Tower of Galatrona
Galatrona Castle
TYPOLOGY OF GOOD: architectural
PERIOD: mediaeval
DATING: XIV century
DEFINITION: tower
DESCRIPTION: The tower is what remains of the castle of Galatrona. It has undergone recent restoration, held by the Municipality of Bucine, and it is now accessible to the public. The structure was probably built between 1300 and 1323 by Tarlato Tarlati, as a contrast to the other already present tower, owned by the Guidi family. The building has a quadrangular shape with mighty perimetral structures built in small- and medium-sized sandstone elements arranged on regular lines. As for the building technique, elements of rough ashlars are used in the constructive angles and in other architectural components.
Such building choice clearly shows the existence of a well-organized construction site, made up of specialized workers, which needed an important investment on the part of the contractor, represented by the Tarlati family. Thus, in addition to the visibly defensive character, the tower also symbolically represented the power of the Tarlati family as opposing to the Guidi family and their tower that was already present in the castle.
The building only has a few openings, most of which are limited to slots, and it is characterised by the presence, in the upper part, of stone corbels. These were suitable to support the horizontal wooden elements jutting out from the edge of the façades and they were used for defensive purposes.
The tower has a vertical development of about 25 metres. The entrance door is remarkably high in comparison to the ground level, it is quite narrow and it is characterised by a mighty monolithic architrave resting on two corbels that are typical of mediaeval architecture.
Below the first floor there is a wide tank clad in hydraulic mortar. This can only reached by a trapdoor that is on the first floor.
PERIOD: mediaeval
DATING: XIV century
DEFINITION: tower
DESCRIPTION: The tower is what remains of the castle of Galatrona. It has undergone recent restoration, held by the Municipality of Bucine, and it is now accessible to the public. The structure was probably built between 1300 and 1323 by Tarlato Tarlati, as a contrast to the other already present tower, owned by the Guidi family. The building has a quadrangular shape with mighty perimetral structures built in small- and medium-sized sandstone elements arranged on regular lines. As for the building technique, elements of rough ashlars are used in the constructive angles and in other architectural components.
Such building choice clearly shows the existence of a well-organized construction site, made up of specialized workers, which needed an important investment on the part of the contractor, represented by the Tarlati family. Thus, in addition to the visibly defensive character, the tower also symbolically represented the power of the Tarlati family as opposing to the Guidi family and their tower that was already present in the castle.
The building only has a few openings, most of which are limited to slots, and it is characterised by the presence, in the upper part, of stone corbels. These were suitable to support the horizontal wooden elements jutting out from the edge of the façades and they were used for defensive purposes.
The tower has a vertical development of about 25 metres. The entrance door is remarkably high in comparison to the ground level, it is quite narrow and it is characterised by a mighty monolithic architrave resting on two corbels that are typical of mediaeval architecture.
Below the first floor there is a wide tank clad in hydraulic mortar. This can only reached by a trapdoor that is on the first floor.
Il Museo Virtuale della Valdambra è un progetto del Comune di Bucine e dell'Associazione la Valle dell'Ambra
