Torre Guelfa - Pisa

This tower on Ponte della Cittadella was built during the first Florentine rule (1406), when the whole area of what was the Arsenal of the Republic was renovated. The tower also had the task of enabling sightings, as it was high enough to see the sea, and at the same time dominates the city, as it was clearly visible from the first half of the Lungarni.

The Guelph Tower, together with the Tower of Sant'Agnese, the Canto Tower (incorporated in the Bastione San Giorgio) and the Ghibelline Tower, delimited the ancient area of Terzanaia (now largely gone and known as the Cittadella), where the republican galleys were built and repaired.

It was mined by the retreating Germans in July 1944 and rebuilt after the war (1956), not quite retaining its original appearance.

Today it is open to the public and offers beautiful views from the top. Inside are the ancient carved family arms of the Florentine captains and commissioners who ruled the city.

Willem Vandenameele