Torre dell’Orologio Historical Timeline

Origins

The tower was built as one of the gates of the walled town, part of the system the Tempesta family developed around their castle on the Marzenego.

Turning points

When Noale passed to Venice in 1339 the fortifications lost their military function, and the town walls were progressively removed. The gate towers survived because they were useful as gates.

Influential people

The clock is a later civic addition, of the kind that Venetian mainland towns fitted to their gate towers as public timekeeping became a municipal responsibility.

Cultural evolution

The tower became a civic emblem rather than a defensive work -- a change of meaning that happened to gate towers across the Veneto.

Present-day significance

It still carries traffic into the square and is one of the two medieval towers that frame Noale's centre.