Draft:Balio Towers

The Balio Towers (Italian: Torri del Balio) are a group of medieval towers in Erice, Sicily. They were built by the Normans as part of the town’s defences and also housed the royal bailiff (bajulo), from whom the towers take their name.

Three towers are joined by crenellated walls. They functioned as a gatehouse to the nearby Castle of Venus. An Aragonese coat of arms near the entrance suggests parts of the structure may have been rebuilt in the 14th century, possibly around the time of the War of the Vespers. In the late 19th century, Count Agostino Pepoli restored the towers and created the nearby Balio Gardens..