Coastal watchtower rebuilt in a larger and more efficient form in place of the earlier, crumbling 16th-century tower, as part of the wider defensive system which, over more than a century, gave the Circeo promontory six watchtowers against pirate raids. The name ‘Clementina’ probably refers to one of the popes named Clement who, like Clement XI in the 18th century, took an active part in the administration and defence of the Circeo territory.
It stands right by the mouth of the Olevola canal. More recent than the round Towers (Torre Paola, Torre Fico, Torre Cervia, Torre Moresca), it was built in the mid-16th century at the wish of Pius V, on the remains of an ancient Roman fort. 17th-century documents on the constant maintenance and restoration of the Tower confirm the antiquity of its base walls. To keep a good watch over the whole plain, besides building Torre Olevola and Torre Vittoria, Pius V also had part of the forest that covered the Pontine plain before its reclamation cleared, as it was an ideal refuge for brigands and bandits. It takes its name from the canal that flows beside it, today called Olevola, though its name changed over time (Livola, Levola, Leola, Euola). Rebuilt in 1701, it was renamed again, this time in honour of the Pope who had it rebuilt, Clement XI. The name of the Treasurer Lorenzo Corsini, a man of Clement XI’s papacy, is carved on the lintel above the tower door, “Lavrentio corsino tesav.gen”, and dates precisely from the completion of the rebuilding (1703). It should be remembered that, despite the efficient system of fortifications, pirate raids did not decrease, sometimes even helped by the Tower guards themselves. To keep this unfortunate situation in check, the Apostolic Chamber carried out regular inspections of the coastal towers, periodically sending “Visitors”. Thanks to these checks we now have a considerable number of documents on these sites, on staff management and the state of the buildings in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1870, with the Unification of Italy, the towers passed to the new State. They were also important strategic defence sites in the later world wars. The plaque set into the tower recalls the sanctions imposed on Italy when it took part in the war in Ethiopia (1935). Considered a lowland Tower, like Torre Vittoria, it has a rectangular base and is oriented with one corner towards the shore, to better deflect projectiles. The base has the characteristic, rather high slope; the foundations rest on a “platform with piles below”, a series of tree trunks driven directly into the foundation trench and topped with a concrete pour. Inside there are two levels: the first with sloping walls, clearly visible outside thanks to a projecting string course, while the flat roof, called the “gun platform”, is crowned with corbels and machicolations. The soldiers lived on the upper floor, higher and closer to the gun platform where the artillery was placed, while the ground floor was used as a storeroom and held a rainwater cistern. For safety, the ammunition store was placed in one corner of the gun platform, both to prevent theft and to minimise the risk of fire during an attack. The terrace also held the (short-barrelled) cannons and other smaller artillery, the flagpole and the braziers for visual signals with fire or smoke (depending on whether they were needed by night or by day). A bell warned the Tower’s occupants of an attack. Wooden ladders, easy to remove in case of danger, were used to reach the different floors. The walls too were designed for defence: very thick, from two to three metres, made of a concrete core with a brick facing on the outside, clearly visible here.
