POSITANO, Saracen Towers

As you walk along the beaches of Positano, you may wonder what the stone towers scattered along this stretch of coastline are.

They are the Saracen Towers, constructions that were part of an ancient defensive system of the Amalfi Coast.

Don't be fooled by the name: they were not built by the Saracens, a generic term used in the past to refer to Arab populations of the Muslim faith. They were actually used to defend the coast from Turkish and Saracen pirates.

The very first fortifications were built as early as around 600 AD, but it was around 1200 that an effective defensive system was built. These watchtowers were essential to protect the inhabitants from potential enemy attacks from the sea, especially in the 16th century, to defend the Amalfi Coast from incursions by Muslim peoples, the so-called "Moors," who were expanding into the Mediterranean Sea.

These structures have different characteristics, and may be round, square or octagonal in shape, depending on the historical period in which they were built....