The statuesque size of the Torre di Velate (Velate tower) looms over the homonymous town, a peaceful place already inhabited in the Roman period, as shown by the various finds and the tower itself. Its ruins can be seen just out of town, close to the cemetery. The tower is a reference point in the hillside town and surrounding area of Varese, and is highly symbolic for locals.
The Torre di Velate in history
The mighty Torre di Velate was built around the 11th century on the high grounds dominating the road to Lake Maggiore. It was built to defend and protect the southern part of the castle walls of Velate (the so-called Castrum de Vellate, a fortified village in the Late Roman period). The tower was partially destroyed in the 12th century during the war between the Visconti of Milan and the Torriani of Como – the same war that marked the end of Castel Seprio. One entire side - more resistant due to the integrated flight of steps – and part of another, remain of the original, strong, four-sided, 25 m-high stronghold. We know the original tower had 5 floors due to the recessed single-light windows in the broken-stone wall. The results were made public in 2003 of the archaeological research done on the tower starting in 2001. These studies were possible thanks to support by the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage of Lombardy in collaboration with the Velate Cultural Centre and Family Club and the Varese FAI Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano delegation (Italian Foundation for the Environment).
An original section of the southern foundation and a bearing stone column placed in the middle of the tower were discovered inside the tower. This discovery led to new hypotheses on the building technique used in the floors. Finally, a layer was uncovered with obvious signs of fire, which likely coincides with the devastation in the 12th century. Archaeologists found several silver coins here minted by the mint in Milan. They were almost certainly used during the tower’s short municipal period. If the life of the building as military rampart ended at the beginning of the Late Middle Ages, in-depth research tells us about its agricultural conversion (ascribable to the 13th and 14th centuries) through terraced vineyards in the surrounding area. Lastly, other finds including Sforza coins and pottery fragments demonstrate Velate’s vitality at least up until the 1600’s.
A tour of the Torre di Velate
The tower is currently managed by FAI. It is normally not open to the public, but admission and a guided tour can be booked. However, the tower is perfectly visible from the outside of the property. When arriving from Varese, follow the road to Laveno. After a few kilometres, you arrive in Masnago. There are several signs here indicating the site, which at this point is easy to find. There is a public car park close to the tower.
Photo gallery Torre di Velate
Panoramio is no longer available
Thank you for stopping by.
Panoramio has been discontinued. We’ve appreciated your contributions over the years and hope you will continue to share amazing photos with the world.
Sincerely,
The Panoramio team
Frequently-asked questions
What happened to my Panoramio data?
If your Panoramio profile was linked with your Google account, then all your Panoramio photos were copied to your Google Album Archive at full resolution. All other data has been permanently deleted.
Will my Panoramio photos continue to appear in Google Earth and Google Maps?
If your Panoramio photos were appearing in Google Maps with the name of your Google Account, then they will continue to appear along with their original view counts. If they were only attributed to your Panoramio username, they will no longer appear. You can view and manage photos by signing in to Google Maps and accessing the Contributions screen from the main menu.
Is there any way to keep posting photos to Google Earth and Google Maps?
Yes - to keep adding photos to Google Maps and engage with a growing community of photographers, join the Local Guides program. You can earn points and unlock rewards for photos submitted with a Google account when they are linked to a point of interest or business.
Follow @LagoMaggioreNet