Torre Archirafi | |
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Coordinates: 37°42′31″N 15°13′03″E / 37.70861°N 15.21750°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Sicily |
Province | Catania |
Comune | Riposto |
Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
Population (2017) | |
• Total | 2,304 |
Demonym | turroti |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 95010 |
Dialing code | 095 |
Torre Archirafi (Sicilian: A Turri) is a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riposto in the Catania area of southern Italy. The small fishing village is located about 32 kilometres (20 mi) northeast of Catania and about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Riposto.
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.[1][2] The town itself was ceded to the Duke of Archirafi, Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, by King Charles III of Bourbon in the 17th century.[3]
The inhabited area has kept the old historic public center fairly intact which includes the Palazzo Vigo (formerly known as Palazzo Natoli or Palazzo dei Principi Natoli) a palace built in the 17th century by Giovanni Natoli Ruffo, Duke of Archirafi.[4] Today, the palace is primarily used for art exhibitions, conferences, and lectures.[5]