The coastal sight towers, a distinctive anthropic element of the ancient coastal landscape: the risk of restoration works with examples from the Tuscan coast (Italy)

The coastal sight towers and the defensive fortresses were in the past distinctive elements of the coastal landscape. They were distributed in particular along the northern coast of the Mediterranean and were built precisely for sighting purposes from the XVIth century against the raids of barbarian pirates who had their bases in the Maghreb coast. At present, some towers have been destroyed, others have lost their visibility because embedded in disordered urban growth or in housing estates, others are in the state of ruins and some have been restored or recovered and reused. The towers still existing in isolated positions continue to strongly characterize the coastal landscape and certainly contribute to give value and charm to the territories because they recall a past in which history and legends are mingled. This contribution examines the case of the towers of Capraia island and two towers on Argentario taking into account the building materials and giving indications for restoration works that are actually conservative (and in this sense also difficult), presuming to preserve the signs of time on the surfaces, a feature that in our opinion strongly improve the value of the same artefacts.