Medici Tower

Before you stands the Medici Tower, the undisputed symbol of Santo Stefano di Sessanio.
Built between the 14th and 15th centuries as a watchtower, it was part of the defensive system designed to protect the village and control access routes across the plateau.
Tall and slender, with its Ghibelline battlements and narrow arrow slits, the tower allowed threats to be spotted from miles away.
In the 16th century, under the rule of the Medici family of Florence, it also became a symbol of prestige and power, proudly displaying their coat of arms with the six famous balls.
Severely damaged by the 2009 earthquake, it has been faithfully reconstructed and now rises once again above the village’s stone rooftops, offering breathtaking views of the Gran Sasso and the surrounding mountains.
Take a moment, look up… and imagine the time when this tower was the vigilant sentinel of a medieval village suspended between sky and mountains.