Balio Towers
| Balio Towers | |
|---|---|
Torri del Balio | |
| Erice, Sicily, Italy | |
 Aerial view of the Balio Towers | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortifications |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Restored (19th century) |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 38°2′8.56″N 12°35′26.20″E / 38.0357111°N 12.5906111°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 12th–14th centuries (later modifications) |
| Materials | Limestone |
The Balio Towers (Italian: Torri del Balio) are a group of medieval fortifications located in the historic city of Erice, Sicily.
Situated at the summit of Monte Erice, the towers once served as a key defensive outpost overlooking the surrounding countryside and the Strait of Sicily. Today, they are among the most recognisable landmarks of Erice and one of its most frequently photographed sites.[1]
The Balio Towers served as the civic and administrative heart of medieval Erice, effectively functioning as the town hall. They marked the end of the town’s principal thoroughfare, the Royal Road (now Via Alberto degli Abati), and stood at the centre of civic life. The name “Balio” likely derives from the bajulo (bailiff), a medieval official who administered royal justice and taxation.[2]
History
[edit]The Balio Towers were originally constructed during the period of the Normans. They may date to the same era as the bell tower of the Chiesa Matrice near Porta Trapani, which tradition attributes to King Frederick III of Aragon during his stay in Erice (then known as Monte San Giuliano) amid the siege of Trapani in 1314–1315. An Aragonese coat of arms remains visible on the curtain wall near the west entrance, suggesting significant royal involvement or later restoration during the Aragonese period.[2]
By the 18th and 19th centuries the towers’ military role had diminished, while their civic and administrative functions became more prominent. By the mid-19th century the towers no longer met the needs of the city’s expanding municipal administration. Around 1861 the municipal offices moved from the towers to the new Palazzo Municipale on Piazza della Loggia, which was enlarged in 1874–75 by incorporating the adjacent Palazzo dei Marchesi Pilati.[2][3]
As the towers fell into disuse, the surrounding land was leased for grazing, and the site entered a period of neglect. In 1872, Count Agostino Sieri Pepoli initiated a major restoration effort. With his financial backing and architectural guidance, and in cooperation with Mayor Luciano Spada, the towers and fortifications were restored. The area—described at the time as “a very bad note of filth and ruin”—was transformed into a landscaped English-style garden, now the Balio Gardens, which remains under municipal care.[2]
Architecture
[edit]The Balio Towers are composed of three towers connected by a high crenelated curtain wall that separated the civic part of the city from the military. The wall was constructed from rough-hewn stone, with three access points: a western entry via the Balio Gardens and southern and northern staircases. Historically, the towers were linked by a drawbridge to the Castle of Venus, forming a fortified complex.[4] One of the towers was demolished in the 17th century amid fears that the Spanish garrison, housed in the adjoining castle after construction of the Spanish Quarter barracks was halted in 1632, might threaten the citizens on the other side. Count Pepoli later financed its reconstruction with a pentagonal plan, enhancing the site’s historic character.[4] A small viewing terrace with built-in stone benches and a marble table near the western entrance offers a clear vantage point toward the nearby Pepoli Turret, also commissioned by Pepoli.[4]
Gallery
[edit]-
East façade -
West façade -
Southern entrance -
Pentagonal tower -
Viewing terrace
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References
[edit]- ^ "Il Castello di Venere". Fondazione Erice Arte. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Tusa, Matteo (2017). Erice: Planning for Life. Erice: Self-published. ISBN 9788892667327.
- ^ Vincenzo Adragna, «“Ministoria” di un palazzo», in Trapani Nuova, settimanale di attualità, cultura e sport, 23 gennaio 1987, p. 4 (rubrica Antiche cronache di uomini e cose).
- ^ a b c "Torri del Balio a Erice – Storia, informazioni, foto e curiosità". Drepanum (in Italian). Retrieved 14 June 2025.