After a long restoration, it has been possible for a few years
admire this watch jewel by visiting her
inside, thanks to Salvalarte 's volunteers
Legambiente that make the tower open
Saturday and Sunday morning.
The tower dominates Piazza dei Signori, it is of origin
medieval (inaugurated in 1437) and rendered in style
Gothic by Falconetto in 1531, with the addition of the
monumental triumphal arch and friezes and statues in honor
by doge Andrea Gritti.
The astronomical clock is one of the oldest in the
world and the first in the world built on a building
public; designed by Jacopo Dondi in 1344, it is
survived wars and fires until the days
ours, although some mechanisms have been
overhauled and replaced with electric motors, but the
mechanical main body always remains that
from the dawn.
Among the peculiarities of this watch is: among the
signs of the zodiac, that of libra is missing, in
how much they refer to the pre-Roman zodiac in which the
constellations of scorpio and libra were
united in one by the claws of the latter; there
bell strikes every hour: (the so-called "bang") e
after 5 minutes the "ribang", which in ancient times indicated the
deadline by which to conclude the activities
