Torre dell'Angelo

At the edge of Vercelli's medieval grid, the Torre dell'Angelo rises above Piazza Cavour. Its square Romanesque base climbs into a late-Gothic octagonal body, preserving a distinctive silhouette in the city's historic centre.

Why it matters

Medieval Vercelli was a city of towers, and the Torre dell'Angelo remains a prominent part of that skyline. Its square base shifts into an octagonal upper body finished with projecting machicolation ledges, a late-Gothic form associated with Lombard civic towers. A local legend connects the tower with the miracle that gave it its name. Its recent history includes a period of deterioration, public advocacy and restoration financed through Italy's Art Bonus scheme.

What to notice

The lower cube is plain brickwork, once the defensive core of a larger complex. At the transition to the octagonal upper drum are projecting stone machicolations; the crowning was added in 1875. The present brick-facing appearance reflects consolidation in the late 1980s. The tower's base also contains stair connections serving adjacent buildings.

Context and history

The tower predates the thirteenth century and formed part of a larger structure facing what is now Piazza Cavour, in the era when Vercelli's aristocratic families competed in tower-building. Its upper octagonal body is late Gothic, and the structure was raised in 1875, when the current merlon crowning was added. By the late twentieth century the tower was in poor condition: a first restoration campaign began in the early 1980s, urged on by public pressure, and the last major consolidation at the end of that decade produced today's brick-faced look. Deterioration of both inner and outer surfaces continued nonetheless; an iron protective canopy was installed over the base to catch falling material. A full conservative restoration, documented on the Ministry of Culture's Art Bonus platform, was financed through municipal and private contributions, and the works have been completed.