The Tower Today
Amid the streets we often walk without noticing. Hidden within the familiar alleys of Bologna’s oldest quarter stands a piece of history that shines once again. The ancient Prendiparte Tower has become an exclusive retreat for those who fall under the spell of the past—the perfect setting for unforgettable moments, where emotion, wonder, and awe merge into a magical experience.
After a careful restoration aimed at preserving its original character and safeguarding the details that time had begun to erase, all twelve floors are now fully accessible.
The recovery of the original plaster in the prison levels revealed long-lost inscriptions and graffiti.
Every space has been equipped with proper lighting and connected by comfortable, safe stairways.
Once fiercely contested through the centuries, the Prendiparte Tower—originally built as a stronghold against enemy attacks—now opens its doors to those who appreciate uniqueness and wish to immerse themselves in history to relive deep and genuine emotions
From the 19th Century to Today
After 1796, when the prison facilities were removed, both the tower and the adjacent buildings facing Piazzetta Prendiparte remained, for a time, under the administration of the Archbishop’s Office, managed by the Royal Treasury.
According to the Papal (Gregorian) land registry, the tower and its neighboring structures were listed as “house and warehouse” on the east side and “carriage house and rental property” on the west.
These buildings passed from the Archbishop’s estate to the State Treasury on April 13, 1868.
Later records (1873) show ownership by Vincenzo Monti, son of Giovanni. Further archival research at the Land and Notarial Offices has traced the property’s history up to 1972, when Clemente Giovanardi acquired it from Emilio Berti of Imola.
Since then, the tower has been inhabited for some years and, after hosting a well-known law firm, was reclaimed by its owner, who began a meticulous restoration that gave the tower its current appearance
When the Tower Became a Prison
In his 1875 History of the Towers, Gozzadini described the structure and layout of the small cells, even transcribing some of the inscriptions left by prisoners.
Thanks to a precise conservative restoration and delicate cleaning work, numerous carvings, writings, lamentations, and drawings are now perfectly visible—surviving over two and a half centuries of neglect.
The walls show sketches of landscapes, churches, houses, and human figures, drawn in reddish hues using brick dust or a mixture of powdered terracotta and organic liquid. At the base of the stairway leading to the fourth floor, you can still see a deep groove in a terracotta tile—a mark of that very process.
Archival research in the Curia’s records has revealed the stories of some prisoners: François Vial (Francesco Viali, “the Frenchman”), Angelo Rizzoli, Luigi Rossi, and Luigi Bernardi.
These ecclesiastical prisons, strictly for men, held those accused of crimes against religion or Christian morality—theft of sacred items, impregnating nuns, dueling within monasteries, and more.
Life was harsh: bread and water, no hygiene, and defiance often meant being sent to the
papal jails—which, by comparison, were said to be even worse.
From the 15th to the 18th Century
The last historical mention of a Prendiparte family member dates to 1358.
By the late 1400s, the tower passed to the Fabruzzi family, who lost it when Giovanni Bentivoglio fell from power in 1508.
Soon after, two nuns of that family, belonging to the Monastery of Santa Maria della Consolazione, regained it.
In 1530, the monastery sold the tower to Ercole Seccadenari.
His heirs, in 1588, sold it to the Archbishop’s Office along with the adjacent house, which was used as a seminary by Bishop Paleotti.
When the seminary moved in 1751 to its new site opposite the Cathedral of San Pietro (now the Hotel Majestic, formerly Baglioni), the tower and house became a prison and the office of the Bargello (city constable) until Napoleon’s confiscation in 1796.
At that time, the room on the second floor was directly connected to the old seminary by an internal passage.
The small cells had been used by seminarians for prayer and scripture study before becoming prison quarters.
The Prendiparte Family
The Prendiparte family has ancient origins, possibly descending from the Pico family, rooted in early feudal nobility of northern Italy.
Their lineage granted them wealth and power over a wide territory—they were feudal lords of several castles, including Mirandola (Modena), Montecuccolo (Frignano), and Settefonti (near Bologna).
The famous Liber Paradisus (1256), listing the serfs liberated by the city of Bologna, confirms their wealth: the Prendiparte family owned 218 serfs, ranking among the most influential families in Bologna.
Their prosperity is also evident in the construction of the Coronata Tower (another one of their properties) and in their prominent political roles during Bologna’s free commune era.
The most notable member, Prendiparte dei Prendiparti, served multiple terms as consul during Bologna’s wars against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
He led Bologna’s army to victory over Imola in 1168 and, seven years later, against imperial forces near San Casciano.
Highly esteemed, he was even elected Podestà—a title rarely given to locals in order to prevent the concentration of power.
His reputation was such that, in 1185, he hosted Emperor Frederick Barbarossa himself in his home during the period of reconciliation between the Empire, the Pope, and the Italian League during the organization of the First Crusade.
Construction
Based on studies of similar towers excavated to their foundations, Bologna’s medieval towers were typically built on pile foundations: solid masonry cores set deep in the soil, extending beyond the visible base.
Tests on the Asinelli Tower in the 1970s confirmed a foundation made of selenite blocks for about 1.5 meters, followed by compact gravel and clay reaching 6 meters deep.
The Prendiparte Tower likely used the same method—reinforced with wooden piles and compacted soil before construction began.
Materials included selenite (gypsum) for the base blocks, “Bolognese” bricks for walls, pebbles and mortar for the inner core, wood for stairs and landings, and sandstone for details.
The Prendiparte family’s property included an entire block: the “old palace,” the “new palace,” the “new house,” and another tower—as well as a large “merloned hospice” adjacent to the Torre Coronata.
At about 60 meters tall, with walls 2.35 meters thick at the base (1.35 at the top), the tower was possibly even taller in origin.
Its preservation is exceptional, and like its “sister towers,” it remains among the oldest and most remarkable medieval structures still standing today.
Bologna in the 12th Century
After the year 1000, urban society reorganized as feudal lords moved from the countryside into cities, building towers that served the same purposes as castles—both defense and prestige.
In the compact medieval city of Bologna, still enclosed within its first selenite walls, towers necessarily developed vertically.
Civil wars and factional strife were constant, culminating in the late 13th century with what was described as “the ultimate ruin of Bologna,” when the victorious Guelphs expelled a quarter of the city’s population, the hated Ghibellines.
The towers we see today appear as silent brick monoliths, but once there was a time when they were alive, surrounded by wooden galleries and dwellings teeming with activity. What look like windows were once doorways, their thresholds worn by centuries of footsteps.
Each tower functioned like a vertical family compound: every branch of a lineage had its home at the base and access to the upper floors.
In times of danger, they would retreat into the tower—a secure refuge or, if necessary, a fortress for battle.