The Torre Monalda, called "La Rognosa"
TThere are no buildings in Florence, or in Tuscany, which does
not conceal an old history. The destinies of individuals, families and places
are there tied and untied since the Middle Ages.
The most familiar palates yield it of nothing to their more famous counterparts. The "Torre edei Monaldi", also known as "Torre Monalda", or "la Rognosa", which the Grand Hotel Porta Rossa enchases and which, in exchange could one say, shelters it, is an among most remarkable example . This site is devoted to its history and its architecture.
How to tell the history of a tower...
TThe history of a tower in Florence brings us to tell about
more general matters : history of the towers and history of the towers
in Italy.
Since the Roman towers, often polygonal, sometimes included in the city walls,
as in Spello, in Umbria, or in the enclosure of Aosta, in the homonymous valley,
until the towers built in the brand new cities, as in Milan, the Italian landscapes
are marked by their presence. They can be for military purposes, for both, military
purposes and dwelling, or for dwelling only. The manner of occupying, emphasize,
and use them evolved in time, and changed at the same time as the war methods,
the society, or the urban structures changed. Their height, more than any other
parameter, made and still makes their prestige. This height evolved as evolved
the control of the architectural forms, the theory and the capacity of calculation
of architects and engineers, nor the resistance of materials. Lastly, monumental
essentially, the towers are, still today, object of admiration and particular
care. They represent an historical inheritance that we need to emphasize, to
preserve and re-use with the best knowledge.
To study the Torre Monalda, we need to register all these aspects, discover them from de foundations to the top, throughout its history, the history of Florence, and the history of its inhabitants.
Hôtel Porta Rossa
