In July 2014, after years of decay and abandonment, a re-constructed Torretta Pepoli on Erice’s mountainside reopened. Named for, and originally built around 1870 by scholar and arts patron Count Agostino Pepoli (1848-1911), when first built, the little castle was a center of personal retreat as well as reception of artists and scholars. Today, the tower in its new inception is a multimedia and interactive museum that acts as a “Lighthouse for Peace in the Mediterranean.” Visitors learn about the history of Erice as well as the ancient city’s myths, cultures, and traditions. One installation, perhaps the most significant, enables visitors to video record a message of peace that will be transmitted to the world through the internet.
