Overlooking the harbor since the mid-1500s, Torre Matilde is one of the symbols of Viareggio.
The city fortress is overwhelming, in its military style and squared stones, but it hides a much less evident character trait.
The structure is nicknamed Matilde, in honor of the Duchess Matilda of Canossa, but the name conceals a mistake: the tower wasn’t built by Matilda, but by the local administration that replaced the old city fortification with the new one.
The tower was also the protagonist of an incredible feature: a lighting bolt struck the nearby arsenal, but the structure was incredibly not set on fire. The locals still celebrate this miracle with the "Voto del Comune" (“city offering”) feast, on April 15th.
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