Torre guelfa, Fortified tower in Pisa, Italy
Torre Guelfa is a fortified brick tower standing 35 meters high on Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli in Pisa. The structure features Renaissance architectural style and sits beside the Cittadella Vecchia with thick protective walls.
Torre Guelfa was built in 1406, during the first Florentine domination of Pisa, when the area of the former republican arsenals was redeveloped. Its name was chosen in contrast to the older Torre Ghibellina, erected in 1290 at the south-west corner of the district and later destroyed. The tower was tall enough to sight the sea and was clearly visible from the first stretch of the lungarni. Mined by retreating German troops in July 1944, it was rebuilt in 1956 without fully keeping its original appearance.
Inside the tower are displayed the old carved family coats of arms of the Florentine Captains and Commissioners who governed Pisa. The name Guelfa was chosen in contrast to the older Ghibelline Tower, built in 1290 at the south-west corner of the district and later destroyed.
You can climb to the top of the tower for views across Pisa from an elevated vantage point. The entrance sits near Ponte della Cittadella, roughly 1 kilometer from the central station.
The site sits exactly where the Republic of Pisa once constructed and maintained its naval warships. This maritime heritage runs through the very foundation of the structure itself.
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