The Tower of the Hill, or Torre del Colle (Tor do Còl in piedmontese) in Italian, is a Romanesque building located at the village of the same name in Villar Dora. The isolated tower dominates the "Colle della Seja" also known as "Molar del Ponte," an elongated relief that bars the valley north of the Dora, opposite the spur of Mount Pirchiriano with the Sacra di San Michele.
The Torre del Colle was elevated at the end of the 13th century, more precisely in 1289-1290, on the initiative of Amedeo V, who wanted to protect the new settlement of Molare del Ponte. A simple isolated tower, it is located next to the old pre-Roman and Roman road that, still passable, climbs the eastern slope of the hill, for some sections carved into the rock.
The circular cylindrical tower is approximately 19 meters high and 7 meters in diameter. It was made of masonry of local stone rough-hewn on site, bonded with exceptionally strong mortar packed with lime and river sand. At its base it housed a small enclosure that developed to the north.
Gallery
Address
- Torre del Colle
- SS24 Villar Dora
- Find on the map.
