Torre Archirafi

Torre Archirafi
Frazione
Torre Archirafi is located in Italy
Torre Archirafi
Torre Archirafi
Location of Torre Archirafi in Italy
Coordinates: 37°42′31″N 15°13′03″E / 37.70861°N 15.21750°E / 37.70861; 15.21750
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceCatania
ComuneRiposto
Elevation
3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total
2,304
Demonymturroti
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
95010
Dialing code095

Torre Archirafi (Sicilian: A Turri) is a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riposto in the Catania area of southern Italy. The small fishing village is located about 32 kilometres (20 mi) northeast of Catania and about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Riposto.

History

The name comes from Torre di Archirafi or the Archirafi Tower, a coastal watchtower, built to repel Barbary corsairs in the 16th century and later destroyed by the sea sometime in the 17th century.[1][2] The town itself was ceded to the Duke of Archirafi, Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, by King Charles III of Bourbon in the 17th century.[3]

Places of interest

The inhabited area has kept the old historic public center fairly intact which includes the Palazzo Vigo (formerly known as Palazzo Natoli or Palazzo dei Principi Natoli) a palace built in the 17th century by Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, Duke of Archirafi.[4] Today, the palace is primarily used for art exhibitions, conferences, and lectures.[5]

References

  1. ^ Davide Cristaldi (2018). La torre di Archirafi e le difese della contea di Mascali: con illustrazioni e documenti inediti (in Italian). Acireale: A & B. ISBN 9788877284266
  2. ^ Liliane Dufour, Massimo Ganci (1995). La Sicilia disegnata: la carta di Samuel von Schmettau 1720-1721 (in Italian). Palermo: Società Siciliana per la Storia Patria. ISBN 9788874010660
  3. ^ Salvatore Mazzarella, Renato Zanca (1985). Il libro delle torri: le torri costiere di Sicilia nei secoli XVI - XX (in Italian). Palermo: Sellerio. ISBN 9788838900891
  4. ^ Cacciola, Paolo (2015). "Torre Archirafi" Archived 2017-04-09 at the Wayback Machine. Proloco Riposto. (in Italian).
  5. ^ Proiti, Giuseppe Stefano (2016) "Dal 31 luglio al 6 agosto Summer Art a Riposto/Torre Archirafi". La Voce dell'Isola. (in Italian).