Korcula, Croatia: Large Governor's Tower

Back in the 1400s, you never know who might come knocking at the door. Invaders might see a small island near the coast of Europe, and think the place was easy pickings.

So a good defensive structure was handy to have. The good people of Korcula opted to build this one on its shore to serve that function.

The Large Governor's Tower went up in 1483. It's shaped like a cone with the end cut off. The resulting building sort of looks like a store-bought tiny apple pie. 

This building used to hold the town's water supply within its boundaries. A well-placed bomb during World War II seems to have wiped out that function. It's still an impressive site from a distance - either from land or water.  

That's the Small Governor's Tower next to it, sticking up into the sky. It went up in 1449. Both were designed to protect the Governor's Palace.