Torre di Montebolzone, Medieval tower in Agazzano, Italy

The Torre di Montebolzone is a medieval tower in Agazzano with a square base, stone construction in the lower sections and brick walls in the upper portions. The building shows how construction materials and techniques changed over different phases of its development.

The tower's founding date is unknown; it may date to the early 10th century, possibly built at the initiative of the Piacenza church. It was first mentioned when destroyed in 1243 by Pavia and German troops serving Emperor Frederick II. In 1360 it belonged to Giovanni Confalonieri, and in 1412 it was included in the investiture of Bartolomeo and Filippo Arcelli. It was restored between 2008 and 2016.

The name Montebolzone comes from bolzone, the German bolzen, meaning the iron head of a battering ram. The tower is all that remains of a castle; where the other buildings stood, the church of Santa Maria Assunta was later built, and a palace next to the tower took over the noble residence. The ground floor has a brick barrel vault, the upper floors wooden ceilings.

The tower stands at 142 m above sea level on the last hills of the Luretta valley, in the Montebolzone hamlet of Agazzano, and is reached by the local country roads; it is private property, so it is seen from outside. The base walls are about 110 cm thick and the tower rises about 20 m, so a full view needs some distance. Look for the brick upper section with the sawtooth motif and the remains of the battlements.

The name derives from the German "bolzen", the iron head of a battering ram. The tower is all that remains of a castle: where the other buildings stood, the church of Santa Maria Assunta was later built, and the noble residence moved to a palace next to the tower. The brick upper section, with sawtooth decoration and traces of battlements, is probably a 13th-century raising after the 1243 destruction.