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Torre del Diavolo today

Italy · Still standing

Torre del Diavolo

Torre del Diavolo is a medieval tower on the northern edge of San Gimignano, Tuscany, that stands beside the Palazzo Cortesi. Built of white calciferous stone, it is known locally for a devil-related legend and today contains the Museo della Tortura. The surviving tower is part of San Gimignano's historic cluster of civic towers.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1300

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1300

What Torre del Diavolo looked like in its prime.

A tall, narrow medieval masonry tower of white calciferous rock rising directly beside the Palazzo Cortesi within the town fabric of northern San Gimignano. The tower has a simple rectangular shaft whose upper portion is finished with a course of projecting stone brackets beneath the top, giving a pronounced termination to the shaft. The base meets a tight street; the tower’s faces are plain stone, its silhouette a vertical block among neighbouring medieval buildings.

Its story

The story of Torre del Diavolo.

The Devil's Tower, Torre del Diavolo, flanks the Palazzo Cortesi on the northern edge of San Gimignano, part of the town's historic cluster of civic towers, built of white calciferous stone with brackets at the top of its upper portion.

The name comes from a legend: the tower's owner, returning home from a long journey, was convinced it had grown taller in his absence, the only explanation, he alleged, being that a DIY-inclined devil had been busy while he was away. The tower today houses the Museo della Tortura, a museum of torture.

Step inside

5 places to explore in 1300.

The record describes 5 distinct spots at Torre del Diavolo, including 1 interior: lower chamber (interior; later museo della tortura). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the narrow street (exterior)Façade view from Palazzo Cortesi (exterior)Tower base and entrance (exterior)Lower chamber (interior; later Museo della Tortura)Top of the tower showing projecting brackets (exterior)

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Torre del Diavolo.

Torre Grossa, ItalyLandmarkTorre Grossa0 km awayMonteriggioni, ItalyFortressMonteriggioni18 km awaySiena Cathedral, ItalyCathedralSiena Cathedral28 km away

Questions about Torre del Diavolo

What is the history of Torre del Diavolo?

Torre del Diavolo is a medieval tower whose name comes from a local legend about its owner finding it mysteriously taller after a journey. It formed a single, closely connected unit with the adjoining Palazzo Cortesi, formerly associated with the Paltoncini, Picchena and Lupi families. Later alterations are especially visible on its eastern side.

What is inside Torre del Diavolo?

Inside Torre del Diavolo is a lower chamber that later became the Museo della Tortura. The upper levels have narrow openings, including a narrow slit and small windows, while large internal arches on the eastern wall once opened directly into the adjoining house before being blocked.

Where is Torre del Diavolo?

Torre del Diavolo stands on the northern edge of San Gimignano, in Tuscany, beside the Palazzo Cortesi. It is on the northern side of Piazza della Cisterna and forms part of the town’s historic cluster of civic towers.

What did Torre del Diavolo look like in its prime?

Torre del Diavolo is a tall, narrow medieval masonry tower of white calciferous stone, with a simple rectangular shaft and a pronounced upper termination. Projecting stone brackets run beneath the top, while the plain faces rise directly from a tight street among neighbouring medieval buildings.

Is Torre del Diavolo still standing?

Torre del Diavolo is still standing and intact. Its white calciferous stone tower has undergone modifications during its history, particularly on the eastern side, but the surviving structure remains part of San Gimignano’s historic cluster of civic towers.

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