Vercelli, in ancient times, was a city full of towers; at the time in fact, prestigious families had towers built as a symbol of power. Today, compared to the past, there are only five left, but thanks to them we can still take a journey inside a city that has much to tell.
The best-known tower is the Torre dell'Angelo that stands out on the centrally located Piazza Cavour, which is associated with a well-known legend. Built in the 14th century, it has a square base on which a late Gothic octagonal body is inserted, ending in long medieval machicolations.
The oldest and tallest (37 metres) of the Vercelli's noble towers, however, is the City Tower or Municipal Tower. With a square plan, it was a landmark for all the people of Vercelli, who based their lives on its bells and its large clock . For many centuries it stood on top of the town hall building. Bells rang to convene the city parliament and the people, to announce a time of celebration or mourning, or to signal imminent danger.
Placed alongside Corso Libertà, towards Porta Milano, is the Torre dei Tizzoni, to which another legend is linked: it is part of the palace, dating back to the mid-15th century, of the Ghibelline-sided Tizzoni family.
Between Via Giovanni Achille Cagna and Via Francesco Antonio Vallotti, on the other hand, is the slenderest tower of Vialardi, the only surviving almost unaltered part of the home of the noble family of the same name, one of the oldest families in Vercelli, which was already of considerable importance in the 12th century but then flourished in the mid-16th century.
Foto @alessandra.corra
Archivio @regione.piemonte
