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Galluzzi Tower

Historical building, Bologna

Galluzzi Tower: Attraction informations

Torre Galluzzi (Galluzzi Tower) is one of the still-standing towers of Bologna. It was built in 1257 and is almost 31 metres high. It stands near Piazza Maggiore inside a court that carries the same name and is flanked by the Oratory of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini. The oratory is overlapped with the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda, restored in 1700 by Tubertini and built by the Galluzzi family.

Although the tower is one of the most recent ones, it was built like all others as a defensive tower. It is considered to be of more recent construction because of its ogival arch (the older ones had round arches). Its current gate is not the original one, which can be seen high at the exact centre of the tower; the height of the original entrance is not surprising as, in past centuries, the tower itself was probably connected to the house by a passage built in wood as the remaining threshold proves. Its defensive role is again proved by the thickness of its walls, a bit over 3 metres at its base; a clear indication that the original plan was to build a higher tower.

The owners of this tower were members of the Galluzzi, a Guelph family whose history is forever linked to the Catalani, owners of a nearby tower. The events linking both families happened during XIII century, when one of the Catalani increased the height of the tower after one of his nephews asked him to, as he wanted to impress and conquer the love of Virginia Galluzzi, of the Guelph family. The trick worked like charm and they got secretly married. Unfortunately, upon discovery of their marriage they were severely punished: the young man from the Catalani family was executed while his wife was forced to commit suicide.

As many other noble families in those years, the Galluzzi owned more than one tower, but this is the only one still standing. It was, together with the Galluzzi’s court, the heart of the family reign and extremely important for their protection against the nearby Carbonesi, their sworn enemies.

The tower is currently occupied by a library, while some restaurants and shops overlook its court. Just a few steps away we can find Piazza Galvani with the Archiginnasio, and the central Via d’Azeglio where the great singer and composer Lucio Dalla used to live.