Torre Troyana

The Troyana Tower is Asti's tallest surviving medieval tower. Built by the Troya family in the thirteenth century, it later became the city's public clock tower.

Why it matters

The tower reflects the wealth and rivalry of Asti's medieval banking families, who expressed their status through tall urban residences. After passing to the commune, it took on a civic role as the city's timekeeper and remains a defining feature of the historic skyline.

What to notice

The square masonry base rises into upper storeys with paired windows and alternating bands of brick and sandstone arches. Ghibelline battlements crown the tower, with a metal spire protecting the clock. A bell cast in 1531 preserves the later civic use of the building.

Context and history

The tower's base likely dates to the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. The Troya family acquired it around 1250 and raised the upper storeys between approximately 1260 and 1280. In 1422 the palace-tower complex passed to the commune, and the public clock was transferred there. In 1560 Duke Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy gave it its enduring role of marking the hours. Restorations in 1905 and 1997–1999 renewed its fabric.