Overview
The location is therefore truly dominant and the views from the walkways at the top are vast.
It has often been argued over the centuries that the Tower is located in the "umbilicus Siciliæ", in a symbolic interpretation substantially endorsed by the obelisk modern in the nearby piazza Europa. In fact, a measurement made with today's geodetic precision confirms that the tower and obelisk are practically in the centre of the island. One esoteric interpretation even claims that the entire Sicilian street system originally corresponded to the directions in which the first-floor hall windows look. It is however true that these windows are oriented according to cardinal points in the wind rose.
In terms of the layout of the Roman city, the tower stands at the point where the decumanus crossed the first hinge, a circumstance considered sacred as it respected the will of the gods. If the tower's position really depends on this ancient urban sanctity, it can be assumed that Frederick II simply had a new building constructed on top of a much earlier one. Be that as it may, the current tower is in the shape of a prism with an octagonal base, respects the model of the Norman donjon that is widespread in Sicily, and has building features typical of Frederick's military architecture.
