Tour d'Albo at Cap Corse: visit and history of the Genoese tower at Og
Where to find the Albo tower in Cap Corse
The Tour d'Albo is located on the west coast of Cap Corse, at the level of the marine d'Albo, in the commune of Ogliastro.
It is built directly on the seafront, at the southern end of Albo beach.
The village of Ogliastro lies further inland.
Architectural features
The Genoese tower of Albo is built on a rocky promontory some fifteen meters above the sea. Its height is around 10 metres, and its diameter at the base is also 10 metres.
Built of sedimentary schist, the Albo tower rests on two levels with an external staircase. It features a chimney and machicolations.
It has been a listed monument since 1992.
Visit the Tour d'Albo
Since its refurbishment in summer 2020, the doors of the Tour d'Albo are open to you for a free visit in summer from mid-July to mid-September, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12pm and 5pm to 7pm.
Inside, you'll discover an exhibition of Genoese towers in Corsica. Please note that opening times may vary from year to year. For more information, contact the Cap Corse Tourist Office on 04 95 35 40 34.
Restoration of the Albo tower in 2019
Lacking the means to maintain it, the Albo tower was closed to the public for safety reasons and surrounded by a protective net. After several years of efforts to raise funds, including some from the European Union, the municipality of Ogliastro has been able to launch a project to restore the building in spring 2019.
The work lasted 15 months, rehabilitating this tower that was in danger of collapsing, but whose final result elicited contrasting opinions; the lime rendering bringing an image further removed from its original exposed stone appearance. See the France Bleu RCFM article: The restoration of the Albu tower is the subject of debate.
A Genoese tower steeped in history
The Tour d'Albo, also known as the Torra del Greco, was built in 1562 to protect the Albo navy, whose easy access made it an ideal stopover for ships at a time when raids were rife around the Mediterranean.
The 16th-century raids on the Albo navy
The Genoese tower was built and rebuilt time and again as a result of the barbarian assaults that brought the village of Ogliastru to ruin on several occasions, in 1559, 1563, 1588, 1613 and 1624.
Find out more about thehistory of Pino and the 1563 raid by the Turkish army under the command of Mammi Pasha.
The raid of 1588
In June 1588, the Tower of Albo was once again the scene of bloody fighting following a new attack by Barbary pirates who landed with a fleet of 11 galleys under the command of the Bey (Turkish title) of Algiers, Hassan Pacha.
The hamlet of Cugulu was destroyed, and some 150 people were kidnapped and enslaved.
The tower, also destroyed, was rebuilt by the villagers between 1588 and 1589 as a guard post for three torregiani from Ogliastru and Olcani, who took it in turns day and night to watch the open sea for new enemy ships.
French occupation
A few centuries later, in 1768, while the island's inhabitants were evacuating the castle of Nonza to the south, the Albo tower was occupied by French troops.
French troops landed on the island via the cape, following the Treaty of Versailles, which provided for Corsica to be placed under French administration to clear Genoa's debts to France.
