Medici Tower - Santo Stefano di Sessanio

From defensive bastion to exhibition space

The symbol of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a medieval village in the province of L'Aquila, located within the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, the Medici Tower dominates the characterful historical centre.

Thanks to a cylindrical bastion and its strategic location, it was built in the fourteenth century as a watchtower. Known as "medicea" due to the presence of the famous coat of arms belonging to the famous Florentine Medici family, who were feudal lords of the small village in the sixteenth century. It is characterised by the protruding complex consisting of pikes and chutes, supported by a dense series of stone brackets, and is completed with a battlement at the top. In the centre, the rectangular entrance is framed in stone and there is also a slit, while in the upper part of the tower you can see a small window.

It collapsed almost completely during the earthquake that struck Abruzzo in 2009. Today, the Medici Tower of Santo Stefano di Sessanio has been completely reconstructed using the original recovered material and leaving its spirit intact. The restoration project also saw the creation of an innovative route created within the perimeter of the wall circumference, an evocative framework for a narrative space dedicated to exhibition content.