva settlement. Today, Agulla de Pola serves as a geodetic sign for the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya with the registration number 308-109-017.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons