Campanile di San Fortunato

The Gothic bell tower of San Fortunato rises beside Todi's large Franciscan church. Dated to 1460, it forms a prominent vertical feature above the town and the middle Tiber valley.

Why it matters

The tower belongs to the later phases of a religious complex begun in 1292. Its height contrasts with the church's unfinished facade, bringing different stages of the long building programme into a single view.

What to notice

The stone shaft and belfry stand above the surrounding roofscape. An internal staircase of 153 steps reaches the upper level, where the outlook encompasses the town and valley. The neighbouring church has three pointed portals in a facade whose completed lower portion contrasts with the unfinished masonry above.

Context and history

The Franciscans rebuilt San Fortunato with support from the commune. A campaign on the facade began in 1415 under Giovanni di Santuccio; the tower followed later in the century. The complex is also associated with Todi's patron saints and the religious poet Jacopone, whose tomb is in the church's crypt. The campanile gives this religious foundation a lasting presence in the town's skyline.