Maurizio Tower, built in Piazza del Duomo, in Orvieto, between 1347 and 1348, is one of the oldest clock towers in Italy. Maurizio is the bronze automaton on top of the tower, which, at fixed time, swings its body and strikes the bell with its hammer. SHORT HISTORY The history of the Maurizio Tower is closely related to the history of the Orvieto Cathedral. The tower was comissioned by the Opera del Duomo, and built between 1347 and 1348, to support the worksite. The tower was built originally to be a sundial, because at the time of its construction, there was no mechanical clock available. Its role was to indicate the start and the end of the work schedule. The current clockwork mechanism dates back to the 18th century, when a countwheel was added to strike the quarters on the smaller bells. Other adjustments were made between 1860 and 1870. In 1905, the headgear of the Maurizio was replaced. On October 29, 2011, the clock tower was brought back to use, and the building has become an information point for the Duomo and the Museum System of Orvieto’s Opera del Duomo (MODO). HOW TO GET THERE Maurizio Tower Read more [...]
All Towers in Orvieto
Torre del Moro
Torre del Moro (Tower of the Moor), originally known as Torre del Papa, is a 47 meter high tower in Orvieto, located in Corso Cavour, adjacent to Palazzo dei Sette. From the top of the tower, a bird eye’s view of the entire city below is unfolding in all its splendor. SHORT HISTORY Torre del Papa was built at the beginning of the 13th century, a period in which the urban center of Orvieto was the subject of a large renovation, and the most important buildings of the city, such as Palazzo del Popolo and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, were erected. The tower, owned by the pope until the second half of the 15th century, had its name changed to Torre del Moro after Raffaele Gualterio, known as Il Moro, who also gave his name to Palazzo Gualterio, located nearby. In 1865, a water tank was placed in the tower, at the height of 18 meters. A few years later, a mechanical clock and two bells were added to the tower. One of the bells was taken from the dodecagonal tower of the Church of Sant’Andrea and the other from Palazzo del Popolo. In the 16th century, Read more [...]