This mighty tower was built by architect Giovanni Capula in 1307 on the Castello hill, facing the sea. Along with the St Pancras and Eagle towers, it was intended to guard one of the main entrances to Castello and to bolster the city walls, which were being built in the same period. Elephant Tower occupied the most south-western point of the castle. Its dominant position is nowadays less apparent due to a number of civilian and military buildings which surround it, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Similarly to the St Pancras Tower, it is made from local limestone and its wooden floors divide it in four levels. During the Aragonese domination, a wall on the northern side was built, allowing the tower to be used for storage and as a prison. On the southern wall of the tower a small statue of an elephant is still visible, hence the name of the site, as well as the original Pisan families' coats of arms.