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| the bell tower hides a medieval tower within |
The square bell tower guarding the entrance to the medieval hamlet of Bassano in Teverina holds a secret.
Its stout 17th century walls hide another, medieval tower invisible to the outside world.
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| entrance to medieval town center across a moat bridge |
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| 1700s tower decorated with a ceramic clock |
This tower within a tower is unique, definitely material for the Guinness book of records.
How did it happen? It seems that the original tower was enclosed by the "modern" one when the town's defenses were updated in the 1700s.
It was easier to enclose the existing one than to destroy it then rebuild.
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| sign on the tower entrance |
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| Santa Maria dei Lumi -also open during festivities |
During the weekend of July 28-29 the annual festivities in the town of Bassano in Teverina will include guided visits of the double bell tower, now restored and fitted out with a lift, allowing visitors to admire the decorations on the medieval tower as they ascend to the top.
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| view over Tiber valley from Bassano in Teverina |
The hamlet suffered from bombing during the last world war and over several decades restoration has taken place to transform the castle ruins into an apartment building housing about 30 families.
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| economic council apartments have risen from castle ruins |
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| view with swimming pool |
In the 18th century large palazzi were built in the newer part of the town and today they contain holiday apartments, a restaurant and even a swimming pool hidden behind high walls.
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| holiday apartments in an ancient palazzo |
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| another private pool lies behind these walls |
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Bassano in Teverina from the double tower
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Not too far away, along the Orte-Viterbo superstrada, another tower can be seen rising above the Mediterranean brush near the tiny village of Chia.
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| Chia medieval tower and residential complex |
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| Pasolini's tower located near Soriano nel Cimino and Bassano in Teverina |
This is Pasolini's tower , once the hideaway of famed Italian poet and film director, Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Years ago, when the construction of the modern complex was still under way, the builders let me look around. The modern living quarters built beneath the tower resembled a ranch house and contained five ensuite bedrooms for guests.
The complex is private property and officially not visitable, but it seems that a cultural association is planning a Literary Park in the area along the banks of the stream once used as a film set by Pasolino.
There is such a wealth of interesting sites and possibilities for tourism in the area of Tuscia/Etruria yet many remain forgotten and abandoned.
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fascinating post about these towers. Although you cannot go inside the Pasolini tower of Chia, you can wander about the grounds, where there is, or was when I visited there some time ago, a picnic table for hikers. It's a haunting spot. I used it as a model for the tower of Federigo del Re in my novel The Etruscan. Thanks also for posting a link to my travel essay on the tower. --Linda Lappin
ReplyDeleteand thank you Linda for taking a look and the time to comment. Is your book "The Etruscan" now available in ebook format?
ReplyDeleteToday the Mayor of Bassano, Alessandro Romoli, gave us a private tour of the hidden tower. Full report and photos next week. Learned that the palazzo with altana(arched tower) that you see in the photos above, belongs to recently deceased artist Cy Twombly. His son Alexander was a student of mine years ago.
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