Torre del Mangia is an inspiring museum: its beauty conquered America

To tell this story, imagine the Torre del Mangia as Botticelli’s Venus or Mona Lisa. In short, we must imagine her as a true inspirational muse, beautiful enough to inspire inspiration in the eyes of the beholder, beautiful enough to copy. Yes, go to America to admire two reproductions of one of the world’s most impressive towers. Crossing Massachusetts, if we stop in the city of Boston, we can see the shadow of a 48-meter tower that faithfully reproduces the Torre del Mangia, only a little lower. Built in 1893 to allow firefighters to conduct drills, it is now the Pine Street Inn, a homeless service center. A second tower based on the idea of ​​Torre del Mangia is located in the province of Cape Cod, where the Pilgrim Fathers landed in 1600. If you don’t know where the drawing comes from for the Boston Tower, it’s different for the Torre dei Pellegrini. It was built in 1910 by Willard Thomas Sears based on the plans of Torre del Mangia. However, there are significant differences: the Pilgrim Monument is made entirely of granite, unlike the real one, which is built of bricks and travertine. Another difference is the height, the Provincial Town Monument is 77 meters tall, 11 meters lower than the Torre del Mangia. However, they have one thing in common: an emotional bond. Indeed, the monument dedicated to the Pilgrim Fathers is considered one of the most important in the United States, precisely because of the history that connects the American people to the landing of these men, forming the basis for the development of the states.

“In America – comments Anna Piperato – we do not know about the origin of these monuments, we know that they exist and are beautiful. Very few people know that the real tower is located in Italy, in Siena. I myself, before coming here, fell in love with this city and I knew about the existence of a real tower. Don’t know, but now that I look at it every day, I realize more and more that it is very beautiful.

This is not the first time Sienna has charmed and won to the point of creating inspiration in the eyes of others. However, no copy can compete with the real Torre del Mangia, which, apart from being one of the most beautiful monuments, is precisely where the sundo beats, precisely where the rhythm of life is. Sienese is indicated.

Niccolò Baccarelli