The Tower Houses of Florence
The Tower Houses of Florence can be considered the skyscrapers of the Middle Ages. The skyscrapers represent the symbol of the most modern metropolis and they find their ancestors in the tower houses of which Florence boasts noteworthy specimens. The highest the tower, the greatest the power. It was a matter of space and control.
The tower house is a fortified building in vogue in the Middle Ages. They were the medieval residence of powerful Florentine families. Indeed, in the 13th century only the most prestigious families of Guelphs and Ghibellines – the two rival factions in Florence at the time, the former pro-Pope, the latter pro-Emperor – could afford such prestigious housing. The higher the tower, the more influential the owner.
What’s left of these tower houses in Florence?
At that time, the city was very small and the first city wall contained only what is now known as the historic center.
However, the productivity of the artisan shops and the conquest of the neighboring countries led to a rapid population growth and soon the space within the ancient walls became insufficient. Thus the city began to fill up with towers.
It was not long before that, that the most typical of medieval buildings became a symbol of prestige and reason for dispute among the richest powerful families of the city. It is understood that each tower had to exceed in height those of the rivals. The tower houses were twice as tall as today, about 60 m, and they were the perfect solution to fuel the war among nobles linked by kinship and clientelism. The Florentines at that time, in fact, were rather bloodthirsty. The family feuds lasted centuries and resulted in the war between the Guelphs, friends of the Pope, and the Ghibellines, on the Emperor’s side.
In the second half of the 13th century a city council ordinance decreed the dismantling or the reduction of the towers’ heights in Florence. There are many tower houses in Florence and each has a story that would be worth knowing and a family to remember.
We had the chance to visit and meet the owner of QK Costa 58. The original majesty of their tower was thus diminished, but the building has preserved the charm of the ancient glories. The prestige of past times echoes today in exclusive apartments in the Oltrarno, that can be rented even on a daily basis.History and wonder entwine on the upper floors of QK Costa58 Home Tower: from there, you will dominate the entire city at a glance.
There, it is also possible to experience a unique starred dinner with a view and have a multi-sensory experience. It can be also the perfect place for honeymoons.
You can breathe fully the Renaissance art, experience the splendour of the Florentine Signoria, explore the cradle of innumerable geniuses and inspired intellectuals. In these apartments with a view, reality goes well beyond imagination.