Torre civica (Castel Goffredo)

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Torre Civica
The city tower between the Palazzo Municipale and the Palazzo Gonzaga-Acerbi

The city tower between the Palazzo Municipale and the Palazzo Gonzaga-Acerbi

Data
place Castel Goffredo
height 27 m
Coordinates 45 ° 17 '53.4 "  N , 10 ° 28' 29"  E Coordinates: 45 ° 17 '53.4 "  N , 10 ° 28' 29"  E

The City Tower (also called the Clock Tower) is a historic building in the city of Castel Goffredo in the province of Mantua .

Location

The building is located in Piazza Mazzini in the old town, and then bordered the old castle of Castelvecchio ( castellum vetus ). On its right side was the Palazzo del Vicario, now incorporated into the Palazzo Gonzaga-Acerbi . The tower is to the left of the Palazzo Gonzaga-Acerbi and Palazzo della Ragione. It has been part of the political center of the city for centuries and is widely considered the landmark of Castel Goffredo.

history

Gonzaga coat of arms on the city tower (16th century)

The tower was part of the city's first fortifications and closed off the medieval Castelvecchio district on the southern side.

Its foundation, which may have been built on a previously existing building and had 1.30 meter thick walls, dates back to the 13th century and the public clock has been here since 1438.

Above the arch, which at that time had a portcullis, hangs the coat of arms of the Gonzaga family of Mantua and on the sides there are two epigraphs that the Marchese Aloisio Gonzaga had made in the first half of the 16th century.

structure

Clock of the citizen tower

At the beginning the city tower was 20 meters high and covered with a roof, then some finishing works were carried out and it reached the current height of 27 meters. The tower had an external staircase on the eastern side, which connected the square with the interior of the tower. People were right here, and a torture chamber has been located there since the 15th century.

In 1492 the tower was raised with a new bell house, which still houses eight bells today. Some of them date from the 16th century and belong to the provost church of Saint Erasmus.

In 1925 the roofing was removed and the dovetail pinnacles were built .

When extraordinary maintenance work was carried out from 1983 to 1984, the existing plaster was first removed and then completely renewed. In addition, some static problems have been resolved.

The leaning tower

The tower has had a pronounced overhang for centuries, sloping towards Piazza Mazzini. Therefore, it was thoroughly examined in 2006 because the inclination had increased sharply in recent decades. The typical medieval characteristics make the tower one of the most important monuments of the city, which can be recognized as soon as you arrive at Castel Goffredo.

literature

  • Costante Berselli, Castelgoffredo nella storia , 1978, Mantova
  • Francesco Bonfiglio, Notie storiche di Castelgoffredo , 1922, Brescia
  • Francesco Bonfiglio, notes storiche di Castelgoffredo , 2005, Mantova
  • Enzo Boriani, Castelli e torri dei Gonzaga nel territorio mantovano , 1969, Brescia
  • Mariano Vignoli, Giancarlo Cobelli, Da terra aperta e ben intesa fortezza. Le mura e le fortificazioni di Castel Goffredo , 2010, Mantova ISBN = 978-88-95490-10-6
  • Dal castello al palazzo. Storia ed architettura in un'area di confine. Atti dei convegni di Acquafredda (25 maggio 1996) e San Martino Gusnago (16 November 1996) , 1997, Circolo Culturale San Martino Gusnago - Istituto Italiano dei Castelli - Banca di credito cooperativo di Casalmoro e Bozzolo, Guidizzolo
  • Touring Club Italiano, Lombardia , Milano, 1970.

Web links

Commons : Towers in Castel Goffredo  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Francesco Bonfiglio, Notes storiche di Castelgoffredo, 2nd ed., Mantova, 2005.
  2. ^ Vignoli (2010), p.33.
  3. ^ Bonfiglio (2005), p.308.
  4. ^ Bonfiglio (2005), p.92.
  5. ↑ Berselli, p.26.
  6. ^ Bonfiglio (2005), p.80.
  7. ↑ Berselli, p.134.
  8. ^ Vignoli (2010), p.34.
  9. ^ Vignoli (2010), p.34.
  10. ↑ Enzo Boriani, Castelli e Torri dei Gonzaga nel territorio mantovano, Brescia., 1969
  11. ^ Bonfiglio (2005), p.307.
  12. ^ Vignoli (2010), p.34.
  13. ^ Touring Club Italiano, Lombardia, p.483, Milano, 1970.