Torre della Ghirlandina

Ghirlandina (also Ghirlandina; Italian: small garland ) is the bell tower of the cathedral of Modena. With a height of 86.12 meters, the tower is the landmark of Modena and a highly visible focal point for all travelers. The Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

History

The original tower Torre di San Geminianus with a square floor plan to 1179 was increased to five floors, since then expanded in the following centuries by the cultivation of a particular rivalry with reasons Bologna octagonal top on a design by Arrigo Campione. Arrigo da Campione was one of the masters from Campione, the Romanesque cathedral, adapting 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 that give the tower its name.

Inside the building, 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 place for keeping chests and trophies of the Municipality of Modena. Note the carved into the Stanza dei Torresani capitals on the 5th floor.

Forecourt

At the small Piazza Torre that goes on the Via Emilia, the Monumento ad Alessandro Tassoni is ( monument of Alessandro Tassoni ), the most famous poet of Modena. The statue was made ​​in 1860 by the sculptor Alessandro Cavazza.