Completed in 1348, this 87m-high red-brick-and-travertine bell tower commands magnificent views from its highest levels. Its name (The Tower of Eater) comes from Giovanni di Balduccio, nicknamed 'Mangiaguadagni' (Eat the Earnings), who was employed by the municipality between 1347 to 1360 to beat the hours on its bell. The role of bell-beater was later performed by an automaton, which, in memory of its predecessor, was called Mangia. The remains of this automaton are now in the Palazzo Pubblico's courtyard.
Torre del Mangia
Siena
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.17 MILES
Consecrated on the former site of a Roman temple in 1179 and constructed over the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena's majestic duomo (cathedral) showcases…
0.01 MILES
Entered via the Palazzo Pubblico's Cortile del Podestà (Courtyard of the Chief Magistrate), this wonderful museum showcases rooms richly frescoed by…
17.86 MILES
Parts of San Gimignano's Romanesque cathedral were built in the second half of the 11th century, but its remarkably vivid frescoes, depicting episodes…
29.43 MILES
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Complesso Museale di Santa Maria della Scala
0.2 MILES
Built as a hospice for pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena, this huge complex opposite the duomo dates from the 13th century. Its highlight is the…
0.18 MILES
Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, archbishop of Siena (later Pope Pius III), commissioned the building and decoration of this hall off the north…
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0.18 MILES
Siena's recently renovated art gallery, housed in 14th-century Palazzo Buonsignori since 1932, is home to an extraordinary collection of Gothic…
0.05 MILES
Popularly known as 'Il Campo', this sloping piazza has been Siena's social centre since being staked out by the ruling Consiglio dei Nove (Council of Nine…
Nearby Siena attractions
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Built to demonstrate the enormous wealth, proud independence and secular nature of Siena, this 14th-century Gothic masterpiece is the visual focal point…
0.01 MILES
Entered via the Palazzo Pubblico's Cortile del Podestà (Courtyard of the Chief Magistrate), this wonderful museum showcases rooms richly frescoed by…
0.05 MILES
Popularly known as 'Il Campo', this sloping piazza has been Siena's social centre since being staked out by the ruling Consiglio dei Nove (Council of Nine…
0.05 MILES
Sheltering behind an anonymous facade, this Ashkenazi synagogue in Siena's former Ghetto once serviced a community of 500. Sadly, a mere 50 Jews now live…
0.06 MILES
Water first bubbled forth from the Fonte Gaia in the upper part of the Campo in 1346. The fountain's panels are reproductions; the severely weathered…
0.08 MILES
The baroque facade of this church dates from 1613, but the church itself is much older, having been constructed in the 12th century. Inside are works by…
7. Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherne
0.08 MILES
Housed in the Renaissance-era Palazzo Piccolomini, Siena's State Archive isn't a usual stop on the standard tourist itinerary, but it provides ample…
0.08 MILES
Few buildings have pedigrees as splendid as this 13th-century palace. Home of the Piccolomini family (of which Pope Pius II was the most prominent member)…