Torre del Bo, Romanesque tower at University of Padua, Italy
Torre del Bo is a Romanesque tower at the University of Padua, standing about 48 meters high with rounded arches and decorated stonework. The structure forms a central part of the Palazzo Bo complex, which extends around several interior courtyards.
The tower was built in the late 13th century by the Carraresi family as part of their fortifications. It later became part of the university when the building was converted for academic use in the 16th century.
The tower serves as a symbol of the university and defines the character of the academic quarter in the city center. Students pass by it daily and associate it with their learning experience.
The tower sits in the heart of Padua's old center and is easy to reach on foot from the main square or train station. The interior can only be visited through organized university tours.
Hidden inside the tower is an anatomical theater from the 16th century, a space where medical students first studied human bodies in a systematic way. This room was one of the earliest places in Europe where this practice occurred regularly and in an organized manner.
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