Torre delle Milizie
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2013) ) |
Coordinates | 41°53′27.20″N 12°29′7.13″E / 41.8908889°N 12.4853139°E |
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The Torre delle Milizie ("Tower of the Militia") is a fortified tower in Rome, Italy, located between Trajan's Market in the Imperial fora to the southwest and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, or Angelicum, to the east.
History
The tower gained the popular nickname of "Nero's Tower" from a tradition that it originated as an ancient Roman construction from which the emperor Nero watched the Great Fire of Rome – this is derived from the classical account that he watched from a tower in the Gardens of Maecenas, though more trustworthy accounts place him out of town, at Antium at the time.
The actual construction of the tower probably dates to the time of Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) under the Aretino family. At the end of the 13th century, the tower was a possession of the powerful Annibaldi family, who were followed by the Prefetti di Vico and by the Caetani, Pope Boniface VIII's family. Under the Caetani the fortified quarter was enlarged and strengthened, probably rivalling Castel Sant'Angelo as Rome's main fortress.
At the end of the 13th century when
In 1911, the tower was declared an Italian National Monument.
Architecture
One of the main medieval monuments of the city, the Torre delle Milizie is built on a square plan, its base sides measure 10.5 metres (34 ft) × 9.5 metres (31 ft). The original height of the tower is uncertain, but following the
See also
Sources
- Rendina, Claudio (1999). Enciclopedia di Roma. Rome: Newton & Compton.
- Gregorovius, Ferdinand (2010). History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages. UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 667. ISBN 978-1108015066.
External links
- Lucentini, M. (31 December 2012). The Rome Guide: Step by Step through History's Greatest City. Interlink. ISBN 9781623710088.
Media related to Torre delle Milizie at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by Ospedale di Santo Spirito in Sassia |
Landmarks of Rome Torre delle Milizie |
Succeeded by Ponte Sisto |