Tower of Torre del Mangia in Italy, Siena resort
Rating: 7,9/10 (2003 votes)  The Torre del Mangia Tower, also known as the Glutton's Tower, is the tallest tower in Siena. The tower is 102 meters high. Previously, the tower served as a secular 'bell tower'; The commune palace. The tower was named after its first appetite guard Giovanni di Balduccio. Construction of the tower began in 1325 and finished in 1348. The architects of the building were brothers Muccio and Francesco di Rinaldo, who arrived from Arezzo. According to legend, during the construction of the tower, lucky coins were laid and stones with Latin inscriptions were installed on each corner of the building and Hebrew, to protect the tower from the elements. In the Middle Ages, this custom was quite widespread. In 1360, the tower clock was created by the master Bartolomeo Guidi. In 1428, a dial was painted on the clock; at the end of the 18th century, it was decorated with a fresco. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the restoration work carried out, the fresco was lost. In 1349, the first bell was installed in the belfry, cast in 1348. The bell was replaced with a new one in 1634, which also turned out to be imperfect. 32 years later, the current bell was installed on the tower, which the inhabitants of the city dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Due to its enormous size, the bell was installed above the belfry. Traditionally, the bell is struck only on the day of the Palio (traditional city races). Until 1379, the bell was sounded by the tower keeper, until it was replaced by an apparatus made of wood. In 1425, the wooden structure was replaced by a metal one, and later by a stone one. In 1780, the apparatus was replaced by a hammer, which today beats the exact time on the bell. The Glutton's Tower, along with other sights of the old part of Siena, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.  We also recommend reading Hospital Santa Maria della Scala in Italy, resort of Siena Topic: Tower of Torre del Mangia in Italy, Siena resort. |
