Mangia Tower

Mangia Tower is a monument to Siena’s rich and very beautiful history. Located in the Piazza del Campo, the tower gets its name from its first guard, Giovanni di Balduccio, who was also known as “Mangiaguadagni” for his love of squandering money on food.

One of the tallest ancient towers in Italy, at 102 metres, the Mangia Tower was built between 1325 and 1348. According to legend, the tower’s builders placed some coins and Latin and Hebrews scripts in the foundations while they were building to bring good luck to the structure.

Mangia Tower was designed by famous sculptor Maestro Lippo and the clock that can be seen on the tower today was added in 1360, when it was simply painted on, and was replaced by stone in 1776. Beautifully conserved, the tower remains a symbol of the city’s artistic heritage and skill and a testament to the many splendors of Tuscany and Italy itself.