Torre dei Gualtieri in San Benedetto del Tronto, Medieval tower in Paese Alto, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy.
The Torre dei Gualtieri is a hexagonal brick tower in Paese Alto, San Benedetto del Tronto, standing about 20 meters tall. Its elongated hexagon with double buttresses has walls 1.5 meters thick, and the top features a projecting parapet with machicolations and Ghibelline merlons. The summit terrace, at 16.60 meters, holds an open bell chamber.
In 1146 Bishop Liberto of Fermo granted the Gualtieri brothers the right to build a defensive tower guarding the Castrum Sancti Benedicti, which took the name castrum after this fortification. Custody and ownership went to the nobles Berardo and Azzo, sons of Gualtiero. The tower served as the keep of the fortified complex and housed the castellan, who sent orders and optical signals to other fortresses, notably the Rocca di Acquaviva Picena.
Locals call the tower lu Turriò or lu Campanò in the Sambenedettese dialect, and its summit terrace holds an open bell chamber. It now serves as an exhibition venue for shows and cultural events, and it is a fixed stop on the town's tourist opening routes.
Access to the tower is through the ground-level entrance at Piazza Sacconi, making it easy to reach. The site sits in the historic Paese Alto quarter, which is walkable and centrally located.
The tower's flattened hexagonal plan with two pointed ends was designed to strengthen the structure and eliminate blind spots in the defenders' line of fire. Each of its sides measures 5 metres, and the walls are a constant 1.5 metres thick.
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