Quattrocchi Tower

Towers
Forio d'Ischia
Forio d'Ischia - 80075
Corso Umberto, 9

Quattrocchi Tower
Situated in front of the Church of S. Maria di Loreto, nicknamed Tower of Quattrocchi, because by the sides there is a slit. Realized in tuff stone, it’s has a square plant and three sides. The ground floor has a pavement in false ashlars and brick. The corners are reinforced with tuff stones and block shaped. It’s supported by consoles and vaults. On a block of stone in the middle of the arcade an inscription: "A.D. 1792" and above a aristocratic coat of arm in marble (probably belonging to the owner’s family at that time), representing an helmet and two rearing lions. The tower is set inside the courtyard, stairs link the ground floor to the first one, suitable to be palace’s hallway, indoor stairs link the upper floors to the roofing. From the courtyard of the homonym palace adjoining stairs, there is access to the upper floors across wooden stairs.
Going on and turn to the right along Via Card. Lavitrano, after having walked 100 m, to the right the small square appears as start of Via Casa Patalano. After 20m in front of there is the relevant tower, restored in 1933.
The tower has a favored position thanks to the beaches and country sides: able to find the position through two high palms inside the courtyard.

Historical and critical Info
The tower of corso Umberto was built as tower of defence and refuge against pirates attacks, inside the built up area in the XIV cen. Around the church of S.Maria di Loreto. During the XV century the village of Forio, was already expanding and from the primordial settlement called Castello a roccio at the ancient church of San Vito (XVI cent.) occurred a displacement toward the sea, a substantial built up area. For its location, facing the pirates attacks, a complex of towers raised up all around. The tower of corso Umberto, was built during the XVI cent. It is part of a series of ten towers built among houses as refuge in case of incursions. Suitable like private residence, is the only one mentioned by D’Ascia (1867) with the Torrione: the historian defines the tower like the most recent and belonging to Migliaccio’s family. Ex residence by the Switzerland doctor Chevalley de Rivaz, in 1930’s property of Morgera’s family.

Info

Period: second half of the XVI century.
Original use: tower of defence and refuge.
Today's use: home.
Property: private (of Chevally de Rivaz Morgera).
Protection low: 1497 of 1939.
Plan: square.
Roofing: plan and terrace
Vaults or roofs: pavilion vault.
Stairs: wooden and winding.
Permanent structure: tuff stone.
Pavement: brick.
External decorations:taurus and lava stone shelves, decorative stucco.
Underground: cellars.
State of preservation: good

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