Civic Tower

The People’s Tower is a rectangular building erected together with the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, next to the so-called Temple of Minerva. With its height (47 m.) and impressiveness the Torre del Popolo stands right next to the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo. It is a structure with a rectangular plan and, with its imposing size and height of 47 meters, it is a symbol of the political and cultural vivacity of Assisi, especially in reference to the period of its construction, which began around the year 1257. The tower was built for the magistracy of the Captain of the People, of which we have reports in Assisi from the year 1267. Construction was completed in 1305, as we can read on the plaque to the left of the portal, which gives the date and the name of Captain Cabrino from Parma, who held the office at that time. Evidence of various stages of construction is also provided by numerous frescoes, which always place it at the center of the various depictions of Assisi. A plaque at the base of the tower gives the standard measures used in the town in the 14th century, with the shapes of the roof tiles, floor tiles and bricks, and the measurements of wool, linen and silk fabrics.

In October 2022 the civic tower was finally opened to the public, thus becoming part of the town museum circuit. Thanks to the renovation and redefining of the interior spaces, visitors can enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the town and see up close the Bell of the Lauds, which hangs in the first belfry. The presence of this bell gives further weight to the symbolic value of the tower, also imbuing it with a strong religious significance.
The bell was in fact cast on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the death of Saint Francis and bears an engraving of the “Canticle of the Sun”; it is the work of the sculptor Luigi Pettinari from Tolentino. A small photography exhibition, set up in the room next to the first belfry, narrates the various stages in the making of the bell, the effort of the townspeople in attempting to hoist it, and the celebrations held on the day of its inauguration.