If you suffer from vertigo, you may not want to venture up to 88 meters of the Torre del Mangia, but we warn you that you will miss out on an exceptional view. A magnificent perspective on the city. From up there, in fact, the show is truly breathtaking. You can see it all Siena: from Piazza del Campo, to the slightly more distant Duomo, to the distant hills. The tower is an almost familiar presence for the Sienese. Beginning with the name, which apparently derives from a certain Giovanni di Duccio, by trade the guardian of the bell tower of the Palazzo Pubblico, nicknamed "earnings eater", because he squandered his money on food and drinks for the taverns of the city.
Where is the Torre del Mangia
When the bell was replaced with a mechanism, the population continued to call the automaton eat, also because the interventions on the clock mechanism were expensive due to the continuous restoration and maintenance interventions. The statue of Mangia, or the automaton that beat the hours, once on the Tower, is now visible in the Cortile del Podestà. The Torre del Mangia stands out in Piazza del Campo. Like many towers it symbolizes the union between heavenly and earthly power. According to an intuition of the archaeologist Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, Torre del Mangia competes in height with the Torre del Duomo: even if it starts from the bottom it reaches the same stature, demonstrating a perfect balance between the two institutions. The tower is one of those stops to mark on the agenda even for a quick visit, it cannot be missed, because, in one fell swoop, it offers details of the entire Siena.
Discover the Tower overlooking Piazza del Campo
The view from the Tower, thanks to different seasons and times, changes and gives a different emotion each time. Do you have any idea what it means to see Siena at sunset? On one side you admire the city and on the other the Val d'Orcia, inclusive San Gimignano and the splendid Sienese hills. The Torre del Mangia is the civic tower of the Palazzo Comunale and since 1325 it has become the symbol of power, a noble monument that dominates the entire city from above. It rests on a tuff base (this makes the structure elastic) and boasts an elegant and slender architecture. The chronicler of the time, Agnolo di Tura, tells us that both prayers and propitiatory rites played their role in the construction, that is, throwing coins and stones with inscriptions in different languages, such as Latin, Hebrew and Greek. Anything to wish her stability.
The history of the monument
The Torre del Mangia measures 102 meters high and is built in masonry, marble and stone, it is among the tallest towers in Italy. It defines and distinguishes the profile of the Piazza del Campo, the most famous in Siena, where the legendary Palio is held twice a year. It took ten years to build. At first it was believed that it was the work of the architect Agostino di Giovanni. Thanks to the Biccherna registers it was discovered that the first architects in charge were Minuccio di Rinaldo from Perugia and his brother Francesco. Another document dated 1341 reveals Lippo Memmi, a well-known painter, among the artists. The artist contributed to making the tower more original, and signed the project of a detail of great impact: the crowning that "breaks" the long brick barrel.
The numbers of the Tower
When in 1798 Siena was hit by a disastrous earthquake, the Tower survived: unharmed, and beautiful. Looking out from the Torre del Mangia is to breathe history, because you know that the Torre del Mangia has been silent witness of countless editions of Palios and has witnessed the changing of life and times. It is worth taking the climb of about 500 steps to reach the top. Through 110 steps you reach a small terrace overlooking the piazza del campo, which shows the wonderful shell shape from above. But to conquer the belfry, the top, you have to climb another 242. Counted from the front entrance of the Magazzini del Sale, they exceed 400. Like beautiful things, a bit of effort to deserve the wonder.
Featured photo source Ph. MarkusMark wiki commons - Public domain
