Tower of San Nicolò di Bari in Palermo
The Tower of San Nicolò di Bari all'Alberghiera, located next to the church of the same name, is a fourteenth-century civic tower that is part of the transmission system.
It was built at the behest of the universitas of Palermo in order to defend the walls of the Cassaro. The building was not part of the structure of the church but was independent and isolated from it.
The tower has a quadrangular structure with well-squared ashlars which give it a rigorous and severe line. The tower is made up of four levels: on the first level there is a plateau, formed by a square room covered by cross vaults, which leads to the rectory of the church. A masonry staircase branches off from the plateau and leads to the next floor. A spiral staircase dating back to the medieval period starts from the second floor and reaches the roof, where the church bells are currently located.
From the tower it is possible to admire the most beautiful panorama of the old city.
