Torre Campanaria di La Morra

Rising 31 metres above Piazza Castello, the Bell Tower of La Morra is a defining part of the village skyline. Built between 1709 and 1711 by two engineers who solved a lean in the structure, this square civic tower was raised where the medieval fortress's own tower had stood, looking out over the Barolo vineyards.

Why it matters

The tower is a prominent landmark in La Morra's historic centre. It stands on Piazza Castello beside the belvedere terrace; the Baroque belfry and belvedere together shape the piazza's skyline. As communal property, it is a civic monument rather than a church furnishing, preserving a link with the village's fortified past.

Its construction story adds to the interest. The tower was begun in 1709 on plans drawn by engineer Cocito of Neive, who directed the work as far as the level of the bell chamber. When the structure showed a slight lean towards the west, the community called in engineer Domenico Pettiti of Cherasco, who solved the problem elegantly: he dropped the planned sixth section of the design and substituted the baroque bell chamber in its place. The completed tower was finished in 1711, and that compromise at the top gives the building its distinctive profile today.

What to notice

The tower has a square plan with five storeys marked by simple, sober framed panels, crowned by the baroque bell chamber. The community's tower replaced the medieval fortress's own tower, which had served as a belfry and prison before collapsing at the start of the eighteenth century. The contrast between the restrained lower levels and ornate belfry is the clearest visual signature of Pettiti's intervention.

The tower's position relates the village to the surrounding vineyard slopes, neighbouring ridges and the western Alps.

Context and history

The tower's story begins with the castle. The medieval fortress of La Morra was demolished in 1544 on the orders of the French troops then occupying the territory, and the old tower attached to it was among the few structures to linger — pressed into service as a belfry and prison, until it too collapsed in the early eighteenth century, carrying the parish's three bells with it.

The community rebuilt in the early 1700s. Construction from 1709 to 1711 followed Cocito's plans and direction up to the bell-chamber level; Pettiti redesigned the crown after the lean appeared. The tower is municipally owned.

The broader setting matters too. The surrounding vineyard landscape of the Langhe is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, and La Morra's historic centre includes the tower, belvedere and parish church. The tower therefore sits at the intersection of two stories: a small Piedmontese town's civic rebuilding after war, and a working agricultural landscape that is now globally recognised.