Civic Tower, Casale Monferrato, Italy

The civic tower of Casale Monferrato is a brick construction with a square plan form. With its 60 meters of height the tower dominates the whole town and it is its most characteristic symbol. The lower side dates back to the original construction of the 11th century. It was built for defensive purposes later it became the symbol of civic power.

At the beginning of the 16th century the Paleologi family, Marquises of Monferrato, commissioned to the architect and sculptor Matteo Sanmicheli (Porlezza 1480-1528) a crowing element, which takes the form of a loggia. With a square plan form the loggia presents four mullioned windows, surmounted by another smaller loggia with an octagonal plan form.

On the top of the tower stands a colonnade and a small calotte, adorned with dolphins. Across the centuries the civic tower was modernized with painting plasters and decorative stucco. In 1920 there was a final restoration and so it has remained until today.

References:

Comune Casale Monferrato

Miscellaneous historic sites in Italy

User Reviews

Mario Niro (2 years ago)
Very beautiful especially at sunset, being illuminated on the top

Renato (4 years ago)
The symbol of Casale Monferrato. On open city days it is possible to climb to the top and admire the view

Angelo Bertocchi (5 years ago)
Rising in the landscape of Casale, stands on the left side of the church of Santo Stefano. With its 60 meters it is the symbols of the city. The lower part dates back to the eleventh century and the upper part of the early 1500s was born on the project of the architect and sculptor Matteo Sammicheli. At the top of the tower is the Gonzaga flag.

Fabrizio Pivari (6 years ago)
while not overlooking Piazza Mazzini it overlooks it

Andrea Gino (8 years ago)
Beautiful monument, unfortunately it is only possible to climb to the top during special occasions

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Civic Tower

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle