Torre del Mangia
Encyclopedia
The Torre del Mangia is a tower
in Siena
, in the Tuscany
region of Italy
. Built in 1338-1348, it is located in the Piazza del Campo
, Siena's premier square
, adjacent to the Palazzo Pubblico
(Town Hall). When built it was one of the tallest secular towers in mediaeval Italy. At 88 m, it is now second only to Cremona
's Torrazzo.
The name (meaning "Tower of the Eater") derives from its first guardian, Giovanni di Balduccio
, nicknamed Mangiaguadagni for his tendency to spend all his money on food.
The upper part was realized by Agostino di Giovanni under design by one Mastro Lippo pittore, probably identifiable with Lippo Memmi
.
The marble loggia, known as Cappella di Piazza, was added in 1352 as a vow for the Holy Virgin by the Sienese survivors from the Black Death
. The pilaster were remade in the current form in 1378, the sculptures decorating them being executed in 1378-1382 by Mariano d'Angelo Romanelli e Bartolomeo di Tommé. The simple wooden ceiling once covering the loggia was replaced by the current Renaissance marble vault in 1461-1468 by Antonio Federighi, also author of the bizarre decorations of the coronation. In 1537-1539 Il Sodoma
painted a fresco over the altar, now housed in the Town museum in the Palazzo Pubblico.
The clock was added in 1360.
The tower is visible from all parts of Siena and is adjacent to the Gothic
Palazzo Pubblico.
The tower was built to be exactly the same height as the Duomo di Siena
as a sign that the church and the state had equal amounts of power.
The walls of the tower are approximately 3 m thick on each side.
, UK, was inspired by the Torre del Mangia, and couples a similar design with Victorian
redbrick styles.
A replica clock tower designed by McKim, Mead & White can be seen in Waterbury, Connecticut
in the United States
. Completed in 1909, the building it is attached to, then the city's train station, is now headquarters to the region's daily newspaper.
The Pilgrim Monument
at Provincetown, USA
, designed by Willard T. Sears
was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims
in Provincetown on November 21, 1620. The monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States, the design patterned after the Torre del Mangia.
The "Pine Street Inn" in Boston Massachusetts, formerly a fire station, is also modeled after the Torre del Mangia.
The Dock Tower in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, UK was built in 1852 and is 94 m high. Its function was as an hydraulic tower to open the lock gates of the Royal Dock. Although obsolete from 1892 onwards, the tower remains as a proud monument to the town and its rich fishing history.
The main building of the Spanish business & law school, ICADE
, located in Madrid
is topped with a clock tower patterned after the Torre de Mangia.
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, in the Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Built in 1338-1348, it is located in the Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili...
, Siena's premier square
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
, adjacent to the Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico is a palace in Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. Construction began in 1297 and its original purpose was to house the republican government, consisting of the Podestà and Council of Nine....
(Town Hall). When built it was one of the tallest secular towers in mediaeval Italy. At 88 m, it is now second only to Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
's Torrazzo.
Giovanni di Balduccio
Giovanni di Balduccio was an Italian sculptor of the Medieval period. He was born in Pisa, and likely did not train directly with the famous Pisan sculptor Andrea Pisano. He travelled to Milan to help sculpt the arc of St. Peter Martyr now in the Portinari Chapel, in the Basilica of...
, nicknamed Mangiaguadagni for his tendency to spend all his money on food.
The upper part was realized by Agostino di Giovanni under design by one Mastro Lippo pittore, probably identifiable with Lippo Memmi
Lippo Memmi
Lippo Memmi was an Italian painter from Siena. He was the foremost follower of Simone Martini, who was his brother-in-law....
.
The marble loggia, known as Cappella di Piazza, was added in 1352 as a vow for the Holy Virgin by the Sienese survivors from the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
. The pilaster were remade in the current form in 1378, the sculptures decorating them being executed in 1378-1382 by Mariano d'Angelo Romanelli e Bartolomeo di Tommé. The simple wooden ceiling once covering the loggia was replaced by the current Renaissance marble vault in 1461-1468 by Antonio Federighi, also author of the bizarre decorations of the coronation. In 1537-1539 Il Sodoma
Il Sodoma
Il Sodoma was the name given to the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Antonio Bazzi. Il Sodoma painted in a manner that superimposed the High Renaissance style of early 16th-century Rome onto the traditions of the provincial Sienese school; he spent the bulk of his professional life in Siena,...
painted a fresco over the altar, now housed in the Town museum in the Palazzo Pubblico.
The clock was added in 1360.
The tower is visible from all parts of Siena and is adjacent to the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Palazzo Pubblico.
The tower was built to be exactly the same height as the Duomo di Siena
Duomo di Siena
The Cathedral of Siena , dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta , is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy....
as a sign that the church and the state had equal amounts of power.
The walls of the tower are approximately 3 m thick on each side.
Replicas
The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (nicknamed Old Joe) at the University of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, UK, was inspired by the Torre del Mangia, and couples a similar design with Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
redbrick styles.
A replica clock tower designed by McKim, Mead & White can be seen in Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Completed in 1909, the building it is attached to, then the city's train station, is now headquarters to the region's daily newspaper.
The Pilgrim Monument
Pilgrim Monument
For the monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument see National Monument to the ForefathersThe Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing in Provincetown...
at Provincetown, USA
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, designed by Willard T. Sears
Willard T. Sears
Willard Thomas Sears was a prominent New England architect of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who worked primarily in the Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival styles....
was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
in Provincetown on November 21, 1620. The monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States, the design patterned after the Torre del Mangia.
The "Pine Street Inn" in Boston Massachusetts, formerly a fire station, is also modeled after the Torre del Mangia.
The Dock Tower in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, UK was built in 1852 and is 94 m high. Its function was as an hydraulic tower to open the lock gates of the Royal Dock. Although obsolete from 1892 onwards, the tower remains as a proud monument to the town and its rich fishing history.
The main building of the Spanish business & law school, ICADE
ICADE
ICADE is the brand name by which two schools of the Comillas Pontifical University, located in Madrid , are known. It stands for Instituto Católico de Administración y Dirección de Empresas , the name of an Institute that merged with the Comillas Pontifical University in 1978, giving birth to two...
, located in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
is topped with a clock tower patterned after the Torre de Mangia.
See also
- Palio di SienaPalio di SienaThe Palio di Siena is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy...