The bell tower of Toffia

An artistic bell tower 37 meters high, traditionally reported as being the tower of the old castle and designed by Michelagelo Buonarroti, stands right at the Church of St. Maria Nova in Toffia side: “… all made of local stone, with wide plates travertine at the base, large stone blocks on the corners, monumental and rich cornices and graceful and elegant capitals on wich Roman arches recline … “.

In the 1683 pastoral visit, it is reported there were three bells, “a 3000 pounds, a 1000 pounds and a 500 pounds.”

Currently, the bell tower has 4 bells: one donated by Pope Clement VII in 1525 for the Holy Year celebration, one from the suppressed St. Sebastian’s Church – a former Convent of St. Alexander – and the last, the highest, for which we can only report that it has been blessed by the Bishop of Sabina in 1930, together with the other ones.

On the bell tower there is a clock “that has replaced the old one, the gift of Donna Giulia Castellani Brancaleoni in Manzoni.”

It is traditionally stated that the bell tower had one more floor originally, then destroyed by lightning.

The location, high and isolated, combined with the presence of ferrous materials, exposes each bell to the risk of lightning, but the bell tower seems to be in Toffia particularly targeted.

Some historical archive memories, in fact, clearly reported in details at least six lightnings between 1729 and 1916, culminated in deaths and serious damage.