In July 2020, an archival study documented the deteriorating condition of Piombino’s coastal defence towers during the 18th century, revealing a picture of chronic disrepair and inadequate armament across the principality’s maritime defences.
In 1749, the Governor of Piombino requested an inventory of arms from the Castellano (commander) of Torre di Baratti. The response revealed alarming shortages. The tower held four cannons, three of which were unusable, thirty-six cannonballs of various calibres, six rifles with only one functional, two spingards (small cannons) of which one lacked a flint lock, four sabres, four bayonets, two rammers, and eighty pounds of gunpowder. Staffing was equally inadequate: the tower was often garrisoned by a single soldier, and commanders repeatedly petitioned for additional personnel. When soldiers were assigned, commanders frequently complained of their poor professional standards.
Persistent Decline Through the Later Century
Conditions improved only marginally over the following decades. By 1795, Torre di Baratti had three soldiers defending it, yet Castellano Bartolomeo Paulini complained repeatedly in 1799 and 1800 of severe shortages in weaponry. Torre Mozza fared no better. In 1794, its Castellano reported to Piombino two eight-pounder cannons with thirty-two rounds of inferior and essentially unusable ammunition, four rifles with bayonets but in poor condition and only forty rounds, three sabres (one with a broken belt, one without), and gunpowder of low quality due to nitrate deficiency.
Frequently asked questions
What was the actual armament of Torre di Baratti in 1749?
The tower held four cannons with three unusable, thirty-six cannonballs, six rifles with only one working, two spingards with one lacking a flint lock, four sabres, four bayonets, two rammers, and eighty pounds of gunpowder.
How many soldiers defended the coastal towers?
In 1749, Torre di Baratti was often guarded by a single soldier; by 1795, it had three soldiers. Torre Mozza’s garrison size is not specified in the documents.
What sources document these conditions?
The information comes from the book Torri e difese costiere del Principato di Piombino by Mauro Carrara (2000) and the Historical Archive of Piombino City “Ivan Tognarini.”
