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Scaliger Tower of Isola della Scala

Before the fourteenth century Isola della Scala was called Isola Cenense (muddy isle) because it emerged amid the swamps. The presence of an ancient castle was reported in 1011. Destroyed by the Mantuans between 1230 and 1232, the castle was afterwards strengthened by Mastino II Della Scala and it became part of the Serraglio Scaligero, a long crenellated wall built to defend Mantua. Only a cropped tower of the castle remains today: in the past it served to control the access to the town, it was made of many landings where the soldiers were housed and it was flanked by two drawbridges, being once surrounded completely by the river Tartaro. The access to the tower was via folding stairs. Inside the tower only the second attic and the cover attic were made of bricks. The merlons on top of the tower were fitted together with a dovetail joint (ghibellines). The existing wall structure was mostly restored in 1839 and a wall plaque reminds of that restoration (MDCCCXXXIX hoc collabefacturo renovatum comunitatis aere).

Dating

14th century

Address

Strada Provinciale 24
37063 Isola della Scala (VR)

Opening hours

The tower can be visited outside.

Notes

Information on www.tourism.verona.it

For more information

Phone number: 045/6631911
Fax number: 045/6630170
Website: www.comune-isola.it