Tortoreto Alta: Terra-Vecchia, Terranova and the Village

Visiting the historic center of Tortoreto Alta you can see how it still retains its medieval structure today, made up of the ancient walls surrounding the central fortress on which the beautiful Clock Tower stands out.

The medieval village is divided into three areas: Terranova, Terra-vecchia and the Borgo.

The Terranova area includes the new castle, and is characterized by narrower streets, to be able to build larger houses, by the towers at the corners of the city, important for its defense, and by the minimal presence of access doors.

Terra-vecchia, on the other hand, represents the oldest part of the city, which was most likely rebuilt on the ruins of “Castrum salini” and which became a fortified castle with walls, underground tunnels, watchtowers, churches, palaces of feudal lords , noble houses and a drawbridge, of which still today you can see the slits on the facade of the Clock Tower.

Lastly, the village, which developed around 1400, is located outside the castle walls, on a ridge overlooking the sea and is placed perpendicular to the coast.