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The Tower of Flies was a formidable guard tower/fort at the medieval city-port of Acre, which overlooked the harbour from a small island and protected the city’s rich maritime trade. It also served as a lighthouse.
Its precise origins are unknown, but it is an ancient structure, most likely built in Phoenician times. It was the Crusaders of Europe that redeveloped the tower to the height of its prowess during a re-fortification of the ancient port after the city’s capture in the First Crusade. The tower was also attached to a giant harbour chain that was strung across the harbour to prevent the entry of ships. The ruins of the tower are still visible today.
The tower gets its peculiar name from the Crusaders who first arrived at Acre; believing that they had arrived at the ancient Bible city of Ekron where one of the major deities was Ba'al-zebub, literally meaning the Lord of the Flies. Since the tower already existed and apparently garbage was frequently left at the site, it was named the Tower of Flies.
The ancient watchtower has been a key feature in the city’s armour against foreign attacks, particularly at sea. Conrad of Montferrat tried to take the city of Acre during the Third Crusade by attacking the Tower of Flies but adverse winds and rocks below the surface prevented his ship getting close enough.
The tower was also a key piece in the War of St. Sabas, with the warring maritime Genoese and Venetian factions fighting for its control and by extension, control of the harbour. In 1267, Genoa managed to capture the tower and blockade the harbour for twelve days before the Venetians evicted them. The war was settled three years later.
During the times of Jezzar Pesha, the Ottoman ruler of Acre in the late 18th century, a huge chain was used to secure entrance in and out of the harbour. During this era, the tower also had a sinister reputation as a dungeon.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.