The 16th-century pirate perch on Sicily's perilous coast

The Torre Cabrera, also known as Torre Mazzarelli, Torre della Dogana or Torre di Gaddimeli, stands on the rocky coast of Marina di Ragusa, Sicily. Constructed between 1584 and 1596, this fortress was built to defend against Ottoman and Barbary pirates. Its six cannons and thick walls were meant to scare off invaders, and serve as a lookout post against the constant threat. On one notorious day, three Sicilian ships were attacked near the island of Porri, just three days before Barbary pirates, disguised as Christians, landed at Marina and attacked a ship docked in the harbour. The warden of the tower was taken prisoner, but it is said that the pirates used the caves beneath the tower as secret hideouts for their loot. The tower still stands today, a silent sentinel of a time long past, its history echoing with danger, mystery, and perhaps, a tiny escape route for the bold.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons