Along the south-east stretch of coast next to the Castle della Fava, there is the Tower of San Giovanni, in the area with the same name (fig. 1).

Built in the early seventeenth century, it was in a state of neglect already in 1720. Renovated in 1778, it was again abandoned at the end of the century. The tower was repaired and re-manned during the attack by the French in 179310. Later, it was finally abandoned.

It is 10 metres high (from the ground to the terrace) and consists of a cylinder on a truncated cone base (8.40 metres in diameter). The entrance is located halfway up and leads to the small room with a domed ceiling in which there is the hatch to reach the terrace, where cannons are still visible along the parapet (fig. 2). It could accommodate two or three armed men.

The building is located near a small church, known in ancient sources as Ecclesia Sancti Johannis de Portunono, perhaps a typo for Portunovo (figs. 3-4). The port which the name refers to must be the one mentioned in the fifteenth century documents with the name of Sa Galitta, also called, more commonly, Caricatoio (grain loader/silo) of the Castle della Fava or Port of Posada, as it served this town. This landing, also called port of Pedras Nieddas, from the name of the southern mouth of the Rio Mannu, should not be confused with that of Saint Lucia, located just a little to the south. From the tower, the view sweeps over the surrounding territory.

Fig. 1 - San Giovanni of Posada, view from the Castello della Fava (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).

Fig. 2 - Tower of San Giovanni, in the location with the same name in the municipality of Posada (from http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/60/40/74_big.jpg).

Fig. 3 - Church of St. John, identifiable with the Ecclesia Sancti Johannis de Portunono in ancient documents (fromhttp://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/60/40/76_big.jpg).

Fig. 4 - Place names of the parish of Posada recorded in the Liber fondachi (from PANEDDA 1978, p. 555).