Ghirlandina

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Ghirlandina (also torre ghirlandina ; Italian: small garland ) refers to the bell tower on Modena Cathedral . With a height of 86.12 meters, the tower is Modena's landmark and a widely visible eye-catcher for all travelers. The cathedral, the bell tower and the Piazza Grande were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997 .

history

The Duomo San Geminiano and the Torre Ghirlandina
The Ghirlandina clad in a shell by Mimmo Paladino

The original tower, Torre di San Geminiano, with a square floor plan, was increased to five floors by 1179, then expanded in the following centuries by the addition of an octagonal spire designed by Arrigo da Campione , which was special for reasons of rivalry with Bologna . Arrigo da Campione was one of the masters from Campione who adapted the Romanesque cathedral to the newer Gothic style between the 13th century and the 15th century . The top is decorated with two garlands in the form of marble railings, which give the tower its name.

Inside the structure, in the Sala della Secchia with frescoes from the 15th century, an imitation of the famous painting Secchia rapita is kept, a relic from the time when the tower was a repository for chests and trophies of the municipality of Modena. The capitals carved in the Stanza dei Torresani on the 5th floor are remarkable .

Forecourt

In the small Piazza Torre, which overlooks Via Emilia , is the Monumento ad Alessandro Tassoni (Monument to Alessandro Tassoni), Modena's most famous poet. The statue was made in 1860 by the sculptor Alessandro Cavazza .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christina Langner; Unesco: The natural and cultural wonders of the world, all natural and cultural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Chronik-Verlag, Gütersloh 2006, ISBN 978-3-577-14640-1 , p. 396 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 30, 2016]).

Coordinates: 44 ° 38 ′ 47.2 "  N , 10 ° 55 ′ 33.7"  E