Torre Archirafi () is a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riposto in the Catania area of southern Italy. The small fishing village is located about northeast of Catania and about 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.Davide Cristaldi (2018). La torre di Archirafi e le difese della contea di Mascali: con illustrazioni e documenti inediti . Acireale: A & B. Liliane Dufour, Massimo Ganci (1995). La Sicilia disegnata: la carta di Samuel von Schmettau 1720-1721 . Palermo: Società Siciliana per la Storia Patria. The town itself was ceded to the Duke of Archirafi, Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, by King Charles III of Bourbon in the 17th century.Salvatore Mazzarella, Renato Zanca (1985). Il libro delle torri: le torri costiere di Sicilia nei secoli XVI - XX . Palermo: Sellerio.
Places of interest The inhabited area has kept the old historic public center fairly intact which includes the Palazzo Vigo, a large townhome built in the 18th century by Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, Duke of Archirafi.Cacciola, Paolo (2015). "Torre Archirafi" . Proloco Riposto. . Today, the building is primarily used for art exhibitions, conferences, and lectures.Proiti, Giuseppe Stefano (2016) "Dal 31 luglio al 6 agosto Summer Art a Riposto/Torre Archirafi". La Voce dell'Isola. .
References