A circular tower, nearly 15 meters tall with a diameter of 10 meters, located 112 meters above sea level on the southwestern slope of Monte Argentario.
As in other coastal towers, the sloped base houses a cistern that provides the water supply needed to meet the needs of the small garrison stationed there to defend the area.
Originally, the interior space of the upper section was divided into two levels separated by wooden floors.
The entrance, located above the curb, is accessed via an outdoor stone staircase.
Its original name was Torre di Cala Ficaia; it was later called Torre di Cala Piatti or Torre del Bove, and more recently, Torre di Cala Piccola.
The name Torre di Cala Ficaia derives from the presence of a large fig tree in the vicinity—known as “higuera” in Spanish—which is the origin of the name Calafoighera mentioned in a report from the first half of the 17th century.
The name Torre di Cala Piatti is attributed to Giovan Battista Piatti, the engineer who likely designed and built it in 1589 together with his son Fernando Piatti; however, some believe it is linked to the valuable booty that, according to popular tradition, Barbary pirates used to hide in the cove below the tower.
The name Torre del Bove dates back to the 19th century and derives from the nearby cove of the same name, called Cala del Bove because of the occasional sightings of the monk seal, a pinniped mammal of the seal family, also known as the “sea ox.”
The term " Torre di Cala Piccola" is more recent; it was coined in 1960, when the hotel of the same name was built, as a contrast to the nearby Cala Grande.
In the summer of 1867, like the other coastal towers on theArgentario , the Cala Piccola tower was decommissioned and put up for auction along with the surrounding land.
In 1957, Milanese entrepreneur Carlo Bertuzzi became the owner of the tower and planned to build a high-quality, welcoming hotel there. Thus, in 1959,the Hotel Torre di Cala Piccola was born—one of Europe’s most chic club hotels, which has since become the exclusive Hotel Boutique Torre di Cala Piccola.
On May 14, 2022, thanks to an initiative by Massimo Sandrelli, then president of Cala Piccola Spa, assisted by Gualtiero Della Monaca, president of the Don Pietro Fanciulli Study Center, a permanent exhibition was inaugurated inside the Spanish Tower. Through an educational tour enriched with images, documents, weapons, uniforms, and videos, tells the story of the site and its role in combating Turkish-Barbary piracy. The exhibition is open to the public, with free admission.