Marzocco tower, Renaissance tower in Livorno, Italy.

Marzocco tower is a Renaissance fortification in Livorno with an octagonal floor plan that rises approximately 54 meters high. The eight sides feature decorative relief carvings depicting different winds, adding artistic detail to the structure.

Florence gained full control of the castle of Livorno in 1421, after Pisa and its Porto Pisano had declined. The tower, the first major work of the Florentine government in Livorno, was built on the ruins of the Vermiglia; some date it to around the mid-15th century, others to from 1423, on the ruins of a Pisan tower. A lightning strike in 1737 damaged its top, and it was restored afterwards.

The name refers to the marzocco, the rampant lion of the Republic of Florence, which was cast in bronze as a weather vane on the spire; a lightning strike in 1737 knocked it into the sea. The lion survives in sculpture under the corbels of the top floor, beside the lily, the cross of the People and the eagle of the Parte Guelfa.

The tower sits within the port industrial area and has restricted access, so plan visits in advance. It is helpful to check local regulations and any access restrictions upon arrival to ensure a successful visit.

The tower's octagonal plan may draw on the Tower of the Winds in Athens, which the designer likely knew from classical texts. A technical difference: the Livorno tower puts the eight winds on its corners, the Greek building on its faces. Under the corbels of the top floor are carved four Florentine emblems: the lily, the cross of the People, the marzocco lion and the eagle grasping the dragon of the Parte Guelfa.