CHIGI TOWER
THE HISTORY
The façade of Palazzo Chigi, which was built on existing buildings in the second half of the fifteenth century by a member of the Caetani family, it is alongside a tower of a quadrangular shape, characterized by all those features common to other medieval towers that rise over the city. In 1510 Alfonso Caetani sold the building to an important family of bankers in Siena: the Chigi. While promoting the additions to the main building, the Chigi family left the structure almost unchanged.
DESCRIPTION
Entirely made of peperino stone with bricks that top 24-32 cm and 24-40 cm long that are arranged in horizontal positions, the tower has only one free face, the Via Chigi. It distinguishes a loggia (balcony) at the top with a four-pitch roof, resting on two wooden beams cross. According to a thirteenth-century architecture, typically bringing together the original defensive function to the tower house. Inside, the ceiling of the ground floor is a barrel vault, while the other four are in wood.
TORRE CHIGI
Traduzione di Susie Valle, California State University, Stanislaus. Studentessa del programma USAC presso l’università degli studi della Tuscia.
ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
S. Valtieri; Palazzo Chigi, in Biblioteca e Società (1981), n. 4, pp.
S. Valteiri; in Bentivoglio, il Quattrocento a Viterbo, Museo Civico di Viterbo 11 giugno – 10 settembre 1983, Roma 1983, pp.
M.R. Giordani; Ricognizione delle torri medievali di Viterbo, in Case e torri medievali II, a cura di E. Minicis – E. Guidoni, Edizioni Kappa, Roma 2001, pp. 169-170.
M. Galeotti; L’illustrissima Città di Viterbo, Edizioni Studio Pubblicitario Viterbese, Viterbo 2002, pp. 521-522.
Maria Cristina Bertollini; Palazzo Chigi in Viterbo e l’analisi iconografica ed iconologica dei suoi affreschi, tesi di laurea. anno accademico 1998/1999, Università degli studi della Tuscia di Viterbo.