Brothel Tower

Address and contacts

Via Farini, 1/A - 42121 Reggio Emilia
0039 0522 451152 - Tourist Information Office
iat@comune.re.it

Opening times

Not accessible for security reasons

How to get there

Reggio nell'Emilia - Town centre

The tower is located in the town centre, next to the Town Hall.

Historical notes

Despite its name, the Bordello Tower was never involved in that particular sort of activity. Instead it was built in 1498 to house the municipal archive, previously located inside the Clock Tower deemed by the town elders to be an unsuitable location, as it was “dark and full of rats.” The curious name of the tower, applied also to the nearby street until 1800, was due to the immediate vicinity of the so-called “castelletto,” which in fact was the town brothel.
The plan for the new archive tower was the work of Girolamo Casotti, son of the architect Antonio Casotti who designed numerous buildings for the city. Originally shorter and topped by Guelph-style merlons, it reached its current height of 51 meters after two successive additions.
Since 1600 the tower has housed a bell, known as Regia, moved from the clock tower: depicted on it are the figures of the city’s patron saints Grisanto and Daria and the municipal coat of arms, as well as an inscription which reads, in Latin: “My name is Regia the queen, Francesco Capelli of Reggio and Dionigi Filippi of Turin made me. SPQR dedicated me to the community/to public service in the Year of Our Lord 1667.”During the First World War the tolling of the bell warned of imminent air raids and a long continuous ringing signalled the end of the danger. During the Second World War, the tower was used as a watchtower and spotting site, a story depicted today in a mural preserved at the top of the tower.