 The towers form part of the island's defence system, together with the walled enclosure of Dalt Vila and the fortified churches. Back in the Islamic period, watchtowers were already in existence. These towers were organised with permanent shifts, and if enemy ships were spotted, great fires were lit to warn of the danger. On a 16th Century Turkish map, 18 watchtowers were noted.
 Between the 15th and 18th Centuries, rural defence towers were built. They were usually sited in agricultural villages, forming part of a house. They had a circular or quadrangular shape, consisting of two floors with a domed roof.
Rural refuge towers- Torre de Cas Serres de Baix.
- Torre de Can Toni Rei.
- Torre de Can Fita.
- Torre de s’hort dén Palerm.
- Torre de Can Basques.
- Torre de Cas Margalits.
- Torre de Cas Costes.
- Torre de Can Mates.
- Torre de Cas Orvais.
- Torre de Can Gibert.
- Torre de Can Font.
- Torre de Cas Nét.
- Torre de Can Damiá Dèn Savines.
- Torre de Benimussa Can Xico de Cas Costes.
- Torre de Can Sergent.
- Torre de Can Guimó.
- Torre de Can Curt.
- Torre de Can Macià.
- Torre de Can Racó.
- Torre de Can Pere Petit.
- Torre de Cana Portes.
- Torre de Can Mossonet.
- Torre de Sa Torre.
- Torre de Can Figueretes.
- Torre des Fornàs.
- Torre de Can Batlet.
- Torre des Verger.
- Torre de Can Fornàs (Balafia).
- Torre de Can Pere de na Bet (Balafia).
- Torre de Can Pere Mosson (Balafia).
- Torre de Can Negre.
- Torre de Ca Sa Blancadona.
- Torre de Can Espatleta.
- Torre des Pou Den Nadal.
- Torre de Can Llàtzer.
- Torre de Can Jaument.
- Torre de Can Obrador.
- Torre de Can Toni.
- Torre des Moli d’Enming.
- Torre de Can Rieró.
- Torre de Can Montserrat.
- Torre de Can Vidal.
In the 18th Century, under the reign of Carlos III, coastline defence towers began to be built in order to create a defence system along the whole of the coastline. Joan Ballester was in charge of building the majority of these towers. The towers had two domed floors and the ground floor was the magazine. The entrance gate was on the first floor. To this new set of 5 towers, torre des Savinar o cap d’es Jueu, Torre den Rovira, Torre de Balazant o d’es Molar, Torre de Portinatx, Torre de Campanitx o dén Valls, the church towers of Sant Antoni and Sta Eularia, Sal Rossa and Ses Portes were added. In 1867 the War Division was transferred to the Treasury, after the Watchtower Division was dismantled. From then on, the owners of the land on which the towers were situated, put the towers to different uses. |
