Located at the foothills of the Alps in Italy, just a couple of miles away from the Mediterranean Sea and the border with France, there is a magnificent looking hamlet from the Middle Ages. Built entirely out of stone and straight into the cliff-face, Torri Superiore dates back to the 13th century. It towers some five stories tall and 100 meters long and is made out of a total of 162 rooms, all interconnected with each other.
So much so, that they form an amazingly intricate maze of rooms, corridors and beautiful terraces. It wasn’t this bi right from the beginning though, the last additions being made during the time of Napoleon. This was also the time when Torri Superiore reached its maximum population of about 200 people. Since then however, the tower was slowly abandoned as more and more people moved to the city, leaving Torri in a state of disrepair for more than 100 years.
That’s until 1989 when the Torri Superiore Cultural Association was founded and a permanent community of 20 individuals was created, which slowly renovated and maintained the hamlet. Today one half is owned by association while the other, by the 20 residents themselves. Since 1992 Torri Superiore was host to over 400 children who came here in summer camps and were host to countless cultural events, workshops, courses, environmental education and also guest accommodation.Besides trying to live off-grid, they also immerse the historical heritage into the mix.
